It’s October 1: do you know where your ballot is? In this annual election summary blog post, we will look at Pennsylvania-wide judicial races and Allegheny County government races, with a nod to the importance of local elections too. Elections in “off-years” are sparsely attended but critical for multiple reasons. If you can vote, please educate yourself and exercise your civic duty.
Last month I had the pleasure of attending a drag brunch at a local brewery. The event received some backlash from the local community, which created a lot of media buzz. While the threats ultimately amounted to nothing, that is not always the case. While opposition to the LGBTQ community seems to be on the rise, our actions can play a big role in combating bigotry.
Odd-numbered years mean judicial elections in Pennsylvania, and those are far more critical than most people realize. Our courts determine how our laws are interpreted, and we the voters decide who gets to be on the bench. In other news, Allegheny County residents who are registered democrat will likely be picking our next Chief Executive from a wide field of candidates.
Although the public has no direct control over who lands in the Supreme Court, we do have direct control over who is tasked with writing the laws the Supreme Court will interpret. With a conservative supermajority on the bench evaluating laws that govern abortion, discrimination, and elections, it is incumbent upon us – the voters – to understand what’s at stake when we elect our legislators.
In this post we turn our eyes away from Pennsylvania and toward the federal government. There are 18 important races happening across our state this fall for seats in the US congress, though the one for our senate seat is getting all the attention nationwide. Here’s what you need to know going into the booth to decide who will represent us in Washington DC.
The top seat in Pennsylvania’s government is up for grabs as Tom Wolf reaches the end of his second term. In this post, we take a look at the responsibilities of our governor, as well as some authority that the legislature removed with constitutional amendments last year. Those amendments will likely be impacting the Lieutenant Governor’s role too, in one way or another.
Election season is upon us once again. With five (or fewer) weeks to get ready, I’m sharing my latest research on this year’s general election in Pennsylvania, which boasts candidates of five parties. Not being a fan of parties myself (or the bias they can inflict on voters), I still thought it beneficial to review the general platforms for these groups. (Election spreadsheet included!)
The Pennsylvania primary election will take place on May 17, 2022. There will be several important races for seats in Congress, the PA Governor’s Office, and the PA General Assembly. Midterm elections will be contentious this year, and this primary election will help ensure that reasonable candidates are on the ballot this fall. Or not. It all depends on who gets involved now.
Fall is officially here, meaning Election Day approaches. This year on the ballot we’ve all got local and statewide judicial races, and you probably have some decisions to make for your municipality and school board as well. Local elections receive far less attention, but getting involved now may be even more crucial than voting in our big, national elections.
Voters across PA will soon be selecting judges for several court seats, including their Courts of Common Pleas. There is very little visibility into the workings of the court system, making it exceptionally hard to make an educated decision. Fortunately, some of my friends are attorneys who work in the county court system and helped me understand what to look for in a good candidate.