Montgomery County’s mail-in ballot pre-canvassing efforts are pictured on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Credit: Montgomery County).
Results from the 2025 primary election were certified Monday by Montgomery County officials.
The Montgomery County Board of Elections convened a mid-morning session to meet the certification deadline, which passed in a 2-0 vote, with Chairman Neil Makhija and Commissioner Tom DiBello voting in favor as Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder was absent.
There were 130,386 ballots cast in the May 20 primary, according to an election results summary, which resulted in a 21.20 percent voter turnout rate, according to Montgomery County’s election summary report. The off-year election showcased several races, including judges, school boards and municipal positions.
The 2025 primary election figures were down slightly from the 2021 primary election, as Director of Elections Frank Dean said the contest had around 150,000 ballots four years prior. Dean observed an uptick in political interest as roughly 1,500 candidates ran in this year’s primary election. Of those, Dean anticipated “approximately half” will advance to the general election ballot in November.
“I think there’s a lot of different levels of engagement with this election as opposed to four years ago, which is good to see,” Dean said. “Even though the ballots cast are down there’s a lot … more people interested in getting involved.”
Of note, a referendum and special election were featured on primary election ballots in select municipalities.
Voters in Abington and Rockledge were asked a yes or no question pertaining to spending $285 million to construct a new Abington Middle School. Results from the Abington School District referendum revealed 8,995 voters said yes and 8,584 voters said no.
A special election was held in the county seat in order to determine who will serve out the remaining terms of former council members Lauren Hughes and Tom Lepera, who resigned earlier this year. Jasmine Griffen was previously appointed for the at-large seat and Natalie Colson was chosen to serve the fourth district until the scheduled special election.
Results revealed they’ll remain on council and serve until the terms expire on Dec. 31, 2027. Colson received 474 votes, and 120 write-in votes were recorded. Griffen had 1,601 votes, with 66 write-in reported, according to the county’s unofficial election results.
There were 2,310 poll workers, 62 canvassers and 42 tabulators tasked with responsibilities related to the May 20 primary election.
Additionally, roughly 50,000 write-in votes were identified across 25,000 ballots, according to Dean. A Norristown Area School Board race featured 945 write-in votes for the four-year term contest and 176 write-in votes for the two-year term, according to election results.
Tabulation efforts took “approximately eight working days,” Dean said, as compared to “every bit of the three weeks following the [2021] election.
“We have a good system. We’re very confident in that system,” he said. “We have a great team downstairs and at our [Voter Services] warehouse and we were able to move quickly, but accurately and efficiently…”
DiBello inquired about protocol surrounding sorting out “Mickey Mouse” write-in votes.
“We do not tally votes for fictional characters, but I will say that Mickey Mouse is no longer the most popular fictional character. Now it’s Gritty,” Dean said as laughter could be heard from the room.
Looking ahead, the voter registration deadline for the Nov. 4 general election is slated for Monday, Oct. 20. Visit montcovotes.com for more information about elections in Montgomery County.
