News for Democrats in Upper Perkiomen Valley

As always, fall is a busy time, when people start paying closer attention to political news as the November election grows closer, and opportunities for local political action increases.

While it is true that the Upper Perkiomen Democratic Club has gone dormant (more on that in an upcoming post), many, if not all, of the same people will be involved in the same activities, and welcoming all local democrats to be part of the process!

The Upper Perkiomen Area 2 Democratic Committee (the local Democratic political party) has big plans for this fall, including hosting our Montgomery County (Democratic) Commissioners, Val Arkoosh and Ken Lawrence tomorrow, Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at their scheduled monthly meeting, to which all democrats are invited. Their meetings are held at Open Link Senior Center, 517 Jefferson Street, East Greenville, PA, from 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

For nearly twenty years, the UPDC had a voter registration and information table at Community Day on the first Saturday in September in East Greenville. A few years ago, the Upper Perkiomen Area 2 Democrats (UP Area 2 Democratic Committee) began also offering information on voter registration, absentee ballot request forms, and information about candidates and local party activities – last year their table was right across the street from the UPDC table! Rather than duplicate efforts, this voter registration and information effort will now be organized by the UP Area 2 Democrats. Stop by and say hello (or volunteer to help out for an hour or two – contact Area 2 Leader Elaine Hannock at area2dems@gmail.com if you can  help out on Saturday, September 7, 2019).

Over the last few years, both the UPDC and the UP Area 2 Democrats have paraded one after another down Main Street in the annual Upper Perkiomen Halloween Parade. It is our understanding that the Area 2 Democratic Committee  will continue this tradition of representing Democrats in our community in the parade.

While the presidential election is still a year away, the 2019 November election is important – among other decisions to be made on the ballot this fall, 5 out of 9 school board seats are up for election this year!

Stay informed, stay involved, and vote!

Last Minute Election Day FAQs

Don’t let anything stop you from voting tomorrow!

Polls are open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m., Tuesday, November 6, 2018.

If you need a ride to the polls, please email us and we’ll find you a ride.

If you’d like to look at the ballot for your town before going to the polls, here’s the link to the Montgomery County Voter Services sample ballots for 2018

If you aren’t sure where your polling place is, check here.

If you are a first time voter or are voting at a polling place for the first time, you will need one form of identification. Some acceptable IDs include: a drivers license, student ID, employee ID, utility bill with your name and address on it, a bank statement, paycheck stub, PennDOT ID, or passport.

If you have voted at your polling place in the past, you do NOT need to show identification.

If you have any other questions, let us know, and we’ll do our best to find the answer in a timely fashion.

Volunteer Opportunities through Election Day!

Democrats in Berks, Chester, and Montgomery County have joined together in organizing the Tri-County Democratic Coordinated Campaign, with an office at 260 E High Street, Pottstown, PA.  Everyone needs help with calls, door knocking…. feel free to reach out to them. Participating candidates are conducting canvassing, phone banking, fundraising, training, and other activities from this office. All are welcome to come by! For additional information, contact Marcia Longeway (484) 644-3986.

In Upper Perkiomen Valley, there will be one final GOTV (Get  Out The Vote) effort next weekend, November 3rd and 4th, 2018.  The Area 2 Democratic Committee will have door hangers for Red Hill, Pennsburg and E Greenville Voters-  1000 to be distributed!

One side will identify all our candidates in that area, Andy Lee to Gov.  Wolf. The other side will have a sample of the “goldenrod” – a copy of the sample ballot listing Democratic candidates, that are handed out at the polls by volunteers for the Democrats – with a request for the recipient to take it to the polls with them. Please email area2dems@gmail.com or updemclub@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.

ELECTION DAY!!!!    Folks are needed to help at the polls!   Most needed right now are volunteers for Green Lane Borough, and the three polling places in Upper Hanover Township. Volunteers will be handing out sample ballots and candidate information, and answering the occasional question about using the voting machines, voting in general (e.g. identification cards are NOT required to vote), and being present if anyone has trouble voting (and then calling Area2 or the county voting office). Volunteers can help outside any polling spot (not just where you vote), for a one or two or more hours. Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Please email area2dems@gmail.com or updemclub@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.

Democratic Candidates Forum in Harleysville this Thursday, Oct 11, 2018

Lt Governor candidate John Fetterman and Congressional candidate Madeleine Dean will be delivering the keynote speeches at Thursday’s Candidate Forum in Harleysville, PA. Maria Collett, Linda Fields, Steve Malagari, and Josh Camson (PA state senate and state representative candidates) will be present and interviewed by WHYY journalist Tracey Matisak.

This free, public event will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 11, 2018, at Peter Becker Community Chapel, 800 Maple Avenue, Harleysville, PA. Indivisible Hope, Turn PA Blue, and Indian Valley Democrats are sponsoring this non-ticketed event.

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Campaign and Voter Registration Volunteers Needed!

Local democrats will be canvassing and dropping off door hangers for Linda Fields (the Democratic candidate running against Bob Mensch for PA State Senate) this week and weekend here in the Upper Perk Valley. If you would be interested in helping out the campaign for a few hours, please contact Colleen Dunlap at cdunlap20@gmail.com who is organizing this weekend’s effort on the campaign’s behalf.

And in nearby Lehigh Valley, on this last weekend before PA Voter Registration closes for the November 2018 election, the Future Coalition is organizing voter registration drives;

“We’ll be at together at street fairs, festivals, and farmers markets with clipboards, T-shirts, signs, a giant inflatable T-rex, a boombox and costumes (BYOC a.k.a. bring your own costume). We’re in this together! With you, we can make sure hundreds of young people can vote in this year’s once-in-a-lifetime midterm elections.”

Check out the details and signup to volunteer this weekend at https://fcregistrationweekend.splashthat.com/

 

If you know of any other campaign volunteer efforts locally, or are organizing any efforts, please let us know and we’ll happily help spread the word (and hopefully get you some volunteers!)

Check your voter registration!

Check your voter registration online, to be sure that you haven’t been taken off the rolls for any reason or by error!

If you know someone who will be 18 on, or before, Tuesday, November 6, 2018, let them know that they are eligible to vote on November 6th! They must register to vote by Tuesday, October 9th (if registering by mail, the voter registration form must arrive at the courthouse by October 9, 2018). In Pennsylvania, you may now fill out your voter registration form online.

Absentee ballots should be requested now! In order for the absentee ballot to be counted, it should be filled out and returned as soon as possible – completed ballots must be received the Friday BEFORE election day.

How can I vote by absentee ballot?

Download an absentee ballot application form at votespa.com/absentee . Print, complete, sign, and deliver or mail the application to your county election office. The address and telephone number for your county election office may be found at votespa.com/county .

Voter Registration/Absentee Ballots

Weather permitting, the Upper Perkiomen Democratic Club will once more be hosting a voter registration and absentee ballot request information table at tomorrow’s East Greenville Community Day (Saturday, September 8th, 2018 – Main Street, East Greenville, PA). We will have forms for voter registration and for requesting absentee ballots.

September 17th is the first day to apply for an absentee ballot in Pennsylvania (and while applications are available online, the form must be printed and mailed to the County Courthouse address found on the online form). While officially an absentee ballot request form may be mailed out as late as the week before the election, since the completed ballot must arrive at the Court House by the Friday before the election (November 6, 2018), to insure that one’s vote is counted one should mail one’s ballot at least a week before the election (and earlier is better).

Voter registration closes on October 9, 2018 (because October 8th is a holiday) – that means the form must arrive at the county seat by that date. One can register to vote online!

Check your voter registration online, to be sure that you haven’t been taken off the rolls for any reason or by error!

Election day is Tuesday, November 6, 2018; polls are open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

2018 PA Democratic Candidates

U.S. Senate – Bob Casey

U.S. House of Representatives, 4th District (which now includes all of Upper Perkiomen Valley) – Madeleine Dean

Governor – Tom Wolf

Lt. Governor – John Fetterman

State Senate, 24th District – Linda Fields

State Representative, 131st District – Andy Lee

State Representative, 147th District (Green Lane and Marlborough Township) – Josh Camson

County Commissioners in Pennsburg on May 30, 2018

This Wednesday, May 30, 2018, the public is invited to listen to and speak with our Montgomery County Commissioners (Dr. Valerie Akoosh, Kenneth Lawrence, Jr., and Joseph Gale) at 7 p.m., at the Upper Perkiomen Valley YMCA Multipurpose Room, 1399 Quakertown Road, Pennsburg, PA.

For the sixth year in a row, the Montgomery County Commissioners are taking their message on the road. Constituents are encouraged to attend a “Conversations with Commissioners” town hall event to discuss the issues important in their communities.

PA 2018 Primary Races Called

Of most interest to those in the Upper Perkiomen Valley, the following contested primary races have been called:

PA Congressional District 3 –  Madeleine Dean

Lt. Governor – John Fetterman

The other statewide races were not contested in the 2018 Pennsylvania Primary Election.

PA Primary 2018 – Tuesday, May 15th

Polls open tomorrow, Tuesday, May 15, 2018, at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. for the Pennsylvania Primary Election. In order to vote in the primary, one must be registered with a political party; Pennsylvania hold closed primaries which means that only registered democrats can vote in the democratic primary. Any registered voter can vote for any candidate of any party in the November election.

On the ballot in 2018 are many state races, along with U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives race.

Senator Casey (D) is unopposed in the Democratic primary, as is Governor Wolf (D).

Below are the rest of the candidates who are running for office in tomorrow’s Pennsylvania Primary and will appear on ballots in the Upper Perkiomen Valley.

4th U. S. Congressional District (all of Upper Perkiomen Valley is now within this newly drawn district)

•  Madeleine Dean (currently serving in the PA State Legislature) (attended voter forum in Upper Perk)
• Shira Goodman (attended voter forum in Upper Perk)
• Joe Hoeffel (attended voter forum in Upper Perk)

 

PA State Legislative seat  – 131 District (Upper Hanover, East Greenville, Pennsburg, Red Hill)

• Andy Lee
• Running a Write In Campaign – Joanne Jackson

 

PA State Legislative seat – 147th District (Green Lane and Marlborough Township)

• Joshua Camson (running unopposed in Dem. primary)

 

PA State Senate District 24

• Linda Fields (running unopposed in Dem. primary)

 

PA Lt Governor Race

• Mike Stack, incumbent
• Nina Ahmad
• Kathi Cozzone, Chester County commissioner
• John Fetterman, Braddock mayor (attended voter forum in Upper Perk)
• Ray Sosa (attended voter forum in Upper Perk)

 

Sample Ballots can also be viewed online.