Psst. There's an election Tuesday. No, really.

Republicans and Democrats will select their party nominees in the primary that day. But don't expect long lines or traffic jams.

“It's a municipal election,” said Shari Brewer, Butler County director of elections, “so if history repeats itself, I expect a low turnout.”

In the 2011 primary, turnout in the county was 24 percent. That was a tad better than the 22 percent turnout in the 2009 primary.

Brewer anticipates another dismal response at the polls Tuesday.

However, she's quick to add that she hopes she's wrong. Voting is a right, and key offices are in play in the so-called off-year election.

“Voters will be voting for people who will have an impact on their daily lives,” Brewer said. “These people are the ones who will make decisions about roads, communities, schools.

“Those decisions will affect the (voters') lives and their children's lives.”

In other words, all politics is local. Not Harrisburg or Washington, D.C. And you can't get more local than school board, township supervisor, borough council, mayor or tax collector.

Those are among the offices up for grabs in the primary.

And in three Butler County townships, all voters — no matter their party or affiliation — will decide if they want nonprofit organizations to raise funds with raffles, punch boards and other small games of chance.

Polls in the county's 89 voting precincts open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and top vote-getters will proceed to the Nov. 5 election.

But as is the case with municipal elections, many offices are uncontested.

Many have no candidates at all, and write-in votes could decide those nominations.

Of the county's 120,112 registered voters, 61,688 are Republicans and 42,660 are Democrats.

Some of the contested races this election cycle are for school boards. Candidates for school board are allowed to cross-file to appear on both parties' ballots.

Five candidates on the GOP ballot are running for four seats on the Butler School Board.

Three candidates are running for both parties' nominations for a pair of two-year seats on the Mars School Board.

For four seats on the South Butler School Board, there are five candidates on the Democratic tickets and six candidates on the Republican ballot.

There are two candidates seeking both parties' nominations for one seat in Region 5 on the Seneca Valley School Board.

Seven candidates are running for both parties' nominations for four seats on the Moniteau School Board.

Two candidates seek the Republican and Democratic nominations for one four-year seat in Region 1 on the Slippery Rock School Board.

On the GOP ballot, there are two candidates' vying for one two-year seat in Region 1 on the Slippery Rock School Board.

For four seats on the Freeport School Board, there are five candidates seeking both parties' nominations.

On the Republican ballot, there are contested races for these offices:

• Township supervisors in Center, Concord, Connoquenessing, Cranberry, Forward, Franklin, Jackson, Lancaster, Muddy Creek, Oakland, Penn and Washington townships.

• Council member in Evans City and Zelienople

• Mayor in Harrisville, Saxonburg and Seven Fields.

• Tax collector in Center, Jefferson and Winfield townships, and Prospect.

On the Democratic ballot, there are contested races for supervisors in Summit and Venango townships.

Republican voters will choose among two candidates each for a pair of county row offices — controller and jury commissioner. Neither of those offices have an incumbent running for re-election

Longtime Controller Jack McMillin, a Republican, will retire at the end of the year.

Ben Holland and Karen Diehl are vying for the GOP nomination to succeed him.

For the Republican jury commissioner post, Jon Galante and Patricia Stirling are squaring off.

Galante last year was appointed to the post to serve out the term of Larry Thompson.

Democrat Jury Commissioner Clinton Bonetti has no opponent.

There are no Democratic candidates for the other county offices, which are held by Republicans, all who are running unopposed — Lisa Lotz, clerk of courts; William Young III, coroner; and Mike Slupe, sheriff.

Democratic voters will pick their nominee for the state's Superior Court between Jack McVay, an Allegheny County Commons Plea Court judge, and Joseph Waters Jr., a Philadelphia Municipal Court judge.

The sole GOP candidate for the state appellate court is Vic Stabile, an attorney from Cumberland County.

Additionally, there are referendums seeking approval for small games of chance in Cherry, Mercer and Parker townships.

Those three townships are among only 10 municipalities in the county that don't have ordinances allowing for the limited gambling.

Meanwhile, the state's voter identification law remains in the middle of a court challenge so its implementation is on hold.

The legal limbo means the primary will be yet another trial run for photo IDs, just like the 2012 primary and general elections. All voters will be asked, but not required, to show photo ID at the polls.

However, first-time voters and those casting ballots for the first time at a new polling place will be required to show either a photo ID, such as a Pennsylvania driver's license, or a nonphoto ID with the voter's name and address, such as a utility bill.

WHO TO CALL

---

For information about voting in Tuesday's primary, contact the Butler County Bureau of Elections at 724-284-5308 or 724-284-5309; ballot information is available on the Butler County website. Go to www.co.butler.pa.us and click on “Voter Information” at the top right of the screen.