NORRISTOWN — People in the area have attended recent public meetings in Montgomery County to express worries about election honesty before the April 23 primary election.
Extended public comment periods at recent Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and Board of Election meetings resulted in sharing of complaints and conversation between elected officials and voters.
“We need election honesty. It’s terrible. I just … I can’t,” said Whitpain Township resident Michelle Mellor, adding “This is the most fundamental right that we have is to vote. Can we treat it with the honesty it deserves?”
“Our right is to have a legal and valid voting system, and here in Montgomery County, it is very corrupt,” said Jill Lafferty of Blue Bell.
Montgomery County Election Board Chairman Neil Makhija, a Democrat, stated that transparency is essential to the safety and security of election procedures.
“One of the reasons our elections are secure is because it is the public who votes in any given election. So the record is there,” he said. “So it’s not only capable of being audited by us, it’s capable of being audited by any third-party group.”
“So in your own precinct, you can find out who voted and who didn’t, and that disclosure is one of the reasons that we know that there haven’t been any recent concerns of voter fraud,” he continued.
In addition to overall election honesty, the conversation focused on worries about election-related fraud. Makhija stated none has occurred in Montgomery County, but there was some discussion among fellow elected officials.
“I just want to say again there’s no instance in Montgomery County of anyone voting who was not supposed to vote, and if anyone has any evidence of that, it can be investigated and prosecuted,” he said.
“I will comment on the fact I wouldn’t necessarily say no fraud has occurred in Montgomery County,” said Republican Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello. “There have been people in the past that have been arrested for fraud in Montgomery County. “So let’s not say there’s never been fraud. In every county, every jurisdiction, there’s fraud somewhere along the line. It happens. The system is not perfect. It’s far from perfect.”
“Me personally, I find fraud to be more of a concern than access because fraud cancels out my vote,” said Worcester Township resident Jim Mollick, who participated in both public comment sessions seeking more information about the signature verification of mail-in ballots and purging voter rolls of those who have died or moved out of the area.
Makhija said procedures surrounding voter roll management are conducted at the state level. Some commenters claimed instances where there were more votes than registered voters.
Makhija told Mellor that if she has any information or evidence of 220,000 more votes cast than voters, she should send it to him or the district attorney.
“Will do,” she replied.
Makhija tried to reassure area residents about the safety and security of the elections in the state’s third most populous county, but people seemed unconvinced.
Marlene Laska, a resident of Upper Providence Township, expressed her lack of confidence in the 2020 election results and asked Makhija to prove it.
Mollick shared similar doubts to Laska, finding it hard to believe there was no voter fraud in the county and questioning Makhija with laughter in the audience.
After some debate, Makhija told Mollick his time was up and requested evidence if he had any.
“Oh, I will. I did, I gave you some,” Mollick said.
Makhija explained the difference between evidence of someone voting who was not supposed to and the voter roll, emphasizing the security measures in place for the validity of the vote.
Makhija stressed the public record of who voted and who didn’t after every election, and the measures taken to ensure the vote is valid, inviting people to apply for the voter hall of fame.
Other residents expressed concerns about ballot boxes and voter identification.
Mellor expressed her thoughts on ballot boxes, feeling that 24-hour ballot boxes are a step backwards and not in line with the values of America's forefathers.
Residents also called for county officials to require voter identification, rejecting claims that the policy is “racist.”
“Voter ID, that’s not racist. How did we get that?” Mellor said.
DiBello also expressed a desire to learn more about the matter.
“For us to say a voter ID prevents somebody from voting. I mean let’s be real,” DiBello said.
While Makhija noted that “voter ID’s not an issue before us,” DiBello said he does “want to know what we can (do) as a county if there’s anything we can do to put some type of voter ID in place.”
But David Winkler, a Republican running for Congress against the current Democrat Madeleine Dean, D-4th Dist., used his time to urge elected officials to pay attention to the people's concerns and not take them for granted. He also expressed that he doesn't want anyone to lose their right to vote this election.
“I’m a combat veteran. This is something I fought for in the United States,” he said. “I want to ensure that every citizen has the ability to vote, regardless of their political affiliation, and feels that their vote matters.
Montgomery County Election Board Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder, a Democrat, took a moment to respond to Winkler’s words.
“And when you talk about disenfranchised, making sure that everybody has an opportunity to vote, I know that this board is equally supportive of that,” she said. “So thank you for your comments and best of luck.
As election preparations continue, an agreement between the Montgomery County Office of Voter Services and Collegeville-based PeopleShare LLC, of Collegeville was authorized during a March 7 meeting. The contract, not to exceed $325,000, covered “temporary staffing services required for the 2024 primary election.” Funding was obtained through the county’s general-operational budget.
Residents expressed concerns about the cost and purpose of the six-figure contract.
“I’d just like to see more oversight and details on this huge expenditure,” said county resident Marilyn Muir.
Montgomery County Chief Operating Officer Lee Soltysiak addressed the matter directly.
“If I could just clarify that very specific question whether or not this contract will be paying for poll workers at the polls, and the answer is it will not,” Soltysiak said.
Around 2,500 poll workers are needed for the upcoming 2024 primary election, according to Makhija. The county had 426 precincts for the 2023 election season.
Pennsylvania’s primary election is scheduled for April 23. Montgomery County voters have until April 8 to register for the primary election and until April 16 to request a mail-in ballot if they choose to vote by mail. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, and all mail-in ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election night. Visit vote.pa.gov for more information.
As election-related conversation continued leading up to the start of the 2024 election season, Winder sought to set the record straight with constituents.
“I think there’s also a difference between opinions, and questioning integrity, and the processes that we’re working to put in place to ensure that we have election integrity, and I can tell you that this collective board is focused on doing just that and partnering with our director of voter services to ensure that he has the tools and resources to deliver on our elections,” Winder said. “We might not agree from an opinion perspective on what’s the best decision, but this board cares about integrity, and doing the right thing, and so I want to stress that just from getting to know this team.
The next meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Elections will take place at 10 a.m. on April 2 at One Montgomery Plaza, 425 Swede St., in Norristown. To learn more, visit the Montgomery County Office of Voter Services website at montgomerycountypa.gov/VoterServices. For questions, contact the county’s voter services office by calling 610-278-3280 or emailing at [email protected].
