Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong attended the Feb. 20 Lower Milford Township Board of Supervisors meeting. Armstrong comes out once a year to every township meeting in the rural areas to spread news of what’s happening in Lehigh County.

At this meeting, he discussed the importance of the upcoming census. “For every person not accounted, the county will lose $2,093 per year .. during the 2010 census, it was estimated 30 percent of the population was unaccounted for,” Armstrong said.

He said rural areas were the main source of the problem in 2010. He emphasized the rural populations should see the importance of reporting themselves and relatives. He stressed the heads of the household should be accounting for children or other family members living with them.

His second point of discussion was the new change in voting in the state of Pennsylvania.

In a recent update, Lehigh County residents can now vote by mail. It is expected 45,000 voters in Lehigh County will choose the mail-in ballot, as it will allow seniors, employees with lots of travel and others that can’t usually make it due to personal situations, the ability to vote.

To register for the mail-in ballot, eligible voters should go to PA.gov. Residents will need to fill out an application each year.

If a resident chooses to use a mail-in ballot, they cannot show up the polls. The mail-in ballot is your vote. This is unlike an absentee ballot, which allows you to still show up, if you so choose or change your mind.

Armstrong predicted the results of the elections will now be delayed a day or two, perhaps even a little longer.