This summer, 5,000 Westmoreland County residents, or 1.4% of the county population, signed a petition asking for paper ballots after GOP officials questioned electronic voting.
In September, the county approved the change and spent over $40,000 to implement it.
In November, of over 106,000 ballots cast, only 3,996 were on paper. That’s fewer than the number of petitioners — just 3.7% of voters, six times fewer than mail-in ballots.
Commissioner Sean Kertes called this a “pilot program” and said, “It’s important for voters to have an option.”
An option? The petition called for paper ballots — not a token effort. No drop boxes were allowed, and ballot curing was fought in court. Who exactly are you giving options to?
Commissioner Doug Chew claims these machines “won’t be used much longer” and that he would “never ask voters to buy new ones.”
Why not? Should we limbo under 4% participation to keep MAGA donors happy? If you’re proactive, as Kertes claims, why avoid replacing machines before the 2027 election? Why deny even one drop box?
Spending $40,000 to serve less than 4% isn’t proactive. It’s political theater.
Real leadership expands access — not caters to a fringe.
Ash Franzetti
Greensburg