Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
RALLIERS: EVERY VOTE SHOULD COUNT
WEST CHESTER » About 125 citizens voiced rowdy cheers of “count every vote,” between speakers, during Wednesday afternoon’s “Protect the Results Rally,” at the Historic Chester County Courthouse.
The rally occurred less than 12 hours after an early morning plea by President Donald Trump to halt vote counting for the Nov. 3 presidential election and thus throw the election into the hands of the U. S. Supreme Court.
Minutes after the rally ended, former Vice President Joe Biden addressed the nation and said there would be no blue or red states in an administration led by him and he would represent all Americans equally.
The rally was one of several similar ones held in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and across the nation. Downingtown Mayor Phil Dague, who is also chair of INDIVISIBLE Chester County, helped organize the event, along with representatives from Food and Water Watch- Pennsylvania and Way Forward of Chester County.
The Dague mayor said he sought fairness.
“This is, or at least it should be, a non- partisan issue,” Dague said. “I expect a fair counting of the other side’s votes, too.
“It’s one of the founding principles of our country. Give
us a fair election, followed by a fair and thorough counting, and I will accept the results, whether they go my way or not.”
State Rep. Carolyn Comitta, D- 156th, of West Chester ran Tuesday for state senator in the 19th District. Tuesday night she spoke at a press conference outside the Government Services Building as poll workers physically delivered the votes.
“We will not allow anyone to steal our election,” Comitta said, Wednesday. “We are counting every vote. “Every vote counts.” West Chester Mayor Dianne Herrin ran Tuesday to fi ll Comitta’s seat in the House and said the counting process is reliable and fair.
“We cannot stay silent about things that matter,” she said. “We will wait until every single vote is counted and we will stay vigilant … so the voters will decide.”
The Rev. Dan Schatz, from the Unitarian Congregation of West Chester, wondered if holding the rally was odd.
“And can we just acknowledge for a moment that it is ridiculous that we have to hold a rally for this?” he asked. “Elections aren’t over until the votes are counted.”
The reverend said that everyone’s vote should be counted.
“It means the people who voted my way and the
people who voted the other way,” he said. “It means every single vote.
“This should not be complicated.”
State Rep. Dan Williams, D- 74th, of Sadsbury said that no one should give up.
“This is not the time to quit,” he said. “This is the time to push.
“It’s not over, baby, we’re just getting started.”
State Rep. Danielle Friel
Otten, D- 155th , of Uwchlan said Chester County’s voters, according to a national newspaper, would take a major role to decide the next president.
“The waiting is the hardest,” Friel Otten said.
County Commissioner Josh Maxwell agreed.
“Right now the whole world is watching Chester County,” Maxwell said. “Chester County is not going
to stop the vote until we get an accurate and effi cient count.
“We know what the values of Chester County are right now.”
Coatesville City Councilwoman Nydea Graves said that democracy is not a spectator sport.
“Democracy is our birthright as Americans,” she said. “And we need every single vote to be counted.”