Dems continue complaints about picks for elections board

The two Democratic Delaware County councilmen criticized the inclusion of Joseph P. Possenti Jr. to the county’s Board of Elections, as they claim he isn’t Democrat enough to serve.

According to the county’s Home Rule Charter, two of the three seats on the Board of Elections are allocated for the party with the largest vote total for county council in the most recent election. This fall, that was the Democrats, with the election of councilmen Kevin Madden and Brian Zidek.

At a February county council meeting, Madden and Zidek pointed to Gerald Lawrence, a longtime election board member, and Trisha Hall or Elaine Schaefer as the selections of county Democratic Party Chairman David Landau.

Councilman Michael Culp, a Republican, nominated Possenti, a former Aston commissioner and Republican municipal chairman who switched his party registration to Democrat almost a decade ago.

At the February council meeting, there was some friction among the Republicans and the Democrats as to what was the appropriate way to proceed with the nominations as Madden and Zidek advocated for the individuals selected by Landau. Council Chairman John McBlain, a Republican, said he saw the assertion that he was obligated to vote whomever the county Democratic chairman wanted as an attack on the rule of law.

On Friday, the Elections Board reorganized.

“The Delaware County Home Rule Charter is clear that the Board of Elections should be comprised of two individuals representing the Democratic Party and one individual representing the Republican Party,” Zidek said. “(O)ur Republican colleagues on council subverted the will of the people by appointing a Democrat-in-registrationonly and former Aston Republican municipal chair chosen by the Delco GOP to the board.”

In addition, Madden criticized the appointment of Republican Carmen Belefonte as the board’s chair.

“It is outrageous that in addition to the power grab of county council Republicans appointing a registered Democrat of their choice to represent the Democratic Party on the Delaware County Election Board, the board will be chaired by the only Republican member,” Madden said.

Possenti himself said he wanted to focus on his responsibilities as a member of the Board of Elections.

“I do not intend to get in a war of words with (Councilmen) Zidek ... and/or Madden,” he said. “I am a registered Democrat but as a member of the Election Board, my job is not to carry out tasks assigned by a particular party, Democrat or Republican.

“My job as an Election Board Member is to make sure that our elections in Delaware County are administered fairly and lawfully for the benefit of all of the voters whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents,” Possenti continued. “That is my job and that is what I will do.”

He said he spoke to Belefonte and Lawrence since he was new to the board.

“I am excited to work with them,” Possenti said. “Neither of them asked anything of me and welcomed me to the board. I also met with the county’s Election (Bureau) Department Heads and staff, who were very competent in instructing me on the process and what I may face as a board member.”

He said his nomination of Belefonte as board chairman had nothing to do with partisan politics.

“He has been chairman for many years with many different members and I believe the board has functioned quite well,” Possenti said. “It was as simple as that.”

He said he was enthusiastic about working with both Belefonte and Lawrence.

“I look forward to assisting my colleagues on the board and will bring an objective, non-partisan view to any decision I will make during my term,” Possenti said.

Madden said this reorganization went against the will of the people.

“The voters of Delaware County spoke – loudly – in 2017, and they want real change in county government,” he said. “This cynical move by the Delco GOP represents more of the same.”