Washington County forms elections review committee
Unlike Monday’s Iowas caucus in the Democratic presidential contest, the eyes of the world were not focused on the April 1, 2019, special election in Pennsylvania’s 37th Senatorial District.
Yet those who checked the Washington County website for results in the race that Democrat Pam Iovino won over Republican D. Raja found no results until mid-afternoon April 2.
The results were being tabulated smoothly in Washington, but a glitch that a vendor in York, York County, identified the day after the special election kept vote totals from being posted for more than 16 hours after the polls closed.
“We’re not using apps,” said Washington County Elections Director Melanie Ostrander on Wednesday.
Technical errors in transmitting unofficial results via smartphone, problematic in Iowa, does not figure into the Washington County nomination or election process, Ostrander noted.
But before new voting machines are deployed in Washington County, the Washington County commissioners are poised on Thursday to form an elections review committee that will meet for the first time later this month.
The initial gathering is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 25 in the public meeting room of the Courthouse Square office building, Washington.
Members will assess current election procedures and present written recommendations to the commissioners, who serve as the election board in years when their names are not on the ballot.
Commission Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan, who began her seventh term last month, ran on a platform that included review of election procedures. Newly elected Commissioner Nick Sherman said when he was campaigning, he found election security to be very important to those who are casting votes.
All recommendations the committee makes to the commissioners must adhere to the Pennsylvania Election Code. New voting machines, under Act 77, must have a paper trail that can be checked for accuracy against the voting machines’ electronic records.
The committee will meet twice before the April 28 primary and four times before the Nov. 3 general election. Written recommendations are to be presented to the board of elections Aug. 20.
Those who will be serving on the 11-member committee will include leaders from the Democratic and Republican parties, plus those nominated by each commissioner.
Commission Chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan nominated Peter Marcoline Jr., an attorney from Nottingham Township; Laraine Grcich, judge of elections from Donora; and David Kresh of South Strabane Township, who has served on the Washington County post-election canvass board.
Commission Vice Chairman Larry Maggi nominated Larry Mauro of Donora, a member of the Ringgold School Board; Kathleen Esno of Burgettstown, judge of elections; and Suzanne Ashmore, who teaches political science and government in Chartiers-Houston School District.
Commissioner Nick Sherman nominated Lane Turturice, an attorney from South Strabane Township; Lawna Blankenship, a judge of elections in Peters Township; and Eric Sivavec, a Cecil Township supervisor.
In another election-related matter, Washington County no longer needs an estimated 100 storage carts for voting machines because county carpenters built shelves on which to store the equipment.
Neighboring Allegheny County, however, has expressed an interest in the carts, and the neighbor to the north will have to pay for workers and transportation related to the expense of moving them.
A vendor at no additional charge last week disposed of Washington County’s old TSX touchscreen voting machines, destroying their drives, Ostrander said.