Westmoreland County must continue its commitment to ensure that voters can vote safely and securely. The 2020 election showed us that dropboxes, six of which were placed throughout the county, are a safe and secure way for voters to submit their mail-in ballots.
Nationally, changes made to improve voter access helped to increase voter participation to more than 60%, a substantial increase but still lower than many other countries. Countries such as Sweden, Japan, Germany and others range in the 70%-90% range, while prior to 2016 we ranked with Slovenia, Estonia and Latvia at just over 55%. We should all work to increase our voter turnout.
In Westmoreland County, our covid case numbers continue to be high, and mail-in voting remains a safe way to cast our ballots. Importantly, it also provides greater access to those who live in rural communities or who would have difficulty driving to the courthouse. Dropboxes also provide timely delivery of ballots, rather than relying on our now-uncertain U.S. Postal Service.
I encourage support for multiple dropboxes to assist those with transportation issues and to ensure that all citizens who wish to vote are able to do so safely.
Suzanne Wilcox English
Hempfield