Montco ‘pandemic primary’ presents challenges

NORRISTOWN » It’s been dubbed the “pandemic primary” by Montgomery County officials and the road to Tuesday’s primary election had twists and turns that included nervous poll workers, consolidating polling places, a surge in vote-by-mail requests, mailin ballot snafus and political sparring.

“This is a pandemic election plan and in many ways, it is incongruent that we are going to have an in-person election on June 2 while we are still under stay-athome (orders) until June 4. But we are obligated to do so…I call this the ‘pandemic primary,’ and that’s what it is, but we are committed to the security of your votes however you choose to cast your vote,” county Commissioner Kenneth E. Lawrence

Jr. said recently, adding officials are working hard to ensure the safest possible election for voters.

“I think in some ways it was a perfect storm. This is the first election where there is widespread mailin voting. There has been a tremendous upsurge but we are focused and remain focused on making sure people get their ballots and creating opportunities for them to get those ballots back in,” Lawrence, who is also chairman of the Board of Elections, added on Friday.

During the primary election, voters will nominate party candidates to run in

November’s general election when the U.S. presidency is up for grabs. Presidential primary elections generally are more popular than municipal primary elections, held in odd-numbered years, and typically produce large voter turnout. During the 2016 primary, 44.2 percent of eligible county voters cast ballots.

Statewide, a high-profile primary contest includes the Democratic nomination battle for state auditor general that has six candidates — Nina Ahmad, H. Scott Conklin, Rose Marie Davis, Michael Lamb, Tracie Fountain and Christina Hartman — vying for the November ballot slot.

Locally, the decision by Republican state Rep. Marcy Toepel not to seek another term representing the 147th House District has resulted in a primary contest that has Annamarie Scannapieco, a registered