Intimidation not to be taken lightly at polls
We are a little less than a month from Election Day on Nov. 8 and I have been receiving an increasing number of emails and phone calls from my constituents who are concerned about voter intimidation.
This issue has made national news, and the people who have contacted me fear they may be victims of intimidation when they cast their ballot.
In case someone isn’t aware or has forgotten, voter intimidation is against the law in Pennsylvania. According to Section 1847 of the Pennsylvania Election Code, anyone engaging in the act of voter intimidation shall be subject to up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Plain and simple, voter intimidation is illegal. It includes, but is not limited to, the following: intimidating or coercing voters, threatening force, violence, injury, restraint, damage, or loss to get a person to vote or not vote for a particular candidate or issue; or using abduction, duress, coercion or other forcible or fraudulent methods to interfere with a person’s right to vote.
If anyone witnesses voter intimidation at their local polling place, they should report the activity to the local county board of elections or the county district attorney’s office. Complaints can also be filed online with the Pennsylvania Department of State at www.pavoterservices.state.pa.us/Pages/ReportElectionComplaints.
The right to vote and the power of that vote is the only thing that puts each of us on an equal footing with the most powerful people in America.
Please exercise that power Nov. 8.
Eddie Day Pashinski
Wilkes-Barre
Eddie Day Pashinski is a Democrat who represents the 121st Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.