SCRANTON -- Voters in Scranton will elect a new mayor for the first time in more than a decade. Even so, elections officials are expecting few people at the polls.
The folks at the West Side Senior Center in Scranton start their lunch with a rendition of "God Bless America". So, you can imagine that most of the people Newswatch 16 talked to here plan to exercise their right to vote on Election Day.
The group at the senior center may be among the only 11,000 Scranton citizens who voted in the May primary, and even they can't deny this election season has lacked excitement.
"If they don't go out and vote, then we just have the same crowd in office again. I would tell them to go out and vote," said Paulette McGraw of Scranton.
"It's a little off, I don't know, there's no hype to it. It's a dead election," added Charlie Griffiths.
Most voters we talked to said they're less aware of the election because of fewer television ads and far fewer signs. Main Avenue in west Scranton was filled with signs for mayoral hopefuls back in May, now the signs are few and far between.
One of the reasons you may be seeing fewer signs is because candidates are spending less in this year's General Election. According to Board of Elections records, both of the candidates for Scranton mayor spent total what current Mayor Chris Doherty said he paid in the last week before Election Day.
Judges of Elections stopped by the Board of Elections office in Scranton Monday to pick up their kits for the big day, that even they think may have a disappointing turnout.
"I hope the turnout is a little bit greater than it was in the primary. Especially in the city of Scranton because voters will be choosing a new mayor," said Lackawanna County Director of Elections Marion Medalis.
Lackawanna County voters will also choose a new sheriff and county row officers on Election Day.
The polls open at 7:00 a.m.