Delco Has 14510 Ineligible Voters Election Board Told

Delco Has 14510 Ineligible Voters Election Board Told — The Delaware County (Pa) Election Board, today, Aug. 12, heard a presentation by Josie Spastak (phonetic) of Brookhaven, Patricia Bleasdale of Glen Mills and a Gradyville man who described how they determined beyond doubt that there are at least 14,519ineligible voters on the county’s voting rolls.

Most of these voters are ineligible due to moving.

Ms. Spastak explained how they determined the number due to the Postal Services National Change of Address database corrolated with PennDOT’s change of address database.

She noted that there are far more likely ineligible voters on the rolls as only about 40 percent of persons moving notify the post office of change of address.

Later in the meeting, Cynthia Long, a majority inspector in Upper Darby, noted that at least six persons in her precinct have moved yet remain on the rolls.

Kathy Buckley, who is seeking the  168 District seat in the Pennsylvania House this November, objected to the plan redistricting of a Radnor precinct as but 90 days remained till the election.

Nicholas Manganaro of Radnor also objected pointing out that redistricting this close to a major election will make it harder to target voters by those who had been used to the precinct.

He also noted that Delaware County doesn’t properly test the hash codes of new software.

County Director of Elections James Allen told him that code testing is not required if the vendor installs software in persons as in the case of Delco but the county does limited hash code testing beyond the laws requirements.

Barb Lewis of Radnor expressed concerns about digital machines and cited the scandals involving Smartmatic.

Allen said Smartmatic is not a bit involved in Delaware County elections.

Charles Alexander of Marple said he remembered how much easier the lever machines were, and how much quicker and accurate the vote was.

Alexander also noted that Delco had more ballot dropboxes than any other county in the state including Philadlphia.

Sharon Devaney, a minority inspector in Haverford, noted that she didn’t get home until nearly midnight in the last election and that the county would be better returning to analogue machines.

Later in the meeting, Allen rebutted her. He apparently had her story checked during the discussion and found the retruns from her precinct arrived shortly before 11 p.m.

This means that she would have likely stayed on duty until 10:30 p.m.; a mere 16 hour day.

That’s telling her, Jim.

Despite all this the meeting was remarkably kumbaya.

Allen agreeded that Delco has far too many dropboxes and is working hard to cut back the number. He says they are logistical headaches. He said the reason for the large number of dropboxes was due to Delco’s large number of municipalities and that many of them — regardless of which party was in control — insisted on having one.

Board Chairwoman Ashley Lunkenheimer defended at least having some dropboxes as they are less likely to keep a voter from missing a deadline than if a mailbox was used.

Board member John McBlain agreed that the system has become overcomplicated and defended the old lever analog machines.

He noted that the election system has grown from 15 steps to 115.

He pointed out, however, that state and federal law have banned the use of these machines due to their inability to provide a paper trail.

Granted, nobody seems to trust this paper trail but the law is the law and that really is the reason.

One speaker pointed out that significant trust would return if the county would allow poll watchers the same rights at the central ballot counting center at the Wharf in Chester as they have at any other precinct.

The speaker, unwilling to disturb the kumbaya vibe, passed on noting trust would also increase if the county stopped appealing decisions by the state Office of Open Records regarding election records

Here’s a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iatE2NrN7bk

Delco Has 14510 Ineligible Voters