'Unprecedented' number of absentee ballots in Montgomery County (PA)

[BumRushDaShow]

This is a rim county of Philadelphia and is the 3rd largest county in terms of population behind Philadelphia and Allegheny County (that includes Pittsburgh). It is one of the key "suburban" counties that candidates target. PA does not have "early voting" but those who fit the criteria can vote absentee and apparently more people are doing so rather than blow it off if they will not be around to vote in-person -

NORRISTOWN >> During an election when Montgomery County has received an “unprecedented” number of absentee ballot applications, those wanting the ballots have to wait a bit longer than in previous years.

“We’ve been getting a lot of calls from people in the county wondering where their absentee ballot is, and I want everyone to be rest assured that their applications are being put into the system and processed,” said Commissioner Val Arkoosh, chairwoman of the Election Board.

According to Arkoosh, the reason that absentee ballots are arriving on a later schedule this year is because there were some questions on the wording of a ballot question. In the spring, the county had to act quickly to comply with two last-minute ballot changes.

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Voter Services is expecting to receive 30,000 absentee ballot requests this year, an increase from the last presidential election. In 2012, the county issued 25,462 absentee ballots. Of those, 20,970 were filled out and returned.

http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2016/10/22/colonial_news/news/doc580935e3320bb544637783.txt

Val Arkoosh is a Democrat (a result of the county having gone more blue with the last County Commissioner election, thus giving Democrats control of the governance).

I originally heard the below on the radio this morning, which alerted me to what was going on there -

Waiting For Your Absentee Ballot In Montgomery County? You’re Not Alone
October 22, 2016 10:00 PM By Jim Melwert

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) — If you’ve requested an absentee ballot in Montgomery County and haven’t gotten it yet, you’re not alone. But county officials say they’re working on it.

Montgomery County Board of Elections Chairwoman Val Arkoosh says just last week they processed 17,000 absentee ballot requests.

“So people are working very, very hard,” Arkoosh said. “It’s a very high volume, an unprecedented high volume situation.”

She says they estimate they’ll process 30,000 by the November 1 deadline, about 5,000 more than in 2012.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2016/10/22/absentee-ballot-montgomery-county/

One of my sisters lives in Montco and said that her whole street is filled with Clinton/Kaine signs (including the front of her door). I know driving home from work Friday, my own neighborhood (including the wealthier sections) had the Clinton/Kaine signs up and running!

[MH1]

1. For those in PA - about that ballot question - the deceptive wording was allowed to stand.

This article sums it up:

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/editorials/20161011_DN_editorial__Vote__No__on_question_to_change_judges__retirement_age.html

[Freddie]

2. Thank you

I will throw the straight "D" and vote "no" on this question.
I'm in Upper Bucks and finally starting to see a lot of Hillary signs here! I'm the first sign (of either) in my development.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Thanks for clarification on that question!

[Cha]

3. Great News, BRDS!

Thank you! My sister and her daughter voted on the 20th for Hillary in North Carolina. Where they just moved to from New York.