Bucks Co. Seeking To Halt Bensalem Special Election

BENSALEM, PA — The Bucks County Board of Elections on Monday filed an emergency petition in court seeking to postpone Tuesday's special election for a state House seat in Bensalem.

The petition, in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, asks for an injunction to delay the election in response to the spread of the new coronavirus, which has been labeled a global pandemic.

State and local officials, including Gov. Tom Wolf, had called for the vote to be postponed. But Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, who has the power to reschedule the election, has declined to do so.

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"We were left with no choice but to file suit," said Commission Chairwoman Diane Ellis-Marseglia, who also chairs the board of elections. "With the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania declaring a state of emergency and under advisement of our county’s Department of Health, we believe that tomorrow’s special election must be postponed. The risk is too great. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our residents."

Democrat Harold Hayes and Republican Kathleen "K.C." Tomlinson are seeking to fill the state House of Representatives seat vacated when former representative Gene DiGirolamo, a Republican, was elected to the Bucks County Board of Commissioners.

Over the weekend, Turzai said concerns about changing the date included increased voter confusion and disenfranchising absentee voters, who would have to re-apply for absentee status.

"The impact of the COVID-19 virus is being felt by all of us, and I applaud the statewide efforts to practice social distancing and increased disinfecting in public spaces," Turzai said. "These same practices will be in place on election day, but they do not require the rescheduling of the special elections.

"When you consider that absentee ballots have already been applied for and returned, these elections are already underway."

But Marseglia said that with schools, restaurants, government buildings and other public spaces shut down in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, bringing voters together for an election is a bad idea.

"It doesn’t make much sense for us to ask residents to practice social distancing and to stay home
from work, but then also encourage them to go out to vote in the middle of a public health crisis," she said. "This is no time to play games with people’s lives."

She suggested that, at the least, the Bensalem election could be moved to coincide with the April 28 presidential primary scheduled in Pennsylvania.