By Max Colizzo

Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6) hosted a tele-town hall event Oct. 26 titled “Voting Safely in 2020.” She was joined by Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell to provide information about voting in the upcoming election and answer specific questions from constituents.

“We want to make the 2020 election safe, secure, and accessible,” Maxwell said. He also emphasized the importance of submitting a mail-in ballot as soon as possible, preferably to a dropbox as to avoid delays from the U.S. Postal Service.

Maxwell also reported that the 14 dropboxes stationed throughout Chester County are highly secure and those emptying them wear bodycams to prevent internal election fraud. In addition, all poll workers will wear PPE, and PPE will also be available to voters upon request.

Voters can expect results from Chester County “by sunrise on Nov. 4,” according to Maxwell, due in large part to a new ballot processing machine that can count 45,000 ballots per hour.

Many constituents posed questions about the status of receiving their mail-in ballot, namely that they still had not. Maxwell recommended that voters check the status of their mail-in ballot, including where it was sent and everywhere its barcode has been scanned, on VotesPA.gov.

At the beginning of the town hall, Houlahan thanked all of her constituents for their attendance and introduced the purpose of the meeting. “I want to start by saying this series is apolitical,” Houlahan said. “Your voice is your vote and whether you’re Republican, Democrat, or Independent, you should make sure your voice is heard at the ballot box.”

Houlahan added that she has worked hard in Congress to protect the right of every American to vote.

“Most recently, I helped pass another round of COVID relief through the House of Representatives, which included funding for safe and fair elections next month,” Houlahan explained. Unfortunately, this bill does still await action in the Senate.”

Later, Maxwell took the floor to discuss some tips and information about the upcoming election, specifically in Chester County. He reassured that voting will be accessible as “95% of polling locations are open and fully-staffed.”

When a constituent, concerned about the safety of voting in person, asked whether masks are required for those who choose to vote in person, Maxwell explained that under Pennsylvania law, “a mask is not and cannot be required for a person to vote.”

Lastly, a constituent brought up a very important question: what to do if a college student hasn’t received their mail-in ballot.

Maxwell explained that college students using absentee voting who haven’t received their ballots should track their ballot on VotesPA.gov and if they are unable to locate it, email the Chester County Voter Services Office and someone will investigate the whereabouts of their specific ballot.

This tele-town hall was one of a weekly series Houlahan hosts to spread information and answer voters’ questions pertaining to the upcoming election.