Allowing drop boxes around Westmoreland County is not merely a matter of removing physical barriers. It requires holistic strategies: democratizing the election process, simplifying barriers of the disabled, working and the elderly, fostering public engagement and increasing voter turnout on both sides and ensuring accountability and public trust. By implementing drop boxes, the county can better serve all citizens, strengthen trust and the integrity of elections, and uphold the principle that access to voting is a fundamental human right.
Despite the political controversy that county Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew seem to fall in party lines with, documented cases of ballots being compromised are exceedingly rare. In multiple states, secure drop boxes have been used for years without partisan bias outcomes.
The use of drop boxes would increase efficiency that would strengthen confidence in the election process, despite the weaponization of election integrity by the Republican Party. The placing of drop boxes reduces clutter at polling places and minimizes the reliance on the unreliable mail services. Drop boxes can be implemented safely by adopting cost-effective security measures, and the placing of them countywide can positively resonate across party lines.
Kertes and Chew have to be accountable to all of their constituents, not just the Republican Party. We all appreciate their dedication to serving our community, and we all share the same goal: making our county a safe and thriving community for every resident. However, when decisions are being made based on party lines rather than community needs, they risk overlooking the very people they were elected to serve.
Bridget Sluka-Noel
New Stanton