POLITICS

The Latest: Pennsylvania official expects 80 percent turnout

About 7 million of Pennsylvania's 8.7 million registered voters are expected to participate.

Associated Press
Sam Edwards of Hanover said he voted for the first time today.

Pennsylvania's secretary of state says he wouldn't be surprised if voter turnout topped 80 percent.

Secretary Pedro Cortes has served from 2003 to 2010 under former Gov. Ed Rendell and since last year under Gov. Tom Wolf, both Democrats.

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Cortes says the highest voter turnout since 1980 was in 1992 when 83 percent of Pennsylvania voters cast ballots in an election headlined by Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican President George Bush.

Tuesday's general election pitting Republican Donald Trump against Democrat Hillary Clinton will be the 19th overseen by Cortes, counting primary elections and non-presidential elections.

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Cortes also downplays concerns over voter fraud saying, "I will never claim that elections in Pennsylvania or anywhere else are perfect, but they're legitimate."

Cortes expects about 7 million of Pennsylvania's 8.7 million registered voters to participate.

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After enduring months of campaign ads, fliers and rallies, Pennsylvanians will help decide the winner in a long, hard-fought presidential campaign and control of the U.S. Senate next year.

Democrat Hillary Clinton has a built-in voter registration advantage over Republican Donald Trump in Tuesday's presidential election. Democratic-leaning Pennsylvania has backed the Democrat in six straight presidential elections.

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Just below on the ballot is the hotly contested U.S. Senate race between Democrat Katie McGinty and Republican incumbent Pat Toomey. Toomey is among the nation's most vulnerable Senate incumbents as the GOP struggles to hang on to its Senate majority.

Voters also will decide whether to allow more than 1,000 appellate, county and district judges to remain in their jobs until the age of 75.

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The current mandatory retirement age is 70.