In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has done his best to undermine public confidence in Pennsylvania’s upcoming Presidential election. His campaign sued unsuccessfully to prevent the use of drop boxes to collect mail-in ballots. It also accused Democrats of attempting to steal the election in Luzerne County, even though it’s run by Republicans.

President Trump has even threatened to flood polling places with law enforcement, a practice prohibited by Pennsylvania’s Election Code. In response to the these concerns, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure assured voters in a Sept. 28 news conference that, “in our little corner of the world,” the Nov. 3 election will be safe and secure. “You can trust that your votes will matter,” he said. “Stay calm, and vote. We got this for you. Your vote will count.” He then outlined the ways you can make sure your vote counts.

Voting at Precinct on Election Day

If you want to vote in person at your precinct on election day, there are 154 polling precincts with 315 Express Vote XL touchscreen voting devices. This voting system combines the simplicity of touch screen voting with the important redundancy of a voter-verifiable paper trail. McClure is asking voters who choose this option to wear a mask. Poll workers will be required to do so.

Mail-in and Absentee Ballot Applications

Up until Oct. 27, you can apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot, either online or at the voter registration office. That office is now open from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. Voter Registrar Amy Cozze has received and approved 63,000 applications thus far, and mailed out 30,000 ballots on Monday. She expects to have all ballots in the mail by week’s end.

The ballots will come with two envelopes. One is a secrecy envelope in which you must place your ballot. That secrecy envelope goes into an outer envelope that includes a voter’s declaration. This must be completed if you want your vote to count. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ordered elections officials to reject ballots unless they are inside a secrecy envelope. This is what is known as a “naked ballot.” In addition, the Supreme Court has ruled that, if the outer envelope is unsigned with a voter’s declaration, the vote must go uncounted.

Cozze had previously predicted there would be 100,000 requests for absentee ballots, but said interest in them has diminished. McClure attributes this to “the President’s rhetoric and the decisions that have been made at the upper echelons of the U.S. Postal Service [that] have undermined some folks’ confidence in the postal system.” She has confidence, however, that the postal service will get ballots back in time. Moreover, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has imposed a three-day extension on mailed ballots until Nov. 6.

The return envelopes are already franked. There is no need for a stamp.

A person who has received a mail-in ballot can change his mind and decide to vote at the polls. If he does, he must bring both his mail-in ballot and the envelopes to his voting precinct. This requirement prevents a double vote. The mail-in ballot will be voided and the voter will then be permitted to vote on the Express Vote XL.

Drop Boxes

In the primary, there was one drop box location at the county government center in Easton. Administrator Charles Dertinger advised that, starting Oct. 1, there are four drop-boxes located at the following locations:

•Bethlehem City Hall’s Plaza Entrance (10 E Church St, Bethlehem) from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

•Northampton County Government Center (669 Washington St, Easton) rotunda from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m., Monday thru Friday, and on Saturdays from 8 am until noon.

•Northampton County’s Human Services Building (2801 Emrick Blvd, Bethlehem) from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

•Northampton County’s 911 Center (100 Gracedale Avenue, Nazareth), from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

These locations correspond with the four county districts. Free parking is available at all four locations. Each drop box is monitored by surveillance cameras and will be emptied daily by deputy sheriffs who will be sworn in and will also complete daily forms to preserve the chain of custody. The ballots are delivered to the Registrar, who will secure them in a locked vault until election day, when canvassing can begin.

Early Voting (Ballot by Demand)

McClure noted that, if you have no desire to stand in long lines on election day and distrust mail-in ballots, you can vote now by coming to the courthouse and requesting a ballot. This is known as early voting. After filling out the necessary paperwork, the elections office will provide you with both a ballot and a location in which you can vote in privacy.

This option is available from 8;30 a.m. until 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon. McClure noted there will be long lines on election day and the more people who vote at the courthouse, the less people will have to stand in line.

NorCo’s elections office reports that 217 voters had already exercised this option as of Sept. 30.

No Need For UN Observers. - McClure dismissed Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley’s request for UN observers at the polls. “We don’t need UN observers in Northampton County,” he remarked.

Given the numerous ways in which a person can vote, McClure there really is no excuse for failing to vote on Nov. 3. Council President Ron Heckman added that council has approved close to $5 million for the best voting machines, epollbooks and added personnel.

“It’s a bedrock responsibility,” he said.

Important Online Links

Where Do I Vote? https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/PollingPlaceInfo.aspx