POTTSTOWN — With ping-ponging court decisions, misinformation and changes in procedure, voters choosing to vote early can face some daunting questions.
So the Montgomery County Office of Voter Services is aiming to bring help practically right to your door. This was literally true for residents of the two senior housing towers in downtown Pottstown on Wednesday.
That’s when the county’s new voter mobile services van was parked in front of Robert B. Smith Towers for several hours to allow residents there, and from the Sidney Pollock House across the street, to access the voter services offices with questions, to correct any problems with their absentee ballots, register to vote and even to actually vote on the spot.
Judy Trombetta, intergovernmental affairs manager for the county was there to lend a hand.
During the busy season for the Voter Services Office, “it’s all hands on deck” to ensure everyone who wants to vote can get registered and vote. The mobile van’s ability to conduct outreach in this area is an “exciting endeavor,” she said.
“It’s always good to vote earlier so you can discover any errors that we can correct and make sure your vote counts,” said voter engagement specialist Adam Blum. And doing so at places where senior citizens live is useful because “they might not be able to get out very easily and if not for things like this, they might not be able to vote.”
Joel Johnson, executive director of the Montgomery County Housing Authority, which runs both senior apartment buildings, agreed. He said he was happy to have the authority partner with the Voter Services Department and suggested the Pottstown location because it is easily accessible to both Smith Towers and Pollock House.
“And it’s also open to the public as well,” he added.
One such member of the public was Bill Knittel, who was walking his dog “Pittsburgh” along High Street when he decided to stop and vote. “This my first time” not voting at a polling place, he said “It really is convenient.”
Lower Pottsgrove resident John Bolehala was pleased to discover the van on High Street. He had just visited the satellite office on King Street in the building that is home to the county health department office because his mail-in ballot arrived with the return envelope already sealed and he needed a new one.
“But they said they only do that on Fridays,” he said. Fortunately, the presence of the mobile van allowed him to get it taken care of immediately.
Two other pedestrians stopped at the table and walked away announcing “We got all our questions answered.”
Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, who also chairs the Montgomery County Board of Elections, stopped by to see how things were going.
He said the van is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania and is designed to help as many Montgomery County voters as possible to ensure they can vote and that their vote is free of errors of procedure so that their vote counts.
The van, combined with the Norristown main office and eight additional satellite offices, gives voters many different pathways to get their issues addressed. “We have more than 500,000 registered voters in the county and we have to be able to service them,” he said.
However, another member of the Board of Commissioners, and the Board of Elections, who is not so hot on the idea is Commissioner Thomas DiBello, who voted against the purchasing and outfitting of the van.
He was on hand as well Wednesday to watch the operation. “I would have preferred more testing of the computers before we roll this out, and would have preferred to do it not in a presidential election year” when more people typically vote.
DiBello said he was unhappy that the van uses WiFi to transfer voter data, saying he preferred a hard-wired connection for such information. “Coming from a computer background, I worry this could be easier to hack,” he said, adding “My job is to ensure election integrity of the system.”
Asked about this issue, Makhija said the signal used by the van is encrypted, and so is safe from interference. “It’s a shame that any elected official would vote against a measure to enfranchise as many voters as possible,” he said.
Those who missed their chance to get their questions answered at the mobile office can call in to a telephone town hall on the subject Thursday, Oct. 17, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Makhija will outline what procedures the county has undertaken “to ensure a safe, secure, and accessible election. Topics anticipated for the discussion include mail-in voting, election integrity, satellite offices and drop boxes, and general election administration.”
Call in to 866-416-5255 to participate and dial *3 to ask a question.
