DiBello Pushes Poll Watcher Freedom At Montco Counting Center; Dems Seem OK With It — Republican Thomas DiBello,, who is Montgomery County’s mandated minority commissioner, suggested at today’s, June 27, meeting of the county Election Board that poll watchers get free access to the entire central ballot processing center.
He noted that the reasons for the existing limitations were a legacy of Covid and no longer necessary.
County Election Director Frank Dean agreed as did Commissioner Vice Chairman Neil Makhija.
Mush suspicion would disappear if Montgomery County went through with this. Delaware County should take note.
DiBello also asked if it were possible for cellular signal jammers to be placed in the building. He said the signals are rampant. Dean said he would look into the feasibility and would also investigate DiBello’s concern regarding the possibility of the scanners being hackable with cellular devices along with his suggestion to livestream the ballot drop box cameras.
Dean also addressed questions posed by Jim Mollick of Worcester regarding the process of purging voter roles. He said a person can only be purged when a death is reported or by a state approved methods concerning the voter moving.
Mollick, during public comments, addressed a challenge by Chairwoman Jamila H. Winder to find vote fraud. Mollick noted that the state prohibits voters to use a Post Office box to register.
“Here is 50,” Mollick said. “Actually it is the same PO box.”
Mollick also said that he found five persons who moved from the county and are still on voting rolls. This includes one who moved to New York yet still votes in Montco.
Barbara Furman, a judge of elections in New Hanover, said it is impossible to determine chain of custody in the existing system and suggested that having the mail-in ballots be counted at the precinct would increase security.
Marleen Laska said it’s illegal for non-citizens to vote but many don’t realize it as they are told otherwise. She said the county should put signs declaring only US citizens may vote. This is not an unreasonable suggestion.
Sandra Levine said that Montgomery Township did not have the proper ballots for the machines at an election and that many voters could not wait and were in effect disenfranchised.
Adrian Seltzer, a judge of elections, said that Montgomery Township could have offered provisional ballots or allowed the ballots be placed manually in the dropbox to be counted later. She defended Montco’s system of elections.
Scott Emmet advocated handcounting the ballots.
Issues with right-to-know requests were also a subject as they had been at the preceding commissioners meeting.
Jean White said she has submitted 14 right-to-knows with the county new open records officer Joshua Wertheimer with little effect. Many involved seeking information about the voting process and she was told to subject them voter services, which she did, again without much luck.
Free clue: Fighting right-to-know request does not — repeat does not — ease suspicions.
