State House Speaker Says Voter Turnout In Philadelphia Too High To Be True
By Tony Romeo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The speaker of the state House thinks voter turnout in Philadelphia on Tuesday was too high to be believed.
Sam Smith made his comments in a post-election interview with capitol reporters.
When asked about why state House Republicans were able to hold on to a substantial majority while Democrats swept statewide offices, Smith replied that the turnout of Democrats in a handful of counties, including Philadelphia, tilts the statewide races.
"I was told that 90-percent of the precincts in Philadelphia County turned out over 90-percent voters," he added.
When asked what might explain that, Smith responded "It's questionable."
Questionable may be the right word.
The Philadelphia City Commissioner's office said Wednesday the preliminary count, with 98-percent of precincts reporting and not including provisional and absentee ballots, put the city-wide turnout at just over 60-percent.
