DV Journal

Montgomery County is sporting Pennsylvania’s first mobile Voter Services satellite office. It recently made its first stop at the Abington Township Fall Festival in Crestmont Park.

But some Montco Republicans fear it was just the first stop on a taxpayer-funded ballot harvesting tour designed to help Democrats hold onto power.

Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, chair of the Board of Elections, said, “The Montgomery County Voter Services Mobile Outreach van is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania. It’s one of several steps we’re taking to make this election more accessible than ever. We’ve doubled our secure ballot drop boxes opened more satellite voter services offices than ever, and now this mobile satellite office can reach more people where they already are. Our goal is to increase voter access to the information and tools they need to participate in our democracy.”

The mobile voter services satellite office provides the same services as a regular satellite office, officials said. Citizens can register to vote, update their registration, request a mail-in ballot and return their completed ballot at the voter services van. They can also drop ballots off at any voter services office location across Montgomery County. It is scheduled to travel to various senior communities and public events in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 5 election. The last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania is Oct. 21.

“The voter services van will help us make sure that every eligible voter in Montgomery County has the chance to cast their ballot this general election,” said County Commissioners Chair Jamila H. Winder, vice chair of the Board of Elections. “We can especially reach people in places where accessibility challenges make it harder to visit a voter services office, such as senior facilities and community centers. We’re also able to connect directly with voters at festivals and public events. Wherever the community gathers, we aim to get out there to make sure people are informed and ready to vote this election.”

Both Winder and Makhija are Democrats. Minority Republican County Commissioner Tom DiBello voted against the mobile Voter Services van.

“I call it the ice cream truck of ballot harvesting,” said DiBello, who added he is uncertain that it’s legal. Furthermore, the new van cost the county $143,000, he said. He noted it is going to areas with more Democratic voters to register people.

Abington Township Republican Organization Chair Joe Rooney echoed those concerns.

“Is it targeting Democratic voters? Or is it going to churches and gun shows?” Rooney asked. Rooney is also concerned about the security of ballots left with the van.

And Rooney said the van is just the tip of the iceberg. The county has dispensed with guards at drop boxes, which it previously agreed to because of an Upper Dublin incident where a woman was seen stuffing multiple ballots into a drop box, and officials increased the number of drop boxes. Rooney, a Republican candidate for state representative for District 153 Abington, Upper Dublin and Rockledge, has watched the drop boxes and seen people depositing more than one ballot [the limit is one] and someone with a car with a New Jersey tag depositing a ballot.

He’s also concerned some drop boxes are not in well-lighted areas and voters could become the victims of crime. He pointed out Abington has had some serious incidents recently, with a woman attacked at a laundromat and another woman followed home from a casino by a would-be robber who was shot before he was arrested.

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Delaware Valley county officials–with the sole exception of Chester County Republican Commissioner Eric Roe–signed a letter penned by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker asking Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.

The March 22 letter said, in part, “Pennsylvanian’s current minimum of $7.25 is the lowest of our surrounding states. (In New Jersey, it is $15.13; in Delaware, it’s $13.25.)

“This ultimately puts a strain on Pennsylvania’s families, leaving little left over to cover basic necessities, let alone saving or investing for their future. Raising the minimum wage is not only an investment in our residents but also an investment in the state’s future.”

The letter referenced the left-leaning MIT Living Wage Calculator claiming the hourly “living wage” for a person with no children in Bucks County is $25.15, $26.49 in Chester County in Delaware County, $23.58; in Montgomery County, $25.46 and $22.29 in Philadelphia County.

But Roe said Democrats were getting the economics wrong.

“The inconvenient truth is that markets have always done a better job of pulling people out of poverty than governments ever have. Many companies are already offering starting pay at well over $15 per hour, and they still have trouble finding people to take those jobs. If we want jobs that give workers a sustainable living wage, then we need to get government out of the way. That’s why I declined to sign that letter,” Roe said.

Federal data confirm that while Pennsylvania’s mandatory wage is low, the state ranks 20th in the nation for highest average annual salary ($58,470).

As for Keystone State workers earning hourly wages, their $28.11/hour in 2023 was the 19th highest in the U.S.

One other key fact about the minimum wage in Pennsylania, notes Commonwealth Foundation Director of Policy Analysis Elizabeth Stelle: Just one percent of the workforce has minimum wage jobs.

“Unfortunately, a $15 minimum wage would hurt the very people it intends to help, resulting in fewer jobs, weaker benefits, and higher prices,” Stelle said. “Just last week, the IFO (state Independent Fiscal Office) found that increasing the minimum wage to $15 would kill 21,000 jobs.

“If our elected leaders want to raise wages without eliminating jobs, they should ask Gov. Shapiro to cut taxes and eliminate government red tape. We need to hold the governor accountable for reducing business taxes—just as he promised.”

Both Bucks County Republican Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo and Montgomery County Republican Commissioner Tom DiBello signed the letter. DiGirolamo did not respond to a request for comment. DiBello, however, defended his support for a mandatory wage hike.

“I joined my fellow leaders in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, and Delaware Counties in supporting a maximum $15 minimum wage because, by and large, that threshold has already been met by many of our region’s companies,” said DiBello. “Businesses need to offer competitive pay to attract quality employees. In most cases, the market sets the level of pay.   By recognizing the realities of the current workforce’s pay and the importance of attracting quality employees, the market has already set the minimum wage.

“In reality, I’m only supporting what is already occurring, nothing more,” said DiBello.

“I like them and respect them both, They have very different districts from me,” Roe said of his fellow Republican commissioners. However, as the minority commissioner, Roe said, he sees it as his job to “be different” from the Democratic majority and speak up if he disagrees with a policy.

“I didn’t hesitate to say no when asked to sign that letter,” said Roe.

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