October 22, 2020 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Announcements, Politics & Elections
“#298” by Kelley Minars, via Flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Take Action Mon Valley is one of several groups that is offering free transportation to polling places on Election Day.
A spokeswoman said the non-profit group will provide Allegheny County voters in McKeesport, Duquesne, Clairton, Braddock, Rankin, West Mifflin and nearby communities with free rides via Lyft, Uber or in a volunteer’s vehicle.
That includes transportation Sunday (Oct. 25) to the county’s satellite polling place at CCAC South Campus in West Mifflin, where absentee and vote-by-mail ballots may be deposited in person, or to the polls on Nov. 3.
To request a ride in from TAMV, call or text (412) 440-8268.
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October 21, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Politics & Elections
Allegheny County elections officials are reminding voters who plan to use an absentee or “vote-by-mail” ballot that they must put their ballot into a secrecy envelope and sign the voter’s declaration before mailing or depositing it. Sample envelopes are shown. (Allegheny County photos)
Over the past two weekends, nearly 27,000 absentee ballots have been returned in-person at temporary Allegheny County elections offices, a county spokeswoman said.
Last weekend, 12,675 ballots were returned at five locations, including CCAC South Campus in West Mifflin, where 1,950 ballots were returned during the two-day period, said Amie Downs, county spokeswoman.
During the weekend of Oct. 10 and 11, approximately 13,950 ballots were returned to five temporary elections offices, Downs said.
Although Pennsylvania does not allow early in-person voting, absentee or “vote-by-mail” ballots may be returned by voters, in-person, to a county election office.
Allegheny County is opening temporary, satellite elections offices at locations throughout the Pittsburgh area to accommodate voters who do not want to wait in lines on Nov. 3 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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September 21, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, Politics & Elections
(Tube City Almanac file photo)
Allegheny County will open additional elections offices in October so that voters who want to return paper ballots in person may do so safely.
Although the county plans to have more than 1,300 polling places open for the Nov. 3 election, officials expect heavier than usual use of vote-by-mail and absentee ballots due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county board of elections last week unanimously approved a proposal in which the Elections Division will open additional offices on specific dates and times.
Each office will provide opportunity for voters to provide over-the-counter voting, and the return of voted ballots to a fully-staffed, secure office, a county spokeswoman said.
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August 26, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Politics & Elections
Editor’s Note: Clarified to note that Pennsylvania puts no monetary limits on gifts. There are other restrictions.
State Sen. Jim Brewster of McKeesport, shown with Braddock Mayor Chardaé Jones and representatives of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission during a recent tour of the Monongahela River, has introduced legislation to ban gifts from lobbyists to Pennsylvania lawmakers. (Submitted photo)
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has lent his support to an effort by a McKeesport lawmaker to block gifts from lobbyists to state lawmakers.
During a press conference Tuesday near Harrisburg, Wolf introduced his fall legislative agenda, asking the state house and senate to take up several proposals this fall, including additional aid for workers who lost jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and for businesses forced to close or restrict operations.
Wolf also endorsed a proposal introduced by state Sen. Jim Brewster that would ban gifts from special interests to legislators.
Pennsylvania is one of only 10 states that puts no monetary cap on gifts to members of the state house and senate, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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May 28, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Politics & Elections
(Tube City Almanac photo)
Nearly 87,000 voters in Allegheny County have already returned their absentee ballots in advance of the June 2 primary election, a spokeswoman said this week.
Tuesday was the last day for voters to request a mail-in ballot for the primary, where voters in the Republican and Democratic parties will be selecting their nominees for President, representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and in many districts, the Pennsylvania Senate.
State and county officials have been encouraging voters to cast absentee ballots when possible because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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May 26, 2020 |
By Kevin Kino | Posted in: Politics & Elections
Political newcomer Paul Eagle is running a write-in campaign for the 38th Legislative District seat currently held by state Rep. Bill Kortz.
Eagle was born and raised in Dravosburg, where he also currently resides. He took criminal justice courses at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is a graduate of Community College of Allegheny County.
He currently serves as a Port Vue police officer and as police/resource officer in the West Mifflin Area School District, as well as constable for Dravosburg Borough.
Eagle is interested in running for office because he feels not enough gets done due to party divisions.
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May 25, 2020 |
By Kevin Kino | Posted in: Politics & Elections
With state Rep. Bill Kortz announcing his retirement after 14 years, residents of the 38th Legislative District will be selecting his replacement.
Nick Pisciottano is currently seeking the Democratic nomination in the district, which includes Baldwin, Dravosburg, Glassport, Liberty, Pleasant Hills, Port Vue, South Park Twp., West Mifflin and Whitehall.
Pisciottano is a fourth-generation West Mifflin resident with deep roots in the community.
“I have grandparents, and great-grandparents that have been involved in local politics, local volunteer clubs, school teachers, things like that, for generations,” he says.
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May 18, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Politics & Elections
Allegheny County voters who want to participate in the June 2 primary election — and who want to cast their ballot in person, rather than by mail — may need to go to a different polling location than usual.
Most communities in the county will have only one polling location open due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In McKeesport, all city voters who intend to cast a ballot in person will vote at the Public Safety Building (old Municipal Building) at the corner of Lysle Boulevard and Market Street. A list of Mon-Yough area polling locations follows this story.
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April 18, 2020 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Politics & Elections
(Allegheny County illustration)
All Allegheny County voters will have the option of casting a ballot by mail in the June 2 primary election.
County officials on Friday announced that all registered voters will receive an application for a mail-in ballot, as well as a postage-paid envelope. Registered voters also may apply for a mail-in ballot online at alleghenyvotes.com, if they have not already requested an absentee ballot.
A spokeswoman said the county is having difficulty finding enough workers to staff polling stations because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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April 08, 2020 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Duquesne News, McKeesport and Region News, Politics & Elections
Duquesne’s Nickole Nesby and Braddock’s Chardae Jones joined more than 30 other mayors of cities and boroughs across Pennsylvania to ask the federal government to increase production of medical supplies and coordinate distribution to communities.
In a letter signed by 113 municipal leaders from across the United States and released Monday, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group called on the federal government to do a better job of coordinating response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s time for leaders in Washington to have our back,” said John Henry, mayor of West View, north of Pittsburgh. “The federal government must do its job coordinating national disaster response to get us the masks and ventilators we need to save lives. Every minute counts.”
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