Northumberland County voters will elect a new board of commissioners today from a slate of five candidates.
With all three incumbents running, the same three men could still be in leadership when the ballots are counted, or one or both challengers could be part of a new three-man board starting in 2012.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today.
Commissioner candidates include Democratic incumbents Vinny Clausi and Frank Sawicki; the third incumbent, Republican Merle Phillips; Republican Rick Shoch, and Independent Steve Bridy.
Clausi, a businessman from Coal Township, is seeking his second four-year term, while Sawicki, a retired engineer from Atlas, is seeking a third. Phillips, retired state legislator and businessman from Upper Augusta Township, appointed last year to replace Kurt Masser when he was elected to the state Legislature, is running for a permanent seat.
Shoch, a Sunbury attorney, is seeking his first term in public office, as is Bridy, a financial consultant from Elysburg.
Contested races for sheriff and treasurer will also be decided by countywide voters today.
For sheriff, Democrat incumbent Chad Reiner, of Leck Kill, faces challenger Republican Timothy Zerbe, of Shamokin Township, while the treasurer's election features Republican incumbent Kevin Gilroy, of Elysburg, who was appointed to the post last year, and Democrat Sandy Winhofer, of Kulpmont.
Also to be decided by voters countywide is whether to retain Judge Charles Saylor for another 10-year term on the Court of Common Pleas. A number of statewide judicial retentions are also on the ballot.
Also of note is a referendum for Mount Carmel Area School District voters, who will be asked for the second straight year if they favor elimination of the occupational assessment tax, replacing its revenue with an increase of the earned-income tax. They voted "no" to that referendum in 2010.
(See the accompanying list for a complete rundown of statewide judicial elections and local municipal elections.)