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Countdown to the May 16 Municipal Primary

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The municipal primary election is next Tuesday, May 16. Here are some questions voters may have:

WHAT IS THIS ELECTION ABOUT?

• In this primary, citizens who are currently registered as Republicans or Democrats will decide who they want to represent their political party in the November election. They will be voting for (1) county, borough, and township positions, (2) judicial positions and (3) school board positions.

WHO CANNOT VOTE?

• If you are not currently registered as a Republican or a Democrat, you are not eligible to vote in this primary. The deadline to register as a Republican or as a Democrat was May 1.

• If you recently changed your address or name and did not update your registration, you are not eligible to vote in this primary.

VOTING BY MAIL

• May 9 was the deadline to request a mail ballot. If you did not request one, you must vote in person.

• If you have received a mail ballot but have not yet mailed it, do NOT mail it. To ensure that it is received by the deadline (May 16 at 5 p.m.), hand deliver it to one of the government buildings located in Doylestown, Quakertown and Levittown, or one of the libraries with drop boxes. For a full listing of drop boxes, go to www.lwvbucks.org or https://www.buckscounty.gov/1417/Drop-Box-Locations.

• Be sure to (1) sign and (2) date the outside envelope of the mail ballot and (3) seal the ballot in the yellow inner secrecy envelope. (4) Use blue or black ink. If you fail to take these actions, your vote will not be counted.

• If you received a mail ballot but decide to vote in person, you must surrender your complete mail ballot package to the judge of elections at your precinct. If you do not have the complete mail ballot package, you may still vote at the polling place on a provisional ballot.

VOTING IN PERSON

• To confirm the location of your polling place go to https://vote.pa.gov or www.vote411.

• The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16.

• If you are voting for the first time (WELCOME!) or for the first time in your current precinct, due to a change in address, you must bring identification with you to your voting precinct – this can be a photo-ID (such as a drivers license with your current address) or a non-photo-ID (such as a current utility bill). See https://www.vote.pa.gov/Register-to-Vote/Pages/Voter-ID-for-First-Time-Voters.aspx for details.

TIPS FOR ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS

• If you haven’t already done so, go to www.lwvbucks.org to view interviews with many of the Central Bucks school director candidates conducted by the League of Women Voters. Note: all were invited to participate; more than half chose to do so.

• If you haven’t already done so, go to (1) www.vote411.org or to (2) the printed Voter’s Guide published by the Bucks County Herald on April 27 for information about the positions and the candidates on your ballot as well as for the responses by the candidates to nonpartisan questions submitted to them. Note: all were invited to participate; more than half chose to do so. Please also note that several candidates’ responses were inadvertently omitted from the printed Guide and their answers appeared in the May 4 Herald.

• VOTE responsibly! Enjoy your right and duty.

Cathy Morano is a member of the League of Women Voters of Bucks County, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to providing voter education and services and advocating for issues. It envisions a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate.


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