Voters must register for special election

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Monongahela Valley residents who aren’t registered to vote but want to choose a replacement for Marc Gergely in the 35th state House District must register soon.

To participate in the Jan. 23 special election, voters must register — or change their name, address or party affiliation — by Tuesday, Dec. 26, Allegheny County elections officials said Friday.

Residents can use the state’s registration website at www.votespa.com, or register in person between 8:30 and 4:30 p.m. in Room 609 of the County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., Downtown. Mail-in registration forms are available at government offices, post offices and other agencies. Completed forms must be postmarked by Dec. 26.

To be eligible to vote in the special election, residents must have been U.S. citizens and district residents for at least 30 days prior to the election. Questions about registration status may be addressed by calling the county’s Elections Division at 412-350-4510 or visiting www.alleghenycounty.us/elections.

The 35th District includes Clairton, Duquesne, Lincoln, McKeesport, Munhall, South Versailles, Whitaker, White Oak and portions of West Mifflin. The special election pits Democrat Austin Davis against Republican Fawn WalkerMontgomery. The winner will complete Gergely’s term, which runs through 2018.

Gergely, a Democrat from White Oak, resigned after he was linked through wiretapped phone conversations to a video gambling ring that once operated in the Mon Valley. He was sentenced Monday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court to 18 months of house arrest.

The ex-lawmaker pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy involving gambling devices and violating the state’s election law regarding cash contributions. Judge Edward J. Borkowski presided over the case and tacked on three years of probation to the sentence.