Lehman getting more voting machines

BLOOMING GROVE — The County will be adding additional machines in Lehman Township precincts one and two and Blooming Grove Township in anticipation of a high voter turnout this November. Pike County Commissioners Chair Richard Caridi informed the Republican Committee of this and other changes for the presidential election at the Aug. 27 meeting of the Pike County Republican Committee, before a packed house in Blooming Grove. The Director of the Board of Elections has been meeting with the judges of elections and their fellow poll workers on an individual basis, providing them with information to minimize the amount of time the voter has to wait in line. In addition, as a final training, ten days prior to the election, instead of the usual one night Instruction training for 100 plus poll worker, the training will be broken up into six separate training sessions with three townships attending per session. Every poll worker will be provided with a training CD from the Dept. of State that they can review at their leisure along with training manuals and handbooks, and finally, all Judges of Elections have been informed, and a memo will be issued stating how to deal with discrepancies such as: 1. Name not in poll book. 2. Wrong voting location. 3. No identification, first time voter. Those voters should not be turned away, but rather be issued a provisional ballot. Finally, Commissioner Caridi informed the committee about a newly developed pamphlet called the “Pike County Voter Information Guide” that will be distributed throughout the county, and will be at all polling places. In other business, the chair for the Republican Committee’s annual dinner, Julie Forbes stated that plans are moving along well, It will be a 50’s theme, so guys, don’t forget to grease your hair and gals don’t forget your poodle shirts and bobby sox. The dinner will be held at Ehrhardt’s Waterfront Restaurant on October 3rd, Cocktails will be held at 6 p.m., with a cash bar, and dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person. There will lots of door prizes and a silent auction. For information or tickets please contact, Julie Forbes at 570- 296-5068 or Marge Wassmer at 570-685-7626. The next committee meeting will be Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Blooming Grove Fire House, all are welcome.