MERCURY ELECTION NEWS
2 seek GOP nod in 147th House Dist. primary race
The decision by Republican state Rep. Marcy Toepel not to seek another term representing the 147th House District has resulted in a primary election contest on June 2.
Annamarie Scannapieco, a registered nurse from New Hanover, and Tracy Pennycuick, a retired military helicopter pilot from Lower Salford, are both seeking the Republican nomination.
The winner of the primary election will face Democrat Jill Dennin, a Boyertown School Board member who is unopposed in the primary.
Neither Scannapieco, 55, nor Pennycuick, 54, has held elected office before, although Scannapieco did run for Montgomery County Coroner last year.
Montgomery County adds 5 ballot drop-off boxes for Tuesday election
NORRISTOWN — Montgomery County voters have five additional secure ballot collection boxes — located in Lower Merion, Lower Providence, Whitemarsh, Upper Dublin and Cheltenham townships — in which to deposit their mail-in ballots during Tuesday’s primary election.
The county commissioners, acting as the Board of Elections, voted 2-1 on Monday to place ballot collection boxes in those five municipalities, bringing the total number of collection boxes to 10 countywide.
Chester County announces additional secure drop-off locations for mail-in, absentee ballots
WEST CHESTER — The Chester County Board of Elections approved the addition of five secure drop-off locations for mail-in and absentee ballots for the June 2 primary election.
These additional sites have been created to accommodate voters who are concerned that their mail-in ballot may be returned too late by the postal service to be counted.
The five new drop-off locations are added to the drop-off location already established at the Chester County Government Services Center in West Chester. Each drop-off location contains a locked, tamper-proof drop box which is guarded and will not be left unattended at any time.
IMPORTANT DATES
TUESDAY, June 2
Primary election day. Mail-in ballots due.
Montgomery County 'pandemic primary' presents challenges
NORRISTOWN — It’s been dubbed the “pandemic primary” by Montgomery County officials and the road to Tuesday’s primary election had twists and turns that included nervous poll workers, consolidating polling places, a surge in vote-by-mail requests, mail-in ballot snafus and political sparring.
“This is a pandemic election plan and in many ways, it is incongruent that we are going to have an in-person election on June 2 while we are still under stay-at-home (orders) until June 4. But we are obligated to do so…I call this the ‘pandemic primary,’ and that’s what it is, but we are committed to the security of your votes however you choose to cast your vote,” county Commissioner Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said recently, adding officials are working hard to ensure the safest possible election for voters.
Howard, Kerslake vie for Democratic nod in 167th House District primary races
In the 167th state House District, two women are vying to win the Democratic primary nomination on June 2 — incumbent state Rep. Kristine Howard of Malvern, and challenger Ginny Kerslake, a West Whiteland resident.
The 167th House District spans the municipalities of Malvern, Charlestown, West Pikeland, West Whiteland, Willistown, East Whiteland and Easttown.
Howard won the House seat in 2018 after defeating six-term Republican incumbent Rep. Duane Milne, a race she described as won “on a $15,000 budget supplemented by 14,000 doors knocked.”
Howard raised seven children in Malvern and said she’s been “a politically engaged person for more that 12 years with Democratic candidates and the local Democratic Committee.”
Three seek Democratic nod in 19th Senate District
Campaigning for elective office, especially one in which the candidate is not an incumbent, always presents challenges. But running in an election held in the middle of a nearly unprecedented pandemic, where voters are quarantined behind closed doors and the phrase of the moment is “social distancing,” is one for the books.
Just ask the three candidates seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for the 19th state Senate District seat in Chester County — Tredyffrin-Easttown School Board member Kyle Boyer, state Rep. Carolyn Comitta, and Senate staff member Don Vymazal — all of whom have campaign experience, but not like this.
Four seek GOP nod in 131st House Dist. race
Four candidates are running in the June 2 primary for the Republican line in the November election for the 131st House seat in the Pennsylvania Legislature.
The candidates are Milou Mackenzie of Northhampton County, Nathan Brown and Joe Ellenberger of Lehigh County and Vicki Lightcap of Montgomery County.
Mackenzie is the mother of state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-134th Dist.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Kevin Branco of Lehigh County who is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
The 131st district seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Justin J. Simmons, who has represented the district since 2011 and is not seeking reelection.