Editorial

A fine point: pens & people

by Ruth Isenberg

The write-in vote recount this week in Lehigh Township brings to light two issues relating to the election system, one specifically in Carbon County, and one in general.

The issue specific to Carbon County is the failure of the scanners at polling places to read ballots filled out with pen, rather than marker. In order to fit full names on the ballots, Lehigh Township voters were given pens. The county election bureau didn’t count any of the write-ins, because markers are supposed to be used.

Someone should have told the workers. And fine point markers should be provided by the election bureau to every polling place, with instructions that only those markers should be used.

The problem was not unique to Lehigh Township. This writer’s ballot was not counted, after my initial try bled through the back of the ballot, and election officials gave me a pen to use. I know the ballot wasn’t counted, because I wrote in names for the school board race that did not show up when the official count was released. (It didn’t matter, as enough people were successfully written in to fill the November ballot without my help.)

But that leads to the second issue. There were far too many open seats on school boards, councils and boards of supervisors that no one filed to fill. It may have been a lack of awareness that these positions were coming vacant. It may have been simply a matter of missing deadlines for filing. Or, more troubling, it may reflect an unwillingness by many people to step up and fill these positions.

Those who seek local public office are often met with criticism, rather than thanks. But without candidates, our local governments will stop operating to benefit our communities. Sincere appreciation to all those who are willing to put themselves out there to run and to serve.