Despite over 1,600 races for the Democratic and Republican parties occurring in the Bucks County primary election, many had no named candidate, writes Jess Rohan for Bucks County Courier Times. A few races ended with only one write-in.
More than 400 of the 612 races for judges of election didn’t have a named candidate.
While some refrained from getting involved due to time commitment, many hesitated because of increased tensions between political parties.
“It is difficult because people are afraid to stick their necks out,” said longtime Republican organizer in Upper Bucks, Milo Morris. “They don’t want to get criticized and they don’t want to get harassed.”
The chair of the Palisades Democratic Alliance, Kim Barbaro, expressed similar sentiments. She discussed how many parents feared participating because of how siding with one party would impact their children.
The rise in political polarization has made it difficult to appoint poll workers as well. This can pose a challenge as Bucks County is considered a prominent swing county.
Though many of the races began with no named candidates, write-ins helped fill many of the positions, along with volunteers and appointees.
Read more about how political polarization has impacted Bucks County’s primary election in the Bucks County Courier Times.
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