This was also posted by another reader in the comments section of another post. It wasn't so much the relatives that were an issue, (J. Buckman's wife, R. Reithmeyer's husband) It was the fact that Marlys Mihok was the judge of elections at Grandview. We are not going to beat a dead horse. This is a dead issue now and we can only hope that no elected officials are also judges of elections come November 3.
From today's BCCT.
Voter beware: Political maneuvering at the polls
Bucks County Courier Times
Perhaps some further insight is needed in regards to questionable Election Day activities in Morrisville.
Just prior to the May primary election, the Courier Times printed a story about poll workers being either elected officers or related to people on the ballot. Possibly your source had a vested political motive for providing such selective information. Bill Reithmeyer, husband of school board member Robin Reithmeyer, also served as a Second Ward poll worker while being a candidate for inspector of elections. A simple check of all the ward ballots would have made this clear.
Unfortunately, political maneuvering went beyond the Second Ward. Patricia Schell, Morrisville Senior Center manager and mayoral candidate, changed procedures for assuring that the First Ward polls (where the center is) was opened timely so workers could prepare the voting machines for the election.
For the last 10 years, the prior center manager provided the key the day before to make this possible. After much haggling, a key to access the machines arrived at 6:45 a.m. Election Day! Obviously, this caused the first voter a delay that is simply inexcusable.
Schell also sent her political crony, Robin Reithmeyer, back with the key to close the polls. At 9:40 p.m. with a difficult count still ongoing, she departed, locked the doors and stated anyone leaving would be locked in. The tally was not completed until 10:40 p.m., thus further inconveniencing poll workers making several trips to remove election materials.
Perhaps if Schell does not want the trustworthy poll workers to have a key to carry out their duties, or care if the First Ward voters get to vote on time, she should open and close the polls.
If this is an example of Schell's management skills, one can only question her abilities as mayoral timber. From what I and many others have witnessed: Voter beware!
Patricia Anne Brofman
Majority Inspector First Ward
Morrisville
June 30, 2009 02:10 AM
