With a competitive Butler County commissioners race, three statewide judicial elections and several contested municipal and school board races, Tuesday’s election should be a big day for voter turnout, right?

Not so says Shari Brewer, county director of elections.

“I’m thinking (turnout will be) probably 20 or 25 percent,” Brewer said.

She bases that prediction on the turnout from 2011 — the last time the county commissioners were up for election.

There are 119,692 registered voters in the county, with 62,337 Republicans, 40,729 Democrats and 16,626 independent or third-party members.

The major highlight is the race for county commissioner. Five candidates are running, and three will become commissioners in January. Voters will be able to pick two candidates.

Republicans Leslie Osche and Kim Geyer, Democrats Jerry Johnston and Kevin Boozel, and Michael Bagdes-Canning of the Green Party are the candidates. Bagdes-Canning’s run represents the first time in county history that a third-party county candidate will appear on the ballot for a countywide office.

Incumbent Republicans Bill McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton declined to run for re-election, and incumbent Democrat Jim Eckstein did not make it past the May primary.

For the past several election cycles, the board has been made up of two Republicans and one Democrat.

Ed Natali, chairman of the county Republican Committee, said the committee has worked hard for the two Republican candidates despite the GOP’s registration advantage, saying that anything could happen.

“I never take that for granted,” Natali said.

Georgiann Kerr, chairman of the county Democratic Committee, said the Democrats have two “excellent” candidates in Boozel and Johnston. She said she is not concerned about Bagdes-Canning taking votes away from Johnston and Boozel.

“Our goal is to get a Democratic majority,” Kerr said.

Voters also will get a chance to vote in three contested, statewide judicial races.

In the race for state Supreme Court, voters can pick three of these candidates: Democrats David Wecht, Kevin Dougherty and Christine Donohue, Republicans Judy Olson, Mike George and Anne Covey, and Paul Panepinto of the Independent Judicial Alliance.

For state Superior Court judge, voters can choose either Democrat Alice Beck Dubow or Republican Emil Giordano. In the race for Commonwealth Court, voters can pick either Democrat Michael Wojcik or Republican Paul Lalley.

Additionally, there are several municipal races with more candidates running than there are open positions.

Voters in Adams, Center, Clearfield and Concord townships have contested races for township supervisor, and voters in Chicora, Prospect, Saxonburg and Seven Fields have contested races for borough council.

Voters in Connoquenessing borough have a race on the ballot, but not in reality since one of the candidates — Keli Kalkowski — would not be able to serve because she has moved out of the borough.

People voting in the Slippery Rock School District Region 2, and the Freeport, Mars and Moniteau school districts will find contested races for school board seats.

Brewer said this is a big year for local elections, but she still anticipates a low turnout.

“Unfortunately, we can’t make them come out and vote,” Brewer said.

Natali agreed, saying that these local and judicial races are important.

“It’s a shame that the focus is just on the presidential years and congressional years,” Natali said, saying that it is “unprecedented” to have three seats on the Supreme Court open.

He said the GOP committee has been out campaigning for its candidates and trying to get voters to understand their positions.

Kerr said she, too, is disappointed when so few people turn out to vote, and also said she is excited for the Supreme Court election.

“We have been phone banking all month to get the vote out,” Kerr said.

However, there are many more municipal and school races that are uncontested, and there are several county-level offices up for election with no race.

Four county row officers are running unopposed: District Attorney Rich Goldinger, Treasurer Diane Marburger, Prothonotary Glenna Walters and Recorder of Deeds Michelle Mustello.

Sarah Edwards is the lone candidate on the ballot for register of wills/clerk of orphans court. Current Register of Wills Judy Moser declined to run for re-election.

There are four uncontested races for district judge in the county.

Incumbents Dave Kovach of the Cranberry Township DJ office and Wayne Seibel of the Evans City DJ office are running for re-election. B.T. Fullerton is running to replace retiring Butler City DJ Pete Shaffer, and Bill O’Donnell is running to replace retiring Slippery Rock DJ Tim Shaffer.

Countywide, voters will be asked if county Judge Timothy McCune should be retained as judge.