Write-Ins Get Quarter Of Vote Count In Haverford School Board Election

HAVERFORD TOWNSHIP, PA — The unofficial vote tallies from the School District of Haverford Township Board of Directors show Latanya S.H. King, Kimberly McKay, Nicole Snyder, John Flagler as the victors in Tuesday's election.

Earning a combined 51,304 votes, the Democratic-party endorsed slate of cross-filed candidates easily won the election, though results have not been certified by the Delaware County Board of Elections.

However, four township residents staged a last ditch effort to upset King, McKay, Snyder, and Flagler.

Keith Heinerichs, Susan Mingey, Tom Thornton, and Steve Young earned roughly 18,000 votes in their write-in campaigns, which began just days before the election and ran with the motto, "Guided by community, inspired by students, committed to teachers."

According to unofficial results from Tuesday's election, a total of 18,171 votes were cast for write-in candidates. That breaks down to 4,542.75 votes per write-in candidate, assuming only Heinerichs, Mingey, Thornton, and Young received write-in votes.

Write-in votes accounted for more than a quarter of all votes cast in the school board election, in which 69,475 ballots were tallied, according to unofficial results.

It's unclear as of Thursday as to who exactly those write-in votes went to.

A representative for the four non-partisan candidates said Heinerichs, Mingey, Thornton, and Young launched the write-in effort "at the urging of local teachers and community members... to offer voters a genuine choice."

"We’re disappointed that we didn’t earn the seats this time around," Heinerichs said. "But we are not discouraged. To mobilize thousands of votes in just five days, with no party backing, proves our message resonates: our schools, our teachers, and our community deserve real change. The tremendous support that residents and local businesses have shown for our teachers, who have been working without a contract since September, makes it clear that it’s time for the school board to do the same."

The group's representatives said many educators from the Haverford Township School District stood with the candidates, linking the election to ongoing contract negotiations, the current board’s treatment of teachers, responsible financial management, and a call for improved transparency and collaboration.

"The message we heard everywhere we campaigned is this: our community will no longer accept business-as-usual," Mingey said. "Parents, teachers, staff, and taxpayers told us loud and clear they want more collaboration, more transparency, and more support for every student."

Thornton said the school board cannot ignore the "18,000 votes in protest of their shameful disrespect of our teachers."

"We set out to shift the culture of the school board, not just win seats," Young said. "This result gives the board and district administration a clear mandate: work with us, not above us. Our community isn’t invisible."

The write-in team said it will monitor contract negotiations, board meetings, and district policy decisions going forward.

Below are unofficial results from Tuesday's election:

• Kimberly McKay — 13,461
• Nicole Snyder — 12,904
• Latanya S.H. King — 12,468
• John Flagler — 12,471
• Unassigned write-ins — 18,171