To the Editor:
Especially over the last year we have heard a lot about voter suppression of all forms. Much of this is difficult or even impossible to really quantify. Here is Pennsylvania and especially in Pike County, the suppression of a very specific block of voters is absolutely quantifiable.
Approximately 1.3 million voters in Pennsylvania are registered independent voters. In Pike County the number of independent voters varies between 6,000-8,000 voters, depending on your source. That said, Independent voters, as you may have guessed, is the block of voters that are absolutely being suppressed. I may not have noticed myself if my wife was not registered as a Democrat and we both elected to utilize mail-in voting during the pandemic. Her ballot had several elected officials on the ballot that mine did not.
Now, I am not suggesting that I should be allowed to vote in a democratic or republican primary, the merits of that are a separate discussion. I am referring to actual elected positions not the primary. These officials happen to fall into the primary election cycle. You can easily go to the Pike County Board of Elections and find samples of the most current and past ballots used in Pike County. If you look at any township for the last election you will clearly see the differences and understand my point.
This condition exists because it is law, law that is clearly not legitimate. I and my fellow independent voters cannot be withheld the right to vote for our elected officials. This suppression of voters especially in these local elections can and likely has had an impact on the outcomes of the elections.
Now, I have written my state representative who has to this point ignored me. I have written to my state senator, who has to this point ignored me. The ACLU, U.S. Department of Justice, both local political parties all have ignored me. I am hoping you may be able to help me shed a light on this subject.
Scott Vinson
Pike County
