Letter to the editor: Timid state legislators

It should be clear to most that this election seems fitting for a banana republic, not a real one. To add insult to injury, Pennsylvania has been singled out as one of the states whose voting regulations, or lack thereof, has reinforced this situation.

I believe Gov. Tom Wolf and his secretary of State used the coronavirus as an excuse to liberalize our voting to give Joe Biden a distinct advantage in this election. I also think our Legislature should have pushed back more against such radical changes in the way we vote.

To add insult to injury, there seems to be quite a bit of evidence that poll watchers were not given proper access, and many IDs were not verified for mail-in ballots, as necessitated by law. That the democratically controlled Pennsylvania Supreme Court would not rule against its governor is not surprising.

Hans von Spakovsky, a former member of the Federal Elections Commission and expert on voting rights and election law, said in an interview that changing voting regulations in many states was like coaches going up to referees in the middle of the Super Bowl and saying, “We need to change the rules of the game.” These are only some of the issues lawmakers should be addressing.

Many of us believe Philadelphia and Allegheny counties’ shenanigans have robbed Western Pennsylvania of a vote; these changes simply cement that eventuality. All Pennsylvanians should want free and fair elections.

Michael Contes

New Kensington