Gale replaced on election board due to run for governor

Montco judge appointed to fill vacancy

The Montgomery County Board of Elections reorganized its leadership on Thursday.

Montgomery County Commissioner and Former Election Board Vice Chairman Joe Gale could be seen leaving the podium directly following Thursday morning’s salary board and Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Gale is a Republican gubernatorial candidate on the ballot for the 2022 election season. Election Board Chairman Ken Lawrence Jr. addressed Gale’s change in position at the top of the election board meeting.

“Commissioner Gale will not be serving on the election board due to (his) candidacy,” Lawrence said.

Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kelly Wall was appointed to fill the board’s newly vacant seat.

The solidified election board then voted Montgomery County Board of Commissioners’ Chairwoman Val Arkoosh to serve as vice chairwoman.

In other business, the election board members voted unanimously to relocate 10 polling places ahead of the May 17 primary election.

The affected polling places are located in Abington, Cheltenham, Lower Gwynedd, Lower Merion, Upper Merion, and Upper Moreland townships, according to Dori Sawyer, director of elections for the Montgomery County Office of Voter Services.

Upper Moreland Township

resident Charles Serino, who has served as a judge of elections for Upper Moreland 6-1 and 6-2 precincts for the past 20 years, expressed his concerns with the relocation from Upper Moreland Senior High School to the nearby Willow Grove YMCA.

“It’s not a travel problem, but there’s tremendous issues with that location,” he said during public comment. The high school is located at 3000 Terwood Road, in Willow Grove, which is a little more than one mile from the gym, at 3300 Davisville Road, in Hatboro.

Cerino cited size and possible noise concerns for the facility that would be open on Election Day.

“They’re only willing to give us half of the gymnasium and the other half will still be active for the members to use,” he said. “They’re not shutting the facility down for the day like the high school does, and there’s going to be a lot of noise, there’s going to be a lot of distractions.”

“The gym’s located in the back of the building so you have to kind of walk through the whole building to get to it,” he continued. It’s just not a conducive location for 2,000plus people in 6-1 and 6-2 to come vote, and we have that kind of turnout on a national election kind of day.”

Sawyer discussed the Upper Moreland Township polling place changes during her presentation to the election board Thursday morning.

“We are requesting this move because the building that Upper Moreland 3-1, 3-2 have been in for the 2021 primary was no longer available,” Sawyer said. “There weren’t any other suitable buildings in those two precincts and the election code says we can only move outside of the precinct if we move to an adjacent precinct.

“So that made us move 3-1 and 3-2 to the high school. Keeping 6-1 and 6-2 there means that seven precincts are voting at the high school,” she continued. “Given the anticipated voter turnout for the 2022 cycle, we don’t feel that Upper Moreland High School can host seven precincts.”

Sawyer sought to assurd people the department has been in contact with the YMCA, and the “entire gym space” would be designated for voting purposes on Election Day.

“All around, just a fantastic location for a polling place outside of the logistical change,” she said.

When asked about communication with the county’s Democratic and Republican committees, Sawyer said that “both parties have been consulted and informed and proper notice was posted at all locations.”

The change is slated to take effect for the upcoming May 17 primary election and is expected to continue “for all elections going forward,” according to the election board agenda.

Pennsylvania’s primary election is slated to take place on May 17. The deadline to register to vote is May 2 and voters have until May 10 to request a mail-in ballot. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 17 for those voting in person on Election Day.