Update: 9:57 p.m.

After 13 hours of a continuous flow of voters into the HUB-Robeson Center, the numbers are in.

Vermont Sen. and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders won the majority of Democratic votes across the five precincts in the HUB, with a total of 782 votes.

Hillary Clinton trailed behind with 157.

On the Republican side, Ohio Gov. John Kasich won the majority of votes with a total of 222 votes.

Donald Trump was second with 169.

Ted Cruz came in last in the HUB votes, with a total of 85.

Overall, the HUB received a total of 1,464 voters, not including provisional ballots.

During the primaries of 2012, the HUB had a turn out of only 107 voters.

- Katie DeFiore

Update: 8:35 p.m.

In one of the most publicized and contested presidential primary elections to date, the HUB-Robeson Center's five precincts saw lower turnouts than anticipated on Tuesday.

Chairman of Centre County Board of Commissioners Michael Pipe, who also serves on Centre County Board of Elections, blames the poor turnout on a lack of campaign organization. Pipe has also noticed a high number of provisional votes being cast, which he says could result from campaigns not reaching students before voter registration deadlines. Same-day registration is not available for Pennsylvania voters.

"Surprisingly [the crowds have been] calm and steady," Pipe said. "In previous primaries where there's been a contested presidential election, we'd see a bigger turnout....I think in previous elections...[candidates] were able to make sure students were aware of the election and were able to vote as well. People were enthusiastic to vote but there was not enough organization from some of the campaigns to form a 'get out and vote effort.' There are a lot of people excited for the campaigns, but they missed the voter registration deadline or are obviously voting [provisionally] today."

Pipe cited previous primaries with turnouts as high as 3,000 in the HUB, compared to 1,400 as of Tuesdayevening. Pipe also said the longest wait for a precinct today was 30 minutes long, compared to all five precincts having waits as long as 45 minutes in previous elections.

Absentee balloting is also a popular option for college students, but Pipe says they will not know those results until the counties where students are registered release them after all votes are cast.

Earlier in the afternoon outside the HUB, an anti-Trump supporter allegedly dumped water on Matt Kremer, a student supporting Trump. It is unconfirmed whether or not the water-tosser supports a particular candidate. Pipe said he did not see the incident, but insists that there is a certain decorum expected of voters on election day at polling places.

"There could be a perceived [feeling that might say], 'well that person's candidate isn't being respectful,' " Pipe said. "Doesn't matter, rise above it. Treat them with dignity and respect. Don't toss water on them. That's not what today is about. The beauty of our democratic process is it is a peaceful occurrence. It's unlike anything else. The peaceful aspect of our process today is that you come and vote with no violence. When you have that being experienced, it's wrong."

Robert Borochok, a member of Students for Trump, was campaigning outside Alumni Hall in the HUB. Borochok did not see the incident, but cited his organization's silent protest at the Bernie Sanders rally in Rec Hall earlier this month as a model for all political activists.

"I think it's interesting that you don't see Trump supporters doing things like that to supporters of other candidates like Bernie Sanders," Borochok said. "So the fact that people are doing that to Trump supporters shows a double standard."

-John Petrolias

Update: 8:30 p.m.

Seniors from Bellefonte Area High School got a behind-the-scenes look at the Pennsylvania primary today as they worked the polls in the HUB-Robeson Center.

Student Katelynn Walker said she reported for duty as the judge of the 44th precinct at 6:15 a.m. She said she previously volunteered in the fall.

Many of her registered voters came from East Halls, and Walker said she was disappointed by the low turnout.

“You’d like to see the freshman class coming in and voting,” Walker said.

It was also student Lakeisha Rupert’s second time volunteering at the polls. Rupert, a minority inspector for the 33rd precinct, said she has loved seeing all of the “smiling” voters.

“I really enjoy it,” Rupert said. “I’m a huge people person. I like to interact.”

In her role, Rupert said she has to keep a record of the voting paperwork in case of a discrepancy, but that responsibility didn't faze her.

Student Patrick Johnsonbaugh said he was clerking for the 25th precinct.

“It’s nice to see how the process works so when you come to vote, you actually know what’s happening, and you’re not confused,” he said.

Johnsonbaugh said his precinct had one of the lowest turnouts, but he said many college students probably don’t realize they need to re-register every time they change their address. - Alison Kuznitz

Update: 8:00 p.m.

Election Judge Ann Walker said the flow of voters stopping by the precinct at St. Paul's United Methodist Church has been steady all day long. The turnout of Penn State students at the precinct, she said, has been "much higher" than in previous primary elections.

Jake Wozniak voted for the first time this evening, and said the ease with which he was able to register online was a deciding factor. A roommate of his reminded him to do so the day of Pennsylvania's voter registration deadline, he said.

"It was so easy to do online. It was really just a convenience thing for me," Wozniak (sophomore-agribusiness management) said. "It was my first time doing it. I really want to have a say."

Also at the precinct was Lizzie Appleton, who said she felt the higher student turnout may be due in part to the amount of media exposure the candidates have received.

"I think there's just been a lot more talk about this presidential election," Appleton (senior-nutritional sciences) said. "I know that people are taking a heavier stand either for one candidate or another. With everyone talking so much about it, I think it's really forcing people our age to go out to the polls."

- Matt Guerry

Update: 6:45 p.m.

Voter turnout has slowed after a strong day of primary voting at the State College Municipal Building.

Democratic votes outnumbered Republican votes nearly three-to-one in what Judge of Elections Sharon Gaddes described as a demographically young Precinct 29. One hundred and forty five Democrats have thus far cast their ballots at the municipal building, along with 54 Republicans among 202 total voters in the closed primary. The precinct has nearly 1,700 registered voters on its rolls.

The first voters arrived at 7 a.m., greeted by campaign signs for Hillary Clinton (running for president), Joe Sestak (senate), Scott Conklin (state legislature) and Josh Shapiro (state attorney general). Signs also instructed voters to go to the second floor, where balloting took place.

"We have had a steady stream of voters all day long," Gaddes said.

She said the greatest amount of voters arrived between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., but the precinct usually saw between seven and 10 voters in the room throughout the day. However, there were only one or two at a time at 6 p.m.

- Zack Green

Update: 5:49 p.m.

In the middle of signing up new voters, a boom fell over the quiet Friends Meetinghouse in State College Tuesday.

Beginning in the early afternoon, strong winds and storm-like symptoms came over the area, potentially scaring away Election Day participants. The pinnacle of the stormy weather came in the form of a thunder blast during the process of handing out ballots.

Despite the setback, officials at the Meetinghouse described the voter turnout as "steady," as the 203 votes cast have already quadrupled 2012's amount. The registered amount of voters has seen an increase from previous elections as well, going from 2,135 to 3,250.

Powered by heavy media involving the headline-grabbing Republican presidential race, the votes in this year have increased, but still lack the traction of previous open primaries. The last primary where both Republican and Democratic candidates for president were available, the 2008 election brought in 581 of the 2005 registered voters to the Meetinghouse behind a hotly contested Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and eventual President Barack Obama.

- Thomas Leffler

Updated: 5:46 p.m.

Voting is currently flowing smoothly at the HUB-Robeson Center, and has been for the past few hours.

“The numbers are really steady and consistent” Jennifer Heckmin, an election worker, said.

Heckmin (sophomore-international politics) said at the moment the voting numbers are at 1200 with an additional 200 provisional ballots, making a total of 1400.

Students are shuffling in and out of the Alumni Hall in small numbers, but there are no large gaps between groups.

County Commissioner Steven Dershem, who is one of the Election Officials at the polls, described the day as successful.

“It started off a little slow, but it’s really beginning to kick off. I don’t know if it will match the 2012 elections, but there’s still about two and a half hours left of election, so we may be able to get a lot more voters,” Dershem said. “There’s been a lot of interest, so I think before we’re done we’ll have a great turn out.”

Students are voting for a number of reasons, and making their vote matter in this year’s election.

One student, Tiffany Goddard, voted because she wanted to show her support.

“I voted because it’s important and I feel like because I know who I want to be president, I want my vote to count. I also know who I don’t want to be president, and so I want my voice to matter,” Goddard (senior-psychology) said. “I think it’s important for people to vote. You shouldn’t think your vote doesn’t matter, because it really does.”

- Bailey Jensen

Update: 5:45 p.m.

Between 4 and 5 p.m., a steady stream of people flowed in and out of the State College Borough Building to vote in today's primary.

Election judge, Sharon Gaddes, stood next to a grey automatic polling machine and helped direct voters. Gaddes said the Borough Building has had a consistent stream of people since they opened polling at 7 this morning.

Gaddes said there are three main areas in which they prepare for a rush of people: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Polling closes at 8 p.m.

“People come before work, during lunch and after work,” Gaddes said.

This year, voters could register online, instead of having to print, fill out and subsequently send in an application. On Aug. 27, 2015, Governor Tom Wolf announced on his website that, “Pennsylvania is the latest state to launch the convenient option of registering online to vote.”

Not only does the website allow new voters to register, it also allows current voters to update their voter record such as change of name, address or party affiliation. Voters can also use the site to request assistance at the polling location.

“I think it’s great,” Gaddes said.

Gaddes said the site has allowed some voters to easily access their polling location, as they could simply pull it up on their cell phones.

As of 5 p.m., the number of independent voters increased to four, the number of inactive voters still remained at two and there was still one spoiled ballot, bringing the total amount of voters to 184.

However, the number of Democratic votes increased by 69 percent – from 88 at 2 p.m. to 128 by 5 p.m. – while the number of Republican votes increased by 62 percent – from 31 at 2 p.m. to 50 by 5 p.m.

Update: 4:59 p.m.

As 4 p.m. comes to a close, the St. Paul's United Methodist Church has seen over 200 voters – the majority of whom have been Penn State students, Ann Walker, the election judge, said.

“We’ve only had two voters here who were residents rather than students,” Walker said. “This turnout is all students.”

Despite the off-campus location, voters continuously walked through the Calder Way entrance to cast their ballots.

“For this location the turnout for the primary has been much, much higher than years past,” Walker said. “It all depends on when the primary is, because that determines if the students are still here or not.”

Walker said that throughout the day the location has seen more Democratic voters than Republican voters.

“I would say more Democrats have come in at this point,” Walker said. “It’s a college town, and Pennsylvania as a state tends to be more democratic in general.”

Katie Shen, a student who lives nearby the voting location, said she was surprised by how little time the voting process took her.

“I actually thought the whole process was going to take me a lot longer than it did,” Shen (sophomore – premedicine) said. “I was expecting to wait at least an hour, but it was actually very quick.”

Shen said the speed of the process made voting a lot easier for her to fit into her schedule. She said she chose to vote at the church because of its proximity to her housing.

- Kelly Chartrand

Update: 4:06 p.m.

As voting begins to make its way to the back half of the day, the number of voters continues to increase at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.

“We’re up to 164 [voters] and that’s pretty high for here,” Ann Walker, an election judge, said.

The high voter turnout can be attributed to numerous reasons. One being the controversy between the candidates, Walker said.

“The person [who] I voted for I admire greatly,” Karanveer Johal (sophomore-pre-medicine) said. “It was relatively easy for me to pick him over the other competitor.”

Another reason would be that students are still around for classes. Additionally, between classes the number of voters have been higher, Walker said.

With the polling station open until 8 p.m., Walker says voter turnout might slow down as the polling station comes to a close where they will then begin counting ballots and documenting every one of them.

- Matt Grillo

Update: 3:56 p.m.

The Friends Meetinghouse at 611 E Prospect Ave. is quiet, and it has been quiet all day.

“We have had a steady flow, but not much of a line,” Rick Gilmore, the judge of elections at precinct 26, said.

Gilmore said numbers have been a lot better than they were in 2012. They have already significantly passed the number of voters in 2012 election. They do not expect to reach the rate they saw in 2008, when they had more than 500 people vote.

There were many first-time voters, and some of them did not experience what they were expecting to.

“I thought it would be electronic,” Isaiah Troche (senior-criminology) said. “But pen and paper is cool too.

Donald Trump is said to have jumped ahead and looks as though he will win the PA primary.

“Trump is flooding,” Mark Montesano (junior-health policy administration) said. “That’s really all I can say. The results will speak for themselves tonight.”

Montesano is a member of Trump’s campaign.

- Aidan Bitterman

Update: 3:30 p.m.

Monday, Colleen Unroe was just a Bernie Sanders supporter, but today she is a volunteer sitting eagerly in the senator's State College headquarters at 426 S. Allen St.

Unroe said she decided to volunteer today because of her experiences as a graduate student and involvement on campus with issues of economic justice and health care reform for graduate students.

“I recognize that it’s really important to have elected officials that are concerned about the people,” Unroe said. “I appreciate that Bernie Sanders is the only candidate that I’ve come across that is super inspiring and has the courage and conviction to hold corporate interests accountable.”

Through her involvement in the Coalition of Graduate Employees union and previous job at a local hotel in State College, Unroe said she is appalled by the economic injustice she has witnessed.

“Many of the local people employed by that hotel could not live in State College because the housing is not affordable here,” Unroe said. “They would drive 45 minutes to work a job where they were barely making over the minimum wage.”

Unroe said she plans to go door to door today spreading the word about Sanders.

“I’m excited to talk to people and hear what they’re concerned about and maybe get a few folks that wouldn’t of otherwise voted at all to go to the polls,” Unroe said. “I’m fired up and ready to go.”

Students for Sanders volunteer Carmen Caputo is handing out stickers and fliers today in front of the HUB-Robeson Center in support of the campaign.

“Bernie Sanders is the first presidential candidate in my lifetime where everything he says I completely agree with,” Caputo (junior-information sciences and technology) said.

Caputo said the Students for Sanders organization has been phone banking and canvassing over the past couple of weeks to get the word out. As for the primary, Caputo said he is concerned about one thing.

“I really hope [Sanders] wins,” Caputo said.

Andrew Heddleson, a Students for Sanders volunteer, said the organization has been "dorm-crashing" around campus to knock on doors and get the word out that today is the primary election.

“A lot of people I’ve talked to didn’t realize that the primary was today,” Heddleson (sophomore-communication sciences and disorders) said.

Heddleson said he supports Sanders because he cares about the environment to a greater extent than any of the other candidates.

“I hope he’s going to do well today,” Heddlson said. “I have faith in him.”

Update: 3:22 p.m.

The Borough Building is quiet.

After a period of rush, where Loretta Michon, clerk for the Election Board of Officials stationed in Room 201 on the second floor of the building, said the room had filled with voters eager to cast their ballots, there are now just four women manning the nondescript white table.

Scattered water bottles, napkins and hand sanitizer indicate a long morning, while gray binders and blinding white paper marked with black ink – all filled with the names of registered voters for Precinct 29 - sit innocently on the table.

The Borough Building opened at 7 a.m. for voting. As of 9 a.m., there had only been 25 votes cast. As of 1:55 p.m., there have been 123 ballots cast out of the 1,680 voters registered to vote at the precinct – almost 14 percent.

Out of those 1,680 individuals registered to vote at Precinct 29, Bridget Deromedi – Majority Inspector - said about 50 percent of those individuals are inactive voters. Inactive voters are voters registered to vote in the county but have not voted in any election in a number of years, have not filled out a change of address form after either moving within the city, moving out of the city, or leaving the city and moving back to a different address.

-Stephanie Panny

Update: 3:12 p.m.

Some students in HUB-Robeson Center unaware of U.S. senate, attorney general candidates

There was no wait for student voters around 3 p.m. in the HUB-Robeson Center. Traffic easily flowed in and out of Alumni Hall, and students were able to cast their ballots quickly and efficiently.

However, Patrick Johnsonbaugh, a senior at Bellefonte High School volunteering in Alumni Hall, said that many student voters did not realize there were more people to vote for than the president.

“Along with the presidential candidates, there’s positions such as the U.S. Senate and attorney general candidates on the ballot,” he said. “We’ve gotten a few questions on it. You have to do some research to figure out who all those people are before coming in.”

He said he came out to volunteer to lean how the whole process works.

Molly Borowski, another volunteer from Bellefonte High School, said that the voter turnout was rather slow this morning and into the early afternoon, but she expects it to pick up after classes end.

“The turnout has been really good for democrats. I think there’s been two democrats for every republican that has showed up,” she said.

The Alumni Hall voting stations will be open until 8 p.m. tonight for student voters, who can expect a sticker when they leave.

- Paige Woiner

Update: 3:11 p.m.

Students for Trump, a new Penn State organization this semester, is campaigning today outside of the HUB-Robeson Center. Students for Trump began campaigning in downtown State College around noon, but with such a low voter turnout, the student organization decided to focus its efforts toward campus.

While polling opened at 7 a.m., Students for Trump Chief of Staff Dmitri Loutsik said voter turnout has been considerably low on campus with only a few voters in line at the voting booth in Alumni Hall.

“I’m hoping it picks up after classes end,” Loutsik (freshman-finance) said. “But a lot of people have walked by and said they do not plan to vote.”

Loutsik said the low voter turnout may be due to the fact Pennsylvania has a closed primary.

“I’m personally in favor of open primaries,” Loutsik said. “In closed primary elections, independents do not have a voice.”

Tyler Gregory said he believes Donald Trump will claim each state with at least 50 percent of the vote. However, he said he has received mixed reviews from the student body.

“Some people just ignore us while others have been friendly or kind of negative,” Gregory (junior-nuclear engineering) said.

Anti-Trump supporter dumped water on Matt Kremer outside the HUB pic.twitter.com/083EjPgp3C — Ciara O'Callaghan (@Ciara_Johanna) April 26, 2016

Outside of the HUB, students Chris Howe and Matt Kremer were first on the scene and had a somewhat different experience with Penn State students.

“I’ve been flipped off a few times today,” Kremer (junior-computer science) said. “I’ve also had a 45-minute civil conversation with one a very informed voter.”

- Ciara O'Callaghan

Correction: A previous version of the above update incorrectly noted the spelling of Chris Howe's name. The above update reflects those changes. The Daily Collegian apologizes for this error.

Update: 1:40 p.m.

A steady stream of students has been entering the doors of St. Paul's United Methodist Church and leaving with "I Voted" stickers, many for the very first time.

"It was good," first-time voter David Geyer (junior- hospitality management) said. "I didn't understand the delegate part, though. When I looked it up, I looked up the wrong county, so I was confused."

Geyer, from Lancaster, was one of the students who decided to forego the more complicated absentee ballot process because voting in State College is simpler.

Dan Beckman (freshman- engineering) is from West Chester and was also caught by surprise during his first time voting.

"I didn't realize there were that many choices," Beckman said. "I thought it was only the presidential primary."

He was surprised by the Attorney General election, and the fact that people were running unopposed seemed unusual to him.

Ann Walker, the election judge, was born in England and was not able to vote until 1992, after she became a naturalized citizen.

She stressed the importance that students, and Americans in general, vote despite the confusion or the candidates.

"It's our country, we should be able to have a say in it," Walker said. "It's their right to be American and to vote."

Geyer said he had planned on voting no matter who the candidates were.

"It was exciting; it's my first time voting," Geyer said. "I feel like I'm doing something right. But I'm generally concerned for our country."

- Giana Han

Update: 12:58 p.m.

Before noon, there had already been around 500 people who came to the HUB-Robeson Center to cast their votes in the Pennsylvania Primary, Shawn Bengali said.

"The decision to elect our next president will affect the rest of our lives" Bengali (sophomore-economics) said. "It's our civic duty, and it's important."

Kendall Eshmont was standing around the polls today as she waited for her friend to finish casting her vote.

Being an out-of-state student from Chicago, Eshmont (junior-nutrition) said she submitted her absentee ballot back in March.

"I know some people may think it's a hassle to go out and vote, but it has to be done," Eshmont said.

Some students chose to vote during class periods when they said they knew traffic in the HUB would be low.

Matt McCloat said this election is different than any we've had before, which is why he came out to vote today.

"If Bernie and Trump ran in 2008, I don't think they ever would have risen to the prominence they have in 2016," he said.

- Sam Ruland

Update: 12:48 p.m.

At noon, 81 people had voted at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Ann Walker said.

Walker is the judge of the polls at St. Paul's, which she said basically means she's in charge of the workers at the precinct.

The turnout of 81 people at noon, she said, is a strong turnout. The lowest turnout she said she's ever seen was eight or nine people.

"This is the most we've had in a [primary] election in a long time," Walker said. "It's because the students are here."

Walker said the influx of students greatly changes voter turnout. Had the Pennsylvania Primary been in May like it sometimes has been in years past, the students would not be in State College to vote.

Walker also said the controversial nature of the 2016 presidential election gives people more motivation to go to the polls to vote. At noon, 59 registered democrats, 21 republicans and one independent had voted at St. Paul's.

- Matt Martell

Update: 11:55 a.m.

With over eight hours left for voting, precinct 26 has already seen more voters this year than last election season, Mark Bergstrom said.

Bergstrom said he has been working the polling place on East Prospect Avenue for the past eight to 10 election cycles.

"The turnout's great," he said. "For typical primary voting, it's somewhere around 50."

The polling place has already recorded over 80 votes, and Bergstrom said he anticipates the flow of voters to increase during lunch time and in the evening hours.

- Megan McLaurin

Update: 11:48 a.m.

As polls reach their fourth hour of operation at the HUB-Robeson Center, students continue to wander into Alumni Hall to cast their vote in the presidential primary election.

“[Voter turnout] hasn’t been as big as we were expecting, but it’s been pretty consistent, and at least there haven’t been big lulls,” Jen Heckman said. “We were expecting bigger lines in the morning, but we didn’t see any of that.”

Heckman (sophomore-international politics) said the primary election’s timing on a Tuesday with “elongated classes” might give “people have less time to be walking through the HUB.”

Heckman volunteered her time to guide potential voters into Alumni Hall because “it’s nice to be helping out and making the process easier.”

First-time primary election voter Catherine Anderson said she voted today because she's committed to her political views.

"I know that voting in the primaries is important, especially at this point in the election with Bernie Sanders and Hillary being so tight,” Anderson (freshman-international politics and Asian studies) said.

Anderson said her involvement with College Democrats factored into her decision to vote since she is more aware of the importance to vote as a student.

“So many issues in this upcoming election are suited to us,” Anderson said. “A lot of Bernie’s plans and Hillary’s plans call for affordable education and more affordable student loans, so [these are] really important issues for students.”

Zach Robinson said the HUB’s central location will prove convenient for students as they vote throughout the day.

Robinson (freshman-supply chain management), a member of the University Park Undergraduate Association, said the fact that today is not the presidential election should not deter people from voting.

"This primary is very contested, so I think students should definitely come to the polls and cast a vote,” Robinson said.

More students will likely cast their vote within the next few hours. Heckman said poll volunteers expect “a bigger voter turnout around noon when people are coming in to eat.”

- Courtney Taylor

Update: 10:10 a.m.

With the Pennsylvania primary polls open, students gathered at the HUB-Robeson Center to place their votes for the presidential race as well as other races.

Voters who appear at the polling place and have not voted before are required to show proof of identification.

Voting will take place in Alumni Hall and there are signs and volunteers to help guide students on the steps they have to do to cast their vote.

Aside from voting for the presidential race, the Pennsylvania primary will also determine party nominees for U.S. Senate, Congress, state attorney and general and state Legislature.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. today and will be closing at 8 p.m.

As of 10 a.m. today, there is not a long line or big turnout but volunteers expect for more people to come starting around 11 a.m. or noon, Shawn Bengali (sophomore – economics and international politics) said.

“I’m just advising people who walk in to tell them which precinct to be voting in,” Bengali said.

Depending on whether or not students live on campus, they will either be placing their votes downtown or in the HUB, Bengali said.

At the HUB, students who live on campus will go to Alumni Hall and depending on where they live on campus, they will go to a specific precinct in Alumni Hall.

There are five precincts, each divided on which residence hall students live in, Bengali said.

“[I decided to vote] because it’s a constitutional right and everyone should vote so that they can practice their right to vote,” Zakaria Al Balushi (graduate – material sciences) said.

Bengali has not cast his vote yet but will be planning to do so at around 3 or 4 p.m. and will be voting for the first time for a presidential race.

“I think it’s very important for students to vote because the decisions that our next president will make will be affecting the rest of our lives,” Bengali said.

- Antonia Jaramillo

Update: 9:49 a.m.

Early on Tuesday morning, the State College Borough Building – known today as Precinct 29 – was quiet.

An air conditioning system hummed in the background as four women moved around a white table set up in Room 201 of the building. Stands with tables and privacy shields on three sides stood spaced out along the back wall of the room, while a large, grey mass sat across along the opposite wall.

The Board of Election Officials, which consists of Sharon Gaddes, Bridget Deromedi, Loretta Michon and Wendy Share, is in charge of running the primary voting precinct inside the Borough Building. Gaddes, who is the Judge of Elections, said the group entered the building at 6 a.m. to set up the machines, prepare the ballots, do Oath of Office and help the voters cast their vote beginning at 7 a.m.

“I organize and keep order and make sure it runs smoothly,” Gaddes said.

Prior to each election, Gaddes said there is a specialized training they must go through at the Willowbank Building in Bellefonte, Pa. Gaddes said the trainers go over instructions and inform the board of any changes, procedures and anything that’s generally askew for this election cycle.

“For example, the one referendum question on this ballot won’t be used, because there was a challenge to the wording,” Gaddes said. “So, even though it’s on the ballot, it won’t be used this time around.”

In this primary, Deromedi said it’s her job to make sure all the voters are at the right precinct, sign them in and record them.

As of 9 a.m. on Tuesday, 25 voters have cast their ballots – about 12 voters per hour.

At 8 p.m., when the voting centers close, Gaddes said the board has to reconcile the number of votes cast, which includes spoiled ballots, absentees and the write-ins. Though she said the machine counts the votes, it’s the board’s job to verify that the number of votes cast equals the number of ballots that were used, the absentee ballots and any other ballots that may have been needed.

“There’s a lot of paperwork at the end to verify that everything was done properly,” Gaddes said. “There’s a judge, majority inspector, minority inspector and clerk, and everyone signs original signatures on all of these documents. We post the number of votes on the door when we leave and the number that voted.”

Gaddes said this process can take up to an hour. However, she said there’s a lot to process so it can take longer.

Deromedi said this is the group’s first presidential election.

“It’s very exciting,” Deromedi said. “More than almost any election I’ve worked, there is a lot more of a buzz around this one and, especially coming into this election that actually means something…It’s exciting to see people coming out, especially the young people, today.”

Deromedi said sometimes, by the time the primaries reach Pennsylvania, things are already decided as candidates have the delegates they need. However, because the candidates are neck-and-neck in this election, Deromedi said this primary is crucial.

“I think there’s always a buzz surrounding an election,” Cory Hunt (graduate – mechanical engineering) said. “I think this election is unlike the past couple elections in the sense that there’s more diversity in the candidate, though I say that cautiously because diversity can be measure in different ways. I would just say it’s interesting.”

Because the board cannot influence the voters, the women remain neutral. Deromedi, however, said they are allowed to vote but they must send in absentee ballots to their required precincts.

Though Gaddes said the Borough Building is a smaller precinct, Deromedi said it’s been busier than usual. Hunt, who said he woke up early Tuesday morning to vote before he had to be at work, said he was surprised the precinct wasn’t busier.

- Stephanie Panny

Update: 8:16 a.m.

Polls have been open for over an hour, but Commissioner Michael Pipe at the HUB-Robeson Center said it's hard to gauge turnout in terms of percents within the first hour.

He called it "the calm before the storm" in anticipation of a busier turnout after students are done with classes for the day.

Pipe said the same pattern goes for the rest of Centre County - most voters will come out in the middle of the day or after work.

"We're about an hour in. We're excited," Pipe said. "Things are going really smoothly as of right now."

- Sarah Kegerreis