Democracy depends on your vote
Wow! I am impressed – sort of! Fayette County, Pennsylvania – yes, our Fayette County – made the national television news. You see, we are one of three Pennsylvania counties whose election officials have not yet certified the 2021 election results.
Why, you ask? According to the news, national television and the 蘑菇视频, there are 52 ballots, 45 from registered Democrats and six from registered Republicans, that have not yet been counted. Why is that so? Well, the voters signed their names but didn’t include a date on the outer envelope; however, the Election Bureau workers stamped the dates on which the ballots were received.
This lack of certification rests on the shoulders of the Election Board comprised of three individuals: David Lohr and Scott Dunn, both Republican County commissioners, and Mark Mehalov, who was appointed to replace Democrat Commissioner Vincent Vicites (who was himself on the ballot and disqualified from serving on the Board). It should be noted that Mehalov was a registered Democrat when he was appointed to replace Vicites but changed his registration to Republican once he was a member of the board. Forty-five of the 52 ballots in question are from voters registered as Democrats. I wonder if the ballots would have been unaccepted if the 45 undated ballots were from voters registered as Republicans. (I can hear the clamor of “Yes, they would have been questioned!”)
This Democrat vs. Republican plurality holds in the other two Pennsylvania counties, Berks and Lancaster, that are refusing to certify the 2021 elections. This action – or inaction – has implications; not only will those 52 voters not have their votes counted, but it is also highly possible that none of our votes will be counted.
It sounds like the three-person Election Board reflects the Republican candidate for governor’s assertion that should he become governor, he could decertify election results in the entire state. Gives one something to ponder.
Vote as if your democracy depends on it – because it does!
Dr. Anette DeNardo聽
Hopwood