Westmoreland won't send mail-in ballot applications unless voters request them

Westmoreland County voters won’t automatically get applications for mail-in ballots ahead of the June 2 primary.

County commissioners said Monday they opted against a mass mailing based on county’s tenuous financial condition and a reluctance to recommend to voters how they should cast ballots this spring.

“At this point, we will follow the procedure we’ve had all along unless our elections director or the state gives us other directions,” Commissioners’ Chairman Sean Kertes said.

State lawmakers last year approved a program that allows voters to cast ballots through the mail for any reason. Previously, voters could only submit absentee ballots by mail if there were out of town on election day. Voters who remained in town were required to cast ballots at the polls.

The mail-in ballot program has been popular throughout Pennsylvania this spring as more and more voters have opted against traveling out in public amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced last week that mail-in ballot applications would be sent out to all registered voters — more than 770,000 — who are eligible to participate in that county’s elections. Fitzgerald also called on Gov. Tom Wolf to order the primary be conducted entirely by mail, a request that so far has gone unanswered.

State officials last week reported that nearly 500,000 Pennsylvania voters applied for mail-in ballots for the primary, which, because of the coronavirus pandemic, was moved from April 28 to June 2.

In Westmoreland County, Elections Bureau Director Beth Lechman said, through Monday, more than 14,000 mail-in ballots were requested.

Pennsylvania residents are currently under a state-at-home order issued by the governor last month to mitigate the pandemic’s impact and it is unclear just when that restriction will be lifted. Wolf announced Monday he will begin the process of reopening some businesses and other functions starting May 8.

Applications for mail-in ballots must be submitted by May 26.

Kertes, along with Commissioners Doug Chew and Gina Cerilli said they favored allowing residents to travel out to the polls if they are able.

“Of course, we expect mail in ballots to be very popular,” Cerilli said.

Chew said the county’s coronavirus response plan, including paying about $700,000 in overtime to hundreds of county employees last month, already has affected the county’s financial outlook.

“Until we see how the covid-19 pandemic is going to affect our 2020 finances, I think it’s best to not modify the current process,” Chew said.

Kertes said commissioners should not dictate how residents can vote.

“People are getting very frustrated about government telling them what to do. That’s why we’re giving them a choice in Westmoreland County.”