May 24, 2020 6 min read

Tuesday is the deadline to request a mail-in or absentee ballot in Pennsylvania, and more than 25,000 voters have applied for them in Washington and Greene counties for the June 2 primary.

In Washington County as of Tuesday morning, the total was 22,480, which included 15,535 Democrats and 6,945 Republicans. Absentee voters in the presidential primary of 2016 accounted for just 1,436 ballots in Washington County, but a change in state law allowed no-excuse mail-in voting to begin with this primary.

In Greene County as of Tuesday, the total number of applications was 3,177. Of those, 1,654 had been returned, presumably, as ballots on which votes had been cast. Democrats requested 2,112 ballots and Republicans, 1,063. Four years ago, Greene Countians returned just 285 absentee ballots.

Only those who were registered to vote by May 18 are eligible to participate in balloting. If he or she chooses a mail-in ballot, they must be returned to the elections offices at the respective county buildings no later than 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, to be tabulated.

With Southwestern Pennsylvania elevated to “yellow” cautionary status in the novel coronavirus pandemic, both counties resumed training of poll workers last week.

Melanie Ostrander, Washington County elections director, and Tina Kiger, Greene County elections director, are still seeking those who are interested in working on local election boards.

Ostrander can be reached at 724-228-6750. Kiger, who said she needs about 20 additional workers, can be reached at 724-852-5230.

At a press call-in earlier in May, the Observer-Reporter posed the question, “There are many unemployed people who could use local poll worker pay, but if they’re receiving unemployment compensation, would it jeopardize their unemployment benefit?”

Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar referred the question to the Department of Labor and Industry, from which Deputy Communications Director Jahmai Sharp provided this response:

“It’s important to note that Labor and Industry’s office of communications cannot provide any advice or comment on individual or specific unemployment claims. We can only provide information, when appropriate, in general terms.

“Claimants must report any weekly wages received during their filing, including ‘local poll worker wages.’ In any given week, if a claimant is working part time, and earns no more than their ‘partial benefit credit,’ those earnings do not reduce their benefits for that week.

“If a claimant earns more than their partial benefit credit, the amount of those earnings that exceeds the partial benefit credit will reduce their benefits for that week on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

“If a claimant earns more than the sum of the weekly benefit rate and the partial benefit credit, no compensation is paid for that week.”

More information on unemployment compensation is available on FAQ page at https://www.uc.pa.gov/COVID-19/Pages/UC-COVID19-FAQs.aspx/.

Both parties have presumptive nominees, but on Republican ballots, President Donald Trump has two opponents, former governor Bill Weld of Massachusetts and Rocque De La Fuente of California.

On the Democratic ticket, the names of former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware, the presumptive choice, also has a pair of opponents, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.

Democrats will see a contest for state auditor general, and area Republicans will see some primary challenges locally.

On the Democratic ballot, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale is term-limited. Vying to represent the party in November are H. Scott Conklin, Centre County; Michael Lamb, Allegheny County; Tracie Fountain, Dauphin County; Rose (Rosie) Marie Davis, Monroe County; Nina Ahmad, Philadelphia County, and Christine Hartman, Lancaster County.

Republicans will have choices to make in one state senatorial race and in two state legislative matchups, depending on where they live.

In the 37th Senatorial District, which includes Peters Township in Washington County, two who were left out in the cold when Republicans went with D. Raja in January 2019 for a special election are trying again.

They are Devlin Robinson of Bridgeville and Jeff Neff of Sewickley. They’re battling this time for the nomination to take on incumbent Democrat Pam Iovino in the general election.

Iovino, a Mt. Lebanon resident, prevailed in the special election last April, and she’s running unopposed on the Democratic primary ballot this time around.

Odd-numbered state senatorial districts are on the ballot this year.

Two primary contests among GOP members are also shaping up in state House districts that include parts of Washington County.

In the 39th District, incumbent state Rep. Mike Puskaric of Union Township has a challenger in Tom Kirsch of Bethel Park. Sara-Summer Oliphant of South Park filed on the Democratic ticket.

In the 49th District, Tony Bottino Jr. of Carroll Township is running against incumbent Republican state Rep. Bud Cook of West Pike Run Township, who is seeking a third, two-year term. Democrat Randy Barli of Coal Center is unopposed.

Candidates for Congress and the Pennsylvania Legislature run for two-year terms.

Many candidates are vying to be chosen as delegates or alternates to Democratic and Republican Party presidential nominating conventions.

On the Democratic ballot, not more than five are to be elected. Delegate candidates appear with the name of the candidate they are supporting.

The choices are: Bibiana Boerio, Christian Sesek and Nate Regotti, who are all committed to Biden.

Casey Konopisos, Robert Mason, Mike Cordaro, Janice Foley and Brayden Campbell are listed as committed to Bernie Sanders.

Brendan Welch, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, explained in an email, “Sanders suspended his campaign, but he has stayed on the ballot in all states to collect delegates.

“There’s an agreement between the Biden campaign, Sanders campaign and Democratic National Committee that will allow Sanders to retain these delegates for the convention.

“If Biden wins a congressional district by such a large margin that he’s allocated more delegates than were on the ballot, the remaining Biden delegates will be backfilled by the Pennsylvania Democrats and Biden campaign at our state committee meeting.”

On the Republican ballot, voters are to select no more than three convention delegates. The candidates are: John Ventre, Scott Avolio, Jon R. Marietta, Scott R. Day, Daryl William Price, Eric J. Sivavec, Guy Reschenthaler, Rose Tennent, Thomas J. Uram, Susanna DeJeet and Jill Cooper.

Unlike the Democrats, Pennsylvania Republican Party rules do not require them to list their choice of presidential nominee, but Trump has not faced a serious challenge within the party by an opponent.