Pennsylvania has earned its national embarrassment for its handling of the 2020 presidential election.
The shame is that casual observers probably do not realize only a few of Pennsylvania’s counties the entities that administrate the election had difficulties processing votes without prompting questions.
The questions ranged from the manner in which mail-in ballots were cast, the mysteries of computer-generated results, the validity of voting rolls and voter signatures and a myriad of circumstances suggesting fraudulent activity.
But those things were an issue in only a few of the state’s counties. In most counties, including those in our region, election officials and thousands of volunteers handled the process in a pandemic year that presented its own set of unique challenges with efficiency and integrity.
HARRISBURG Just a week out from Nov. 3, Sara May-Silfee had hundreds of mail ballots from last-minute applications that she knew had to get to voters as soon as possible.
Instead of sending the ballots to a printing and mailing company to handle, the Monroe County elections director immediately mailed them from her office, and even drove some straight to voters’ homes.
“I was trying to save time and get them out as quickly as possible,” May-Silfee said.
The last-minute scramble was part of a chaotic first run at Pennsylvania’s no-excuse vote-by-mail system. Among the factors that put more pressure on county officials, they said, was the Oct. 27 deadline for mail-ballot applications just a week before Election Day.
WELLSBORO â Tioga County commissioners approved a non-residential solar energy systems ordinance in preparation for a commercial installation early next year.
The board adopted the ordinance, which outlines criteria for commercial use of a solar energy system, at the Dec. 15 meeting.
The adoption is needed for a planned installation at the Dairy Farmers of America plant in Middlebury Center.
According to Tom Shephard, DFA vice president of business development, DFA is continually seeking alternative green energy sources for its facilities.
This project will install solar panels on unusable, empty land adjacent to the milk plant. The ground-mounted panels will produce about one-third of the electrical needs of the plant.
bkreitzer@lewistownsentinel.com
MIFFLINTOWN–The Juniata County Commissioners announced yesterday that a COVID-19 testing site will be at the Central Juniata EMS building in Mifflintown. The testing will take place from December 27th until 3 p.m. on December 31st. The testing site will accept medical insurance. Those without medical insurance can still be tested at no cost. “We’re pretty excited that Juniata County will have a testing site so we encourage that folks take advantage of that.” commissioner Alice Gray said.
Also during the meeting the commissioers reappointed three to the Juniata County Agricultural Land Preservation Board of Directors effective January 1, 2021 as recommended by Christopher B. Snyder, Program Administrator.
. HARRISBURG Just a week out from Nov. 3, Sara May-Silfee had hundreds of mail ballots from last-minute applications that she knew had to get to voters as soon as possible. Instead of sending the ballots to a printing and mailing company to handle, the Monroe County elections director immediately mailed them from her office, and even drove some straight to voters’ homes. “I was trying to save time and get them out as quickly as possible,” May-Silfee said. The last-minute scramble was part of a chaotic first run at Pennsylvania’s no-excuse vote-by-mail system. Among the factors that put more pressure on county officials, they said, was the Oct. 27 deadline for mail-ballot applications just a week before Election Day.