Lines were minimal at polling sites across the Lower Valley just before noon Tuesday but poll workers expected a rush later in the day.

At the Blawnox Volunteer Fire Department along Freeport Road, traffic cones were set up to keep voters 6 feet apart.

Poll workers wore masks and had extra ones on hand to provide to anyone in need.

At the O’Hara municipal building, two separate entrances were being used to split voters who cast their ballots in Ward 4, District 1 and those who vote in Ward 1, District 2.

Township Manager Julie Jakubec alerted voters that Cabin Lane was open to the O’Hara Elementary polling location, despite a water line project.

The Water Authority is not working today, she said.

Visits to polling sites in Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, O’Hara and Blawnox turned up only three voters, total, in line mid-day. But, social media users told of longer lines early in the morning just after the sites opened.

Polls will stay open until 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will still be allowed to vote, according to the Allegheny County Elections Division website.

Voters are required to wear masks and are encouraged to bring a pen and hand sanitizer.

Amie Downs, county director of communications, said there were a few issues so far with the county’s 1,323 polling sites, such as places that opened a few minutes late while poll workers set up equipment.

By 8 a.m., there were three districts which still had not opened — Monroeville 101, McKeesport 12-1 and Pittsburgh 5-5.

Those issues were sorted by 9:30 a.m. and sites were opened.

Also by mid-morning, reports of machines that were not working correctly had all been addressed, and Downs said the majority of issues were operator error.

Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said 81% of Pennsylvania voters who requested a mail-in or absentee ballot — 2.5 million out of 3.1 million that requested — had returned their ballot by Election Day.

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