Who you vote for this November can determine who our president will be in 2024. That’s because there are four very important judicial seats up for grabs this year. Two seats are for the state superior court; one seat is currently vacant in the state’s commonwealth court, and finally there is one seat open in the state’s supreme court. You may recall back in 2020 that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied a myriad of lawsuits challenging our state’s vote, including one from Texas’s despicable attorney general, Kenneth Paxton. Although Democrats would still hold a one seat edge if the Republican were to win in November, it is important to have a comfortable cushion, since court vacancies and other issues can occur at any time.
You may also remember that a single Commonwealth Court justice decided the school fair funding lawsuit in favor of the underfunded school districts last February. As a result, the Basic Education Funding Commission is currently meeting to discuss how to divide the state’s education dollars more equitably.
These elections should therefore be no-brainers, but the problem is that odd-numbered election years are not normally high turnout ones at the polls. Another problem is the sheer number of choices on the ballot. In Philadelphia, there are 28 separate choices for voters to make, 16 of which are for judicial positions.
Some municipalities in the region may actually have longer ballots, since Philadelphia does not elect school board members.
And you don’t need to be reminded of the big money behind Republican school board candidates. Pennsylvania’s richest man – Jeffrey Yass – and Paul Martino, the venture capitalist whose failed Bankroll business was recently reported in the Inquirer, have a track record of funding school board victors who have been responsible for some of the most draconian anti-LGBTQ+ and racist decisions in their school districts over the past two years.
All this to say that if you can spare some time to join us to help school board candidates in Perkiomen Valley, one of those tormented school districts, on Saturday, October 7, for a few hours starting at 11 a.m., your participation will be most welcome. Reply to cposes1@gmail.com if you are interested.
You can also help to educate registered voters about their voting options by phone banking to let them know that they can vote by mail, by signing up here.
Finally, please consider addressing envelopes for letters to go out for Kimberly Rose, a Township Supervisor in Northampton Township in Bucks County. She is the only elected Democrat in that area, so it is important that she holds on to that seat. This event takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, September 19, from 12 – 2 p.m., at High Point Allens Lane,
Thanks,
Coleman