BETHLEHEM PRESS POLICY: As we approach the Nov. 3 general election, the Bethlehem Press, in the interest of fairness, will halt publication of columns by local government officials and letters to the editor submitted by those running for office.

The last week for publication of columns by local government officials running for office is the Oct. 8 edition.

We will, of course, continue to cover the local races, in news stories generated by our own reporters.

Letters to the Editor, written by members of the community or the candidate, need to be received by The Press no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 16.

MUHLENBERG POLL: The new poll from the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion asks 7th District voters about their picks for congress and president, their plans for voting, how they think President Trump has handled the pandemic and when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s successor should be selected.

The report contains the results of a telephone survey of 414 likely voters in the 7th Congressional District in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, between Sept. 21 and 24. With a randomly selected sample of respondents, the margin of error for the surveys is +/- 5.5% at a 95 percent level of confidence.

Key Findings:

1. With Election Day 2020 about 5 weeks away, first term Democratic Congresswoman Susan Wild holds a 13-point lead (52 percent-39 percent) over Republican nominee Lisa Scheller in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.

2. Wild’s 13-point lead is slightly larger than her margin of victory in the 2018 midterm election when she beat Republican nominee Marty Nothstein by 10 points (54 percent-44 percent), and is driven by large leads among women, college educated voters, and voters living in Lehigh County.

3. In Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, former Vice President Joe Biden holds a 7-point lead (51 percent-44 percent) over President Donald Trump among likely voters. Looking back at 2016, Hillary Clinton beat Trump by 1 percent in the area that currently makes up the 7th District.

4. Like his fellow Democrat Susan Wild, Joe Biden’s modest lead in the 7th District is driven by strong performances among voters living in Lehigh County, female voters and voters with a 4-year college degree.

5. The economy was identified by 27 percent of likely voters in the district as the most important issue in their decision in the congressional election, with the coronavirus pandemic (17 percent), health care (16 percent), and law and order (15 percent) also commonly identified by voters as the key issue driving their vote in the race.

6. About 6 out of 10 (59 percent) likely voters in the 7th District report they intend to vote in person this November, with about 1 in 3 intending to vote by mail (36 percent).

7. Among likely 7th District voters about 1 in 4 (27 percent) indicated that, as of the day they were surveyed, they did not feel safe voting in person.

8. Likely voters in the 7th District are divided on the threat of fraud associated with extensive mail-in voting this fall, with 51 percent agreeing that there is a greater chance of fraud if most Pennsylvanians vote by mail, and 44 percent disagreeing with this claim.

9. About 2 in 3 (64 percent) likely 7th District voters believe that Pennsylvania is prepared to keep the November election safe and secure.

10. A solid majority (60 percent) of likely 7th District voters agree that the replacement of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg should be chosen by the winner of the presidential election in November.

11. Nearly 2 in 3 (62 percent) of 7th District voters say President Trump has done either a poor or fair job handling the coronavirus outbreak

POSTAL SERVICE: As part of the ongoing preparations by the United States Postal Service for the November election, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requested the issuance of an internal directive to authorize and instruct the use of additional resources to satisfy any unforeseen demand and ensure that all election mail is prioritized and delivered securely and on time. The directive is in response to the Postmaster General’s commitment made in August to engage standby resources in all areas of operations beginning Oct. 1.

“The U.S. Postal Service’s number one priority between now and the November election is the secure, on-time delivery of the nation’s election mail. The Postal Service, our unions, and the more than 630,000 postal employees are united in delivering on this sacred duty,” said Postmaster General DeJoy. “These actions ensure additional resources will be made available as needed to handle whatever volume of election mail we receive.”

The directive, issued on Sept. 25, authorizes and instructs the use of additional resources beginning on Oct. 1 by local teams including district managers, postmasters, division directors and plant managers across all areas of operations. These additional resources include, but are not limited to, expanded processing procedures, extra transportation, extra delivery and collection trips and overtime to ensure that election mail reaches its intended destination in a timely manner. These additional resources go beyond the significant resources already dedicated to election mail which were specified in an earlier directive issued on Sept. 21, and a stand-up talk to Postal Service employees issued on Sept. 24.

VOTING OPTIONS: Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar has outlined the steps for Pennsylvanians to vote by mail and urged voters planning on this option to apply now for their ballot.

“Mail-in or absentee voting offers eligible voters a secure, convenient, accessible and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, an especially safe option of voting in the privacy of their own homes. But it’s important that voters follow all the steps necessary so their mail-in ballot will be counted,” Boockvar said. “We want every voter’s voice to be heard – whether they vote by mail, early in person at their county election office or at the polls on election day.”

To vote by mail, remember these tips and requirements:

• Anyone registered to vote is eligible to vote by mail. The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 19. Pennsylvanians can register to vote or check their registration status at votesPA.com.

• Anyone who plans to vote by mail must apply for a mail ballot. Voters can apply online or print a paper application at votesPA.com and return it to their county board of elections. The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is 5 p.m. Oct. 27, but voters are urged to apply now, so they have plenty of time to return their ballot before the election. Voters who applied for a mail-in ballot for the primary and asked to be added to the permanent annual mail ballot list do not need to reapply for a mail ballot for the general election. Voters can track the status of their mail ballot at votesPA.com.

• While applying for an absentee ballot still requires the voter to provide a reason, mail-in voting does not.

• Once the voter’s application for a mail ballot is verified, their county election office will mail them a ballot after they have been finalized and printed.

• As soon as the voter receives the ballot, the voter should:

o Read the instructions carefully.

o Fill out the ballot, being sure to follow instructions on how to mark selections.

o Seal the ballot in the white inner secrecy envelope that says, “official ballot.” Make sure not to make any stray marks on the envelope.

o Then seal the inner secrecy envelope in the pre-addressed outer return envelope where the voter must sign.

o Complete and sign the voter’s declaration on the outside of the outer return envelope.

• If the ballot is not enclosed in both envelopes, it will not be counted.

• If the voter does not sign the outer envelope, the ballot will not be counted.

• The voter should then return their voted ballot to their county board of elections, the sooner the better.

o Voters can mail their ballot. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 and received by the county election office by 5 p.m. on Nov. 6. The Department of State is providing prepaid postage on mail ballot return envelopes, or

o Voters can hand-deliver their ballot to their county election office or other officially designated site. Hand-delivered ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election day. Some counties are providing drop boxes or drop-off sites for mail ballots. Check your county’s website for information on locations. The Department of State will post a list of drop-off locations as the information becomes available. Check votesPA.com in the coming weeks.

• Under Pennsylvania law, voters may only return their own ballots. The only exceptions to this are for voters with a disability who have designated someone in writing to deliver their ballot, or for voters who are hospitalized or need an emergency absentee ballot.

• Voters who provide an email address on their mail ballot application can check the status of their mail ballot at votesPA.com.

• If a voter submits a voted mail ballot, they cannot vote at the polls on election day.

• If a voter applies for a mail ballot, but does not return it, they may vote by provisional ballot at the polls on election day. Their county board of elections will then verify that they didn’t vote by mail before counting their provisional ballot.

• Voters who apply for and receive a mail ballot and then decide they want to vote at the polls must bring their entire unvoted mail ballot packet with them to be voided, including both envelopes.

Secretary Boockvar noted that eligible voters also have two other voting options:

• After ballots are printed by the counties in the coming weeks, voters can go in person to one of their county election offices any time it is open before election day, request a ballot, fill it out and return it on the spot – all in one visit.

• If they have not voted by mail or in person ahead of the election, they can vote at the polls on election day between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. They should wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines. The Department of State is supplying counties with masks, face shields, hand sanitizer, floor marking tape and other supplies for polling places so Pennsylvanians can safely exercise their right to vote during this COVID-19 emergency.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY DROP BOXES: The Northampton County Elections Office has begun sending out mail-in ballots to voters who applied for them. Ballots may be returned via U.S. Mail, or by placing them in any of the four different drop-off boxes located around Northampton County. The drop-off box in the city of Bethlehem will be located at city hall, 10 East Church St. and ballots ballots can be dropped off beginning Oct. 1, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m..

(SPANISH) La Oficina Electoral del Condado de Northampton ha comenzado a enviar papeletas de votación por correo a los votantes que las solicitaron. Las papeletas pueden devolverse por correo de EE.UU., o colocándolo en cualquiera de los cuatro buzones ubicados alrededor del condado de Northampton. El buzón de entrega en la Ciudad de Bethlehem estará ubicado en 10 East Church St. Su papeleta de votación puede ser dejada a partir del 1 de Octubre, de Lunes a Viernes, de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m.

VOTERS’ GUIDE: The Voters Guide to the 2020 Pennsylvania general election for Lehigh and Northampton counties was printed by The Morning Call on Oct. 1. Subscribers to the daily edition received their copies that day. The online version of the Voters Guide is available on the Morning Call website and on the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County website.

The publication was the result of a long-time partnership between the League of Women Voters of both counties and The Morning Call newspaper to make a non-partisan Voters Guide available twice yearly to the voting public. The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund compiled the material found in the guide. Volunteers from both local Leagues forwarded the relevant material to the newspaper.

The Morning Call gave both local leagues hundreds of extra copies to distribute around their respective counties to the benefit of the voting public. Volunteers from the League of Women Voters of Lehigh County delivered them to many locations in that county, including the Voter Registration Office.