Name: Elections officials from Lehigh County, elsewhere tell lawmakers of problems with Pennsylvania’s aging electronic voter system
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Elections officials from Lehigh County, elsewhere tell lawmakers of problems with Pennsylvania’s aging electronic voter system

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AdvertisementBy The Morning CallJan 28, 2021 at 6:32 pmHARRISBURG — The electronic backbone of Pennsylvania’s election system — the software that holds every voter’s registration data and election participation — is being replaced, to the “rejoicing” of elections officials statewide. Lehigh County Election Board Chief Clerk Timothy Benyo used that word Thursday during a hearing as he and others spoke on the pending replacement of the State Uniform Registry of Electors system.AdvertisementThe replacement plan started long before the partisan chaos of the presidential election. Snyder County Commissioner Joseph Kantz — with agreement from Benyo — ticked off a laundry list of complaints about the current system, which is nearly 20 years old. They include inadvertent sending of printouts to other counties, misplaced “batches” of voter applications in the system, and system downtime.“Focusing on the future, the Department of State is moving forward with a replacement system and all 67 counties are rejoicing with that announcement,” Benyo said.AdvertisementA company whose name was not given during the hearing has been selected to provide the new system that will host the so-called SURE database. A department spokesperson was not available to answer questions.“We are on a timeline that would actually deliver this before the primary of next year,” Department of State Deputy Secretary Jonathan Marks testified.Marks said counties would help customize the new SURE system over the next 12 months. Lebanon County Director of Elections Michael Anderson said the target implementation date is February 2022.In written testimony, Kantz identified a series of issues Snyder and Northumberland counties had with the current system:Besides the SURE system, there was a lot of talk about about the need for uniform, formal training of county election directors.Benyo said there is no formal training required by the Department of State, and trade meetings where directors typically pick up guidance have been canceled because of COVID-19.Republican Rep. Clint Owlett of Tioga County said about 25 county election directors have left their jobs recently. Training will be crucial, he said, especially if the state is acquiring a new system as it continues to work on the current one.DailyGet top headlines from The Morning Call delivered weekday afternoons. &gt; The hearing was the second of 14 scheduled by the House State Government Committee as Republicans lead what they have called a “deep dive” into how Pennsylvania elections work and how they may be improved.AdvertisementRepublican Committee Chairperson Rep. Seth Grove of York County pointed out that the law that lays out the election process dates to 1937.Democrats have been openly skeptical about the need for the hearings.On Thursday, Democratic Chairperson Margo Davidson of Philadelphia said the session once again proved that Pennsylvania had a fair and uniform election in November. Any law that comes out of the series of hearings, she said, should be implemented only after election officials have time to become familiar with it.Grove said, “We are not hear to relitigate, we are here to find issues.”And, Grove said, Marks and the county officials, including Benyo, helped identify some.Morning Call Capitol correspondent Ford Turner can be reached at . Advertisement

AdvertisementBy The Morning CallJan 28, 2021 at 6:32 pmHARRISBURG — The electronic backbone of Pennsylvania’s election system — the software that holds every voter’s registration data and election participation — is being replaced, to the “rejoicing” of elections officials statewide. Lehigh County Election Board Chief Clerk Timothy Benyo used that word Thursday during a hearing as he and others spoke on the pending replacement of the State Uniform Registry of Electors system.AdvertisementThe replacement plan started long before the partisan chaos of the presidential election. Snyder County...

Elections officials from Lehigh County, elsewhere tell lawmakers of problems with Pennsylvania’s aging electronic voter system

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