Wofford, Rendell take U. precincts amid low turnout

Not only did Democrats Harris Wofford and Edward Rendell handily win their races, but they also could have gone to sleep secure in knowing that they had taken University precincts as well. Voter turnout on campus was characteristically low, with voting patterns similar to those in the city and the state. Local Democratic Committee member Scott Sher attributed the low turnout to general political apathy among students. Sher also said that students seem to find it easy to rally around specific issues, like abortion, but they often seem to falter when it comes time to vote for the men and women who will make these policy decisions. As has also become routine at University polling areas, at least 25 students arrived to cast their ballots only to find their names were not on the voter rolls. Local committee members staffing the polls said that some of the students who were not on the rolls were probably either supposed to vote in other precincts or had been part of a city-wide roll purge. Few of these students took the necessary time to petition a judge at 39th Street and Lancaster Avenue and return to cast their votes, precinct staffers said last night. All in all, only one real problem plagued local precincts -- long lines at peak voting times due to a shortage of machines. 27th Ward Democratic Leader Kevin Vaughan said last night the shortage of machines was due to a purge from the rolls of ward residents who have not voted in the last two years. When the number of registered voters in a district falls below 350, the area is given only one voting machine, Vaughan said. Vaughan also noted that the Democratic Party filed a lawsuit to stop the purges from going through before the elections. Vaughan harshly criticized the Republican Ward Leader Matthew Wolfe for complaining about the waits at the polls, but not going to court to try to stop the purges. "It is outrageous that anyone like Matt Wolfe can complain about anything until he starts getting off his duff and doing something," Vaughan said last night. Wolfe, however, defended himself, calling the lawsuit "grandstanding" and saying that the laws which purge voters can only be changed in the legislature, not in the courts. "I think Kevin understands that, but I think the people who challenged [the law] don't care," Wolfe said. "All I am saying is it is grandstanding. [The Democratic Committee] should call a spade a spade." Staff writer Matthew Selman contributed to this story.