PA Secretary of State travels to Somerset to learn of the election office's challenges
SOMERSET — Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt met Tuesday with the staff and director of the Somerset County Department of Elections and Voter Registration staff to hear "firsthand about the challenges they face when running elections," he said.
"When I became Secretary of the Commonwealth, I vowed to visit all 67 county election offices" to discuss those challenges and go over procedures and protocols with those he calls "front-line workers of our democracy."
Somerset County was his 30th. One more note taped over a county on his state wall map on the wall in his office of the counties. The visits are an exchange of ideas and exploring ways to improve the system or ways to keep what is there that works.
"The elections in Somerset County have a very good reputation," Schmidt said as he stood in the county's elections office talking with Elections Director Tina Pritts. "It's not a county that the department of state has spent a lot of time with. Dealing with other counties with a lot of turnover and a lot of issues election after election require a lot more attention."
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Schmidt ran elections in Philadelphia for 10 years as a city commissioner. He knows what the state's county directors face and he also knows that no two counties are alike and the challenges vary. In Philadelphia, he had a staff of about 125 people to administer elections. But in Somerset, there is generally a staff of three employees to register residents to vote; manage the mail ballot process; test the voting equipment; assign polling locations for Election Day; and tabulate, audit and certify the results.
Schmidt's trips to county elections departments are not only to learn of the local challenges faced but to hear what the directors and staff feel the state department can do to solve those challenges and to help the process go smoothly and fairly.
"I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen so far," he said. "Pennsylvania is truly fortunate to have such dedicated county election staff who are committed to ensuring that every eligible voter can cast their ballot and make their voice heard in every election."
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One of the challenges Schmidt has heard from all of the directors, calling it "a common denominator," is not receiving last-minute guidance and directives. A court decision last year stated that last-minute guidance and directives should only occur when "absolutely necessary."
Another common concern he has discussed is how their jobs are made much more difficult by the proliferation of incorrect information and falsehoods about elections.
"We live in an era where anyone anywhere can click a button and instantly share content without verifying its accuracy. And sometimes the mis- and disinformation can lead to intimidation and threats of violence against election workers," Schmidt said.
He knows firsthand about that challenge, for as Philadelphia’s election commissioner following the volatile 2020 presidential election, Schmidt had to battle and clarify cascades of misinformation about the integrity of the city’s election while providing safety and security of the vote.
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"Ultimately, when it comes to running elections, it is important for every county to know what they need to do and what they need not to do," he said. "Be prepared."
Voters need to know what to do and what they are required to do, Schmidt said.
"Elections has been a precious commodity with so many changes," he said. Schmidt said he believes those changes are for the better. They have never been more accessible, he said.
Schmidt pointed out as an example the requirement of paper ballots during elections.
"There is now a voter-verifiable paper ballot in every county whether you vote in person or you vote by mail," he said.
Schmidt discussed his support for the security and integrity of using paper ballots, which provide an inherent trail, and the mandatory performance of two separate audits after each election.
No matter what, safeguards are in place.
"We practice the safeguards in every election," Pritt said.
Keeping abreast of what is going on with the elections will help keep the system more efficient.
Election deadlines
The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is April 16, and the deadline to return a completed mail ballot is 8 p.m. Election Day, April 23. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day for in-person voting.
Other places to learn more about elections.
Where to find accurate sources for election information, according to the Pennsylvania State Department:
the department’s voter information website, vote.pa.gov,
the department’s year-round voter hotline, 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772), which provides interpretation services in more than 200 languages,
The state department launched the following:
An election threats task force with local, state and federal partners that mitigate threats to the election process, protect voters and election staff from intimidation and provide voters with accurate, trusted election information.
A voter education initiative to inform Pennsylvanians of key election-related dates and deadlines and to urge them to consider serving as poll workers in their community,
A new training program, led by a former county election director, to provide county election staff with the tools they need to ensure smooth elections.
Redesigned mail ballot materials with clearer instructions for voters.
Schmidt's department redesigned the mail-in ballot envelopes this year to emphasize the need for voters to provide the required information, he said. The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia held that mailed ballots may be discarded if they do not include accurate dates, as provided by the voter, on the exterior ballot envelope, even if the ballot is returned before the deadline.
Election deadlines
The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is April 16, and the deadline to return a completed mail ballot is 8 p.m. Election Day, April 23. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day for in-person voting.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Getting ready for primary: PA Secretary of State travels to Somerset
