When Pennsylvanians go to the polls Tuesday, for two regions, it won’t be just about nominating the people who will appear on the November ballot.

In two areas on the eastern side of the state, the votes will have immediate impact. The state House of Representatives is facing its fourth and fifth special elections of the year. The leadership of the lower chamber of the Legislature is up for grabs. Again.

Do we need to explain the path that has led us here again? OK, here we go.

In November 2022, the Democrats squeaked out a hair-thin majority for the first time since 2010. Except they didn’t really because of three Allegheny County districts.

Summer Lee’s congressional win meant her 34th District seat was up for grabs. So was Austin Davis’ 35th District with his lieutenant governor win. The state’s longest held seat, the 32nd District, was on the table for the first time since 1982 because of Tony DeLuca’s death a month before the election.

But that still led to debate, as Democrats and Republicans claimed the majority in advance of the special elections to fill those seats. When the new year started in January, the GOP technically had a slim lead but one they knew they were likely to lose come February.

State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, became a compromise winner when he agreed not to caucus with the Dems, but the terms of that deal led to bad feelings, and Rozzi shut down the House when he didn’t get the quick, easy vote he wanted on child sex abuse civil suits.

After Democrats Joe McAndrew (32nd), Abigail Salisbury (34th) and Matthew Gergely (35th) won seats as anticipated, Rozzi resigned the speakership, handing the gavel to Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia.

So we’re done, right?

We would be, except there was a special state Senate election, too, because John Gordner resigned his 27th District seat to become counsel to Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Hempfield. The winner there was Lynda Schlegal Culver, which left her 108th House District seat empty. Then, just weeks later, Mike Zabel, D-Delaware, resigned his 163rd District seat amid a sexual harassment scandal.

Caught up?

It would be surprising if either seat changed hands next week. Montour and Northumberland counties, where the 108th is, have been a reliably GOP stronghold for more than 50 years. Delaware County went a definitive 63% for John Fetterman over Dr. Mehmet Oz in the U.S. Senate race and still underperformed Zabel, who took 65% of his votes and lost only three precincts.

But what this ongoing game of musical chairs provides is uncertainty. Things are unlikely to change, but votes are tricky things. The narrow margin in the House gives reason for lawmakers to play waiting games, watching the polls rather than doing their jobs.

Let’s hope this is it. Let’s hope that next week there are no more questions about power or control. Instead, legislators need to get down to the real work that needs to be done — making and refining laws that affect the daily lives of Pennsylvanians.

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