Registered voters in Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township are preparing to cast their votes on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.
This year’s general election will be for seats at the county, municipal and school district level. Northampton County is electing judges, a district attorney, a controller and council members. Hellertown and Lower Saucon are electing council members. Lower Saucon will have a write-in election for controller. Saucon Valley School District is electing five members to its school board. Six judges are up for retention votes for another 10 year term, including two in Northampton County. Additionally, there is a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot related to the rights of the victims and the accused in criminal proceedings.
The Public Question on the Proposed Constitutional Amendment:
If passed, the public question will make a change to the PA Constitution that increases the rights of victims of crime but decreases the rights of the accused to defend themselves. Voters should research before heading to the ballot box and only vote on this one if they are making an informed vote. The question has been worded in such a way to make it seem like an easy yes vote, but the issue is complex.
Voters will be asked to vote Yes or No to the following:
Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to grant certain rights to crime victims, including to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity; considering their safety in bail proceedings; timely notice and opportunity to take part in public proceedings; reasonable protection from the accused; right to refuse discovery requests made by the accused; restitution and return of property; proceedings free from delay; and to be informed of these rights, so they can enforce them?
About a dozen states have passed similar constitutional changes, an initiative being driven by billionaire Henry Nicholas through the foundation Marsy’s Law for All. It’s important to understand that there’s big money behind getting this law passed, so you’ll see lots of ads in support of it and politicians across the board are supporting a yes vote, including our Republican majority legislature and our Democratic governor. However, note that the PA League of Women Voters and the ACLU are opposed to this constitutional change.
Reasons to vote yes:
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This will codify in our constitution the crime victim protections of the PA Crime Victims Act, making it easier for victims and the families of victims to sue if they feel their rights are violated.
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It will expand the rights of victims and their families beyond that provided by the existing law. One of those extensions would require that the family members of victims be notified of legal proceedings of the accused. For example, if the victim of the crime is dead, the family would be notified when the accused is released on bail; something not currently ensured by the PA Crime Victims Act.
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It has bipartisan support from our Republican legislature, our Democratic governor and the PA District Attorneys Association.
Reasons to vote no:
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The law will undermine the legal principles of due process and the presumption of innocence, because it would codify the right of victims to “refuse an interview, deposition, or other discovery request” made by the accused or the accused’s lawyers.
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The PA Crime Victims Act already extends most of these protections to victims of crimes.
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Codifying these protections into the state constitution isn’t necessary to protect the rights of victims of crime and puts it in a place where it is difficult to change if it doesn’t work as intended. PA taxpayers are already bearing the burden of legal costs associated with defending the ballot measure wording and can expect to bear additional legal costs defending the amendment should it pass.
Judge Retention Questions:
These are simply yes/no votes on whether or not to retain these judges. They are all retention for 10-year terms. Retention is won through a simple majority (more yes votes than no votes). Links are provided to Ballotpedia’s page for each, however a simple Internet search prior to entering the ballot box is also a good idea. If voters don’t know enough to make an informed yes or no vote, they can simply abstain from voting on that judge.
Anne E. Lazarus, Judge of the Superior Court of PA
Judy Olson, Judge of the Superior Court of PA
Kevin Brobson, Judge of the Commonwealth Court of PA
Patricia A. McCullough, Judge of the Commonwealth Court of PA
Craig A. Dally, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, 3rd Judicial District, Northampton County
Michael J. Koury, Jr. Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, 3rd Judicial District, Northampton County
Know the ballot and research your candidates.
For this election voters need only to determine if they are in the Borough of Hellertown or in the Township of Lower Saucon. This information is on their voter registration card, or they can use the voter registration verification link below to look it up.
The official sample ballots for Northampton County are available here (IMPORTANT: voters must find their municipality in this 155 page document).
The Borough of Hellertown sample ballots are located on pages 83, 84 and 85 of the PDF. Voters don’t need to know which ward of Hellertown they are in; the candidates and positions are the same across all three.
The Lower Saucon sample ballots are located on pages 95-102 of the PDF. Voters don’t need to know which district of Lower Saucon they are in; the candidates and positions are the same across all eight. (Note that one district of Lower Saucon is the Hellertown district, so don’t confuse this with the Borough of Hellertown, which is a separate municipality and a different ballot.)
For the borough and township councils, voters will see there are positions for 4-year terms and positions for 2-year terms. This unusual situation is the result of mid-term vacancies. In Lower Saucon, Jason Banonis (R) is running for both the 4-year seat and the 2-year seat. If he wins them both he will choose which to accept and township council will appoint a person to the other seat in January.
For elections where voters are able to vote for more than one candidate they should not feel they must vote for the maximum number allowed. For example, if four candidates are running and voters can vote for not more than three, they may strategically choose to vote for only one of the four if they feel strongly about only one candidate. By doing so they are withholding their other two votes from the other candidates, causing them to get fewer votes overall. It’s almost (not quite) like the voter has given all three of their votes to the one candidate. It’s important for voters to research the candidates and only give their vote to the ones they really want to see serve in the office.
Here’s a text version of the sample ballots for Hellertown and Lower Saucon with live links to the candidates’ campaign sites if available and where the race is contested:
Hellertown Borough Voters
Judge of the Superior Court *contested*
(vote for not more than 2 of 4)
Christylee Peck (R)
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas *contested*
(vote for not more than 2 of 3)
John M. Morganelli (D/R)
Abe Kassis (D)
Victor Scomillio (R)
District Attorney *contested*
(vote for 1 of 2)
Terry Houck (D)
Tom Carroll (R)
County Controller *contested*
(vote for 1 of 2)
Tony Bassil (D)
Hayden Phillips (R)
County Council *uncontested*
Kevin Lott
School Director at Large *uncontested*
(vote for not more than 5 of 5)
Susan Baxter (D/R)
Michael Karabin (D/R)
Edward J. Andres (D/R)
Shawn Welch (D/R)
Bryan Eichfeld (D/R)
Council – 4 year term *contested*
(vote for not more than 3 of 4)
Earl Hill (D/R)
Michael McKenna (D)
Philip Weber (D/R)
Andrew Hughes (R)
Council – 2 year term *uncontested*
Matthew S. Marcincin (D/R)
———–
Lower Saucon Township Voters
Judge of the Superior Court *contested*
(vote for not more than 2 of 4)
Christylee Peck (R)
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas *contested*
(vote for not more than 2 of 3)
John M. Morganelli (D/R)
Abe Kassis (D)
Victor Scomillio (R)
District Attorney *contested*
(vote for 1 of 2)
Terry Houck (D)
Tom Carroll (R)
County Controller *contested*
(vote for 1 of 2)
Tony Bassil (D)
Hayden Phillips (R)
County Council *contested*
(vote for 1 of 2)
Luke Verdes (D)
John Cusick (R)
School Director at Large *uncontested*
(vote for not more than 5 of 5)
Susan Baxter (D/R)
Michael Karabin (D/R)
Edward J. Andres (D/R)
Shawn Welch (D/R)
Bryan Eichfeld (D/R)
Council – 4 year term *contested*
(vote for not more than 3 of 6)
Priscilla deLeon (D)
Kristen Stauffer (D)
George J. Gress (D)
Jason Banonis (R)
Sandra Yerger (R)
Donna Louder (R)
Council – 2 year term *contested*
(vote for 1 of 2)
Atom Kallen (D)
Jason Banonis (R)
Controller
No one is running. Write-ins possible.
(D) = Democrat
(R) = Republican
(G) = Green Party
(L) = Libertarian
Before You Head to the Polls
Verify your registration status and locate your polling place.
Voters can easily check their registration status and determine their polling location and districts here: https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/VoterRegistrationStatus.aspx. This information is also printed on the voter registration card.
Voters can only vote at their registered polling place. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. As long as voters are in line by 8 p.m. they will be allowed to vote, even if they get into the voting booth after 8 p.m.
Voters who have voted before at their polling location do not need to show any ID to vote a regular ballot on Election Day. First-time voters are required to show some form of ID, but it does not need to be a photo ID. Common forms of ID such as a driver’s license or student ID are acceptable. A complete list of acceptable forms of ID for first-time voters are:
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Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card
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ID issued by any Commonwealth agency
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ID issued by the U.S. Government
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U.S. Passport
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U.S. Armed Forces ID
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Student ID
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Employee ID
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Confirmation issued by the county Voter Registration Office
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Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth that shows name and address
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Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. government that shows name and address
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Firearm permit
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Current utility bill that shows name and address
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Current bank statement that shows the name and address
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Current paycheck that shows name and address
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Government check that shows name and address
All voters may be asked to show ID at the polls, however, they cannot be stopped from voting a regular ballot if they do not provide a valid ID.
The friendly poll workers and election volunteers at the polling location are the first folks who can help if a voter is having trouble voting or is confused about their registration status. Voters who are turned away because they are not showing as registered, when they believe they are, should ask for a provisional ballot at the polling location. Our local election official for Northampton County is Dee Rumsey, 610-829-6260 or election@northamptoncounty.org. Voters who believe their right to vote has been violated can contact the Election Protection Hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) or the Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline (800-253-3931).
Finding time and making your plan to VOTE
The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Put Election Day on your calendar so you’ll have a reminder. Decide when on Election Day is the best time to go vote: morning, lunchtime or afternoon/evening? Babies and children are allowed into the voting booth with you, so bring them along!
Don’t let information about challenges (long wait times or being turned away) listed above or on the news scare you away. Know that 99.9 percent of the time voters walk in, sign their name, walk into a voting booth and are out of there in less than five minutes. In Hellertown and Lower Saucon there is not likely to be a long line at your polling location, no matter what time you go.
All of the polling locations in Hellertown and Lower Saucon have free parking, sometimes on the street. Many nonprofit organizations and local political party offices provide rides to the polls, so don’t let the lack of a ride be the reason you don’t vote.
In Pennsylvania there is no law requiring employers to offer time off to vote, but many employers in the Lehigh Valley have time-off to vote policies. Voters should talk to their employer if they need to modify their work schedule in order to vote.
Your vote matters!
In the past Hellertown and Lower Saucon have suffered from a lack of choice in local elections. But times have changed and this election is as important as any other, with several contested races for positions that have the greatest impact on our daily lives. Be a voter, but better yet, be an informed voter.