Some extra measures have been taken for the upcoming general election in McKean County, but they don’t involve security.
Commissioner Tom Kreiner on Friday explained, “We hired ten part-time people to help with ballot counting because the new requirements said it had to be done before anyone can leave.”
Despite concerns elsewhere in the state, the commissioners didn’t feel that adding security to the polling locations was necessary.
Elections director Lisa Pratt said there was a small amount of concern from a few poll workers, but Kreiner said it must not have been enough of a concern that the commissioners had been alerted.
“I don’t think (extra security) is needed in our area,” Kreiner said.
However, he added, if a concern should arise, the McKean County Sheriff’s department will be available that day.
“We have the district attorney and the courts to fall back on should we have issues, and the municipal police and state police,” he said. “We do have constables at a lot of those places.”
Kreiner added, “We’re certainly not anticipating any problems.”
If someone does feel they’ve been subjected to intimidation at the polling place, report it to the police, and to the McKean County elections office.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, intimidation may take the form of aggressive or threatening behavior inside or outside the polling place, blocking or interfering with access to the entrance or exit to the polling place, direct confrontation or questioning of voters, disrupting voting lines, disseminating false or misleading election information or questioning voters about citizenship, criminal record or political choices.
“At the county, we’re committed to a free, fair and accurate election,” Kreiner said. “That’s the reason we’ve put on extra people to meet some of the deadlines imposed on us as well.”
Voting has already begun via mail-in ballots. Pratt said, “As of (Thursday) we had 1,885 returned mail-in/absentee ballots.”
On the ballot in McKean County on Tuesday are a race for U.S. Senator, with Democratic candidate John Fetterman, Republican Mehmet Oz, Libertarian Erik Gerhardt, Green Party candidate Richard Weiss and Keystone candidate Daniel Wassmer; for governor/lieutenant governor, Democratic candidates Josh Shapiro and Austin Davis, Republicans Douglas Mastriano and Carrie DelRosso, Libertarians Matt Hackenburg and Tim McMaster, Green Party candidates Christina DiGiulio and Michael Bagdes-Canning, and Keystone candidates Joe Soloski and Nicole Shultz.
Also on the ballot is the race for representative in Congress for the 15th District with Democratic challenger Mike Molesevich and incumbent Republican Glenn Thompson; and Martin Causer in an unopposed race for representative in the General Assembly for the 67th district.
