All in Politics
“The election has been disputed from day one,” says State Senator Tim Kearney (D-26). He’s not talking about the presidential election, but rather about an attempt by Pennsylvania State Senate Republicans not to seat Democrat Jim Brewster, who won the race to represent Pennsylvania’s 45th district by 69 votes.
Rereading articles from this past January and February is like peering through the wrong end of a telescope into a lost world. Here’s a review of what we were doing and thinking about in 2020, as it showed up in the pages (and website) of this newspaper — both BC (Before COVID) and AD (After Distancing).
These results are as of Friday, November 13 at 2:31 pm with 100% of the precincts reporting. 77% of registered voters across Delaware County participated in the general election. The results are still deemed unofficial at the time of this posting.
With the presidential election just days away, Pennsylvania is garnering a disproportionate share of candidate attention, both in terms of visits and ad buys. Each contender knows Pennsylvania could easily be the state that makes the difference in 2020. The state is also in the crosshairs in terms of election litigation and potential litigation.
More voting information for the upcoming election. October 19 is the last day to register to vote. Also, if voting by mail, don’t leave your ballot naked. In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots must be first enclosed in a secrecy envelope to guarantee confidentiality, then in the return mailing [“declaration”] envelope. Ballots missing their secrecy envelopes will not be counted.
October 19 is the last day to register to vote in this year’s election. October 27 is the last day for the county election office to receive your application for a mail-in or absentee ballot for this year’s election.November 3 is election day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
We’ve been hearing a lot of questions about how to vote in the November 3 election. The Swarthmorean has assembled some information that we hope will help you choose your voting method (in-person, by mail, using a drop box, or at a new Voter Service Center), and then vote efficiently.
At 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18, the Swarthmore post office was empty. After a few minutes, clerk Nicole Scott emerged. Scott’s shift had been over for an hour, but she stayed on — without pay and against her postmaster’s advice — so the office wouldn’t have to close early. The Swarthmore facility had no one to cover the remaining hours, a problem the branch has been facing with increased frequency since overtime was eliminated over the summer. Lately, customers often find only one clerk behind the counter — if there’s anyone at all. What is happening in Swarthmore is happening in post offices across the country.
The Delaware County League of Women Voters has scheduled nonpartisan online candidates’ forums on YouTube in anticipation of the upcoming election.
Recent changes to Pennsylvania’s election law have left many voters confused about how to obtain mail-in and absentee ballots, whether or not to mail them back, or where to go to vote in person. The League of Women Voters of Central Delaware County (LWV-CDC) will host a virtual discussion, “Election Law, Process and Security,” on Friday, September 11, at noon.
Voting — like so much else — is different this year. The Swarthmorean has assembled some information about the upcoming primary, originally scheduled for April 28.
Last summer, I found out that my congresswoman, Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), was starting a Congressional Youth Cabinet. These non-partisan groups allow members of congress to connect with young people in their districts to discuss policy and work together to solve pressing issues in their communities. I was beyond excited by the opportunity and decided to apply.
When it comes to changes in voting, Delaware County’s new paper-ballot machines have gotten the lion’s share of the attention. But an equally important change is being made across the entire state. PA Act 77, signed into law late last year, permits mail-in voting for every voter who wants it. Here’s how it will work, and how it’s different from absentee voting.
How to inventory a whole year? What to remind you of, and what to skip? What would you rather forget, but maybe shouldn’t? What have you already forgotten that might interest you to recall? Collecting (recollecting) these happenings and lives and milestones is a way to consider what we have accomplished and aspired to and worried about as a community, as we take the first steps into 2020. To think about where we have succeeded, where we have more work to do, and where we might want to start all over again.
Delaware County Transition is a recently constituted not-for-profit aiming to help the newly elected Delaware County Council set priorities for the upcoming term and recommend approaches to making change. The council, which will be installed on January 6, is the first ever to include a majority of Democrats.
“I was invited to throw out the first pitch this year for the Swarthmore-Nether Providence T-ball game…I throw out the first pitch, and then they throw all the balls at me.” Such are the pleasures and perils of life as a small-town mayor. Marty Spiegel has been serving as mayor of Swarthmore since February, when Borough Council appointed him to replace Tim Kearney, who resigned after being elected state senator of the 26th district. On November 5, Spiegel was elected to the position by the borough’s voters.
Former British Parliament member, environment secretary, and foreign secretary David Miliband will speak about the future of world politics on Monday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m. His talk will address threats to the global order from the Trump presidency and Brexit to climate change and refugee crises.
Delaware County is governed by a five-member County Council, which is responsible for all legislative and administrative functions of the County government. On November 5th, an unprecedented three Council seats are up for grabs. Democrats seek their first Council majority in history. We asked both Democratic and Republican candidates several questions of interest to Delaware County voters.
On November 5th in Delaware County, three seats on county council, six judgeships, and the District Attorney’s office are on the countywide ballot. The Court of Common Pleas has the authority to hear all varieties of cases within Delaware County. Judicial terms run for ten years. We asked both Democratic and Republican candidates what they see their roles as, and what makes them equipped to do the job.
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