Pittsburgh Courier; "Just how do you vote in the Pa. June 2 Primary Election?"

by Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer

As Pennsylvania’s governor sprayed a smidge of sanitizer on his hands, he took a page from Captain Obvious earlier this month with this statement: “From where we stand today, it is unlikely that we will eradicate COVID-19 from our commonwealth by June 2nd.”

Tom Wolf, the governor, then said in front of the hot microphones: “But we still need to hold a Primary Election. Free and fair elections are essential to who we are as a country. And Democracy is perhaps even more important than ever during times of crisis.”

What might not be so obvious, though, is exactly “how” to vote in the upcoming Pa. Primary. Allegheny County executive Rich Fitzgerald wants the overwhelming majority of ballots in the county to be sent in by mail, not via the traditional polling places that many are used to visiting on election days.

Tim Stevens, CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project, says words are not enough. An entire public campaign needs to be started by the county—tailored to Allegheny County’s African American residents—on how voting will work in a few Tuesdays.
“We know that over 150,000 Allegheny County voters have either applied for, and/or received their ballots,” Stevens said in a May 10 letter to Fitzgerald, obtained by the New Pittsburgh Courier.

“We are sure that you would agree that these voters are not only motivated to vote, but many also have access to computers and Wi-Fi. Many of our (African American) voters are not as aware, and many cannot afford computers, let alone Wi-Fi in their homes. We must ensure that they are not left behind.”

The letter was also backed by Rick Adams, co-convener, Western Pa. Black Political Assembly, Richard A. Stewart Jr., Pittsburgh NAACP president, Maryn Formley, executive chair and founder, Voter Empowerment, Education & Enrichment Movement (VEEM), Luther J. Sewell Jr., convener, Talk Minority Action Group, and Tracy Baton, coordinator, Pittsburgh Women’s March.

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Read the full Courier article here.