Delco Renews Fort Orange Press Contract; Dismisses Concerns

Delco Renews Fort Orange Press Contract; Dismisses Concerns — Delaware County (Pa) Council, Feb. 21, renewed its contract with Fort Orange Press of Albany, N.Y. to print its mail and absentee ballots.

They will be paid $264,000 for the 2024 elections.

Fort Orange Press is controversial because Delco is strangely and strenuously striving to keep its communications with it a solid secret.

Delco is actually fighting an order from the state Office of Open Records to let all be revealed.

Just something to make you go hmmmm.

The county also approved a $117,300 contract with Phoenix Graphics to print election day ballots; a $40,000-max agreement with John C. Barton for services relating to election database preparations; election result reporting and payroll preparations; a $341,096 annual license and support renewal for the Hart Verity voting system; and to accept a $45,000 Help America Vote College Program Grant.

Barton, a retired county employee, created Delco’s election reporting system. Council members asked at the Feb. 20 work session if there were plans to phase him out. The answer was yes.

The college grant is to hire 45 students from the many universities in the county. They will be poll workers if they are county residents or do training if not.

The county suffers a shortage of poll workers.

During public comments, Joy Schwartz of Upper Darby asked why the county can’t find a local printer. She also asked how the ballots were being transported from Albany to Delco.

She asked that the controversial central counting center where mail-in and dropped off ballots are counted be closed and the responsibility returned to the precincts.

Mrs. Schwartz said that this was actually required by the state Election Code.

County solicitor Jonathan Lichtenstein said that two state legislatures are suing to return the counting to the precincts but central counting centers have been upheld by the courts. He also said returning the ballots to the precincts would be a logistical nightmare and an added burden for the poll workers many of whom have been working 14 hours when the polls close.

Here’s a thought: Treat the central counting station as a precinct. This would allow poll watchers access now forbidden. It may not end the dispute but it certainly would make fewer go hmmmm.

Paul Rumley of Springfield said more than half of Americans no longer trust our elections and with good reason. He said that the county council members ought to start asking why. He cited the books The Parallel Election by Greg Stenstrom and Leah Hoopes, and Rigged by Mollie Hemmingway as places to start.

Barb Lewis of Radnor said she continues to distrust Delco’s voting machines. She cited a video Delco’s Director of Elections James Allen made while he was communications director for the Chicago Board of Elections, his prior job.

Allen says that election machines are vulnerable, Ms. Lewis said. And that voting by internet is a very bad idea.

Ms. Lewis said that she saw poll pads connected to the internet in the last election.

Poll pads are to replace the paper list of voters used by poll workers.

Councilwoman  Christine A. Reuther said that while the poll pads can be connected to the internet, the files are absolutely secure and you can trust them absolutely completely, and besides, you can’t vote by poll pad.

Carris Kocher of Concord said the Election Return Board is required to review ballots but does not review the mail-in ballots.

Allen took the podium to rebut some of the statements. He said he stands by his claim that voting by the internet is a bad idea. Internet voting is not happening, however, he said. Allen said the county has done many recounts and no problems were found. He seemed to concede that the return board may not be reviewing mail-in ballots.