The 2020 Primary Election Voter Guide for Allegheny County
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The 2020 Primary Election Voter Guide for Allegheny County JUST Published by: Just Harvest Education Fund Alliance for Police Accountability Casa San Jose Pennsylvania UNITED VOTE on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 | Polls open 7:00 am to 8:00 pm or by Mail-in Ballot (details inside) This Voters Guide presents information about the upcoming election, including key policies relating to hunger and poverty that will likely be addressed in the next federal and state legislative sessions. This guide has been created to help you vote safely and make informed choices on Election Day so you can influence these critical policies. This information is strictly to inform and educate our community. Just Harvest does not endorse or oppose any particular candidate or political party. Just Harvest is a membership organization which educates, empowers and mobilizes people to eliminate hunger, poverty, and economic injustice in our communities by influencing public policy, engaging in advocacy, and connecting people to public benefits. Table of Contents 1. About Voting in Pennsylvania 2. About This Election 4 . Elected Offices and Responsibilities 6. Why You Should Vote 8. About the Federal and Pennsylvania Legislatures 9 . Federal Office Candidates 12 . State Office Candidates 27 . Convention Delegate Candidates ABOUT VOTING IN PENNSYLVANIA AM I REGISTERED TO VOTE? Find out here: www.votespa.com You can use this website to register for the first time, to update your registration, and to find your polling place. The deadline to register for the 2020 primary election on June 2 is Monday, May 18. To vote in a primary election you must be registered to vote with either the Democratic or Republican party. DO I NEED TO UPDATE MY VOTER REGISTRATION? If you have moved, changed your name, or want to change your party registration since you last voted, learn how to update your voter registration at www.votespa.com. Changes made more than 30 days before an election will take effect for that election. Changes made 30 days or less before an election will take effect for the next election. If you didn’t update your address by May 2, you can vote at the polling place for your old address for this election or vote by mail. WANT TO VOTE BY MAIL? Thanks to a 2019 Pennsylvania law, registered citizens can now choose to vote by mail unless they qualify for an absentee ballot (more below). To apply for a Mail-in Ballot, no reason or excuse is needed. The deadline to apply for a Mail-in Ballot for the June 2 primary election is 5:00pm on Tuesday, May 26. Learn more and get a Mail-in Ballot application in the “Voting in PA” section at www.votespa.com. In April, the Allegheny County Board of Elections began automatically mailing Mail-in Ballot applications to registered voters to facilitate social distancing for elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. NEED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT? If you are registered to vote but will not be able to get to your polling place in person on Election Day, you can apply for an Absentee Ballot. Those eligible include college students who are not registered to vote at their school address and people who are incarcerated for a misdemeanor or are awaiting trial. The deadline to apply for an Absentee Ballot for the June 2 primary election is 5:00pm on Tuesday, May 26. Learn more about 1 who is eligible and get an Absentee Ballot application in the “Voting in PA” section at www.votespa.com. NEED AN ALTERNATIVE BALLOT? If you want to vote in person, are registered to vote, and have a disability or are age 65 or older, and if you were assigned to a polling place that the County Board of Elections says is not accessible, you can apply for an Alternative Ballot. The deadline to apply for an Alternative Ballot for the June 2 primary election is 5:00pm on Tuesday, May 26. Learn more and get the Alternative Ballot application in the “Accessible Voting” section at www.votespa.com. USEFUL TIPS FOR ELECTION DAY: If you are voting in person, you only need to show an approved form of photo or non-photo ID (listed below) the first time you vote at a particular polling place. PHOTO ID (must be valid) NON-PHOTO ID (must include your name and . PA driver’s license or ID Card issued by PennDOT current address) . ID issued by US government . Your voter’s card . ID issued by any Commonwealth of PA agency . Firearm permit . US Passport . Current bank statement . US Armed Forces ID . Current utility bill . Student ID . Current paycheck . Employee ID . Government check You cannot lose your job, or your benefits, or be evicted for voting. If you are registered and in line at your polling place by 8pm poll workers must permit you to vote. If poll workers do not accept your registration as valid, ask for a provisional ballot. By law, they must let you vote on a provisional ballot and straighten out the problem later. In PA, people with felony convictions who are registered can vote if they are no longer incarcerated. People who are homeless can vote if they are registered. People with disabilities and those who speak another language or cannot read are allowed to vote with assistance from a person of their choice. ABOUT THIS ELECTION WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRIMARY AND A GENERAL ELECTION? A primary election is when voters select who will be a political party’s candidate for each office that is up for election in November. Your primary election ballot will only list candidates who are running in the party you are registered in – for example, registered Democrats can only vote for Democratic candidates – though you can write in another candidate for each office. The candidate for each office with the most votes from each party will appear on the general election ballot on November 3. 2 In some districts, the primary is the deciding election, as there may be no opponents from another party running in the general election. In general elections, everyone can vote for any candidate, no matter their party (or lack of party) affiliation. Whoever wins will hold office starting in January of the following year. IS THIS ELECTION A GENERAL OR PRIMARY ELECTION? The June 2, 2020 Pennsylvania election is a primary election. This election determines who will represent each political party in the November 3 general election, which determines who will take office starting in January 2021. WHAT POSITIONS ARE WE VOTING FOR IN THE UPCOMING PRIMARY ELECTION? Each voter will get to vote on June 2 for one candidate from their party for each of the following offices: United States President United States Representative State Senator (only in some State Senate districts) State Representative State Attorney General State Auditor General State Treasurer National Convention Delegates WHO’S ON MY BALLOT? Get your sample ballot at bit.ly/ACballot. Select your city name, ward number, and district number. [Find your ward/district numbers by using the Pennsylvania polling place webpage link on this page or by calling (412) 350-4510. The first line of your usual polling place address contains your ward and district info. (Ex.: “Polling Place Address for PITTSBURGH 09 06” = Ward 9, District 6).] Select search. You can then select the “View Ballot” box for your party. NEED TO KNOW YOUR POLLING PLACE? In response to the pandemic and the need for social distancing, Allegheny County’s Board of Elections may have changed your polling place for this election. They will be sending letters to registered voters letting them know where their new polling location is in case they wish to vote in person. However, they are strongly encouraging all voters to vote by mail this election. WONDERING HOW TO USE THE NEW VOTING MACHINES? To improve election security, starting with this election Pennsylvania will be using paper ballots which will be electronically-verified. There are two types of polling machines that will be in use in Allegheny County. You will either mark your ballot by hand with a pencil then scan to confirm your vote OR mark an electronic ballot which will then print out a paper copy of your vote for confirmation. Poll workers will show you how to use the machine. 3 ELECTED OFFICES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FEDERAL President of the United States Term Length: 4 Years Number of Terms Allowed: 2 Cabinet, Ambassador, and Judicial Appointments: The president nominates leaders of executive branch offices (e.g. Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor, etc.), ambassadors, justices of the federal courts and Supreme Court, and “all other Officers of the United States.” These nominations are subject to the approval of the U.S. Senate. Military: Under the Constitution, the president is the commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, as well as the National Guard. The president does not have the power to declare war (that was left for Congress). Laws: As the head of the executive branch of the federal government, the president is responsible for ensuring that all the nation’s laws are “faithfully executed” by the various departments of the executive branch. The President has the power to negotiate, sign, and veto legislation enacted by Congress but cannot initiate legislation. The president can, however, make changes to federal policy and how federal laws are implemented through the use of signing statements, executive orders, memoranda, and administrative proposals. Treaties and Foreign Policy: The president sets the foreign policy of the United States and in that regard has the authority, “by and with the consent of the Senate” (as indicated by the concurrence of two-thirds of the senators present), to make treaties with other countries.