BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Lehigh County Commissioner Sarah Fevig is pushing to change how the county oversees elections, arguing the current system is too partisan and no longer reflects today’s voters.
On this week’s episode of "Lehigh Valley Political Pulse," Fevig discussed her proposal to expand the county Election Board from three members to five — with two seats reserved for Democrats, two for Republicans and a fifth for the county’s next-largest voting bloc, currently unaffiliated and independent voters.
“One principle that’s always been really important to me is building coalitions and working across the aisle,” Fevig said. “The system in place … is inherently partisan.”
Right now, the board includes one Democrat, one Republican and the county executive, whose seat often serves as the deciding vote.
Fevig said the change is less about fixing current problems and more about protecting future elections.
“This is an area where we cannot afford a problem,” she said. “If we have a problem, it’s too late.”
She pointed to the rise of independent voters as another reason for the shift.
In 1992, about 11% of Lehigh County voters were registered as independent or unaffiliated, she said. Today, that number is 20%.
“So that is a full one-fifth of our county that has never had a seat at the table,” Fevig said.
She also rejected the idea that Democrats should keep control of the board to protect election integrity.
“I’m not a Democrat that subscribes to that, that thinks that Democrats have the monopoly on free and fair elections,” she said. “I think we only get to that together.”
Fevig said the proposal has strong bipartisan support and could get backing from eight of the county’s nine commissioners, along with support from current County Executive Josh Siegel, whose current swing vote would be eliminated under the plan.
The proposal also would create an open application process for election board seats instead of relying only on party nominations.
Fevig said she hopes the idea becomes a model for other counties.
“I think it’s a template for the future,” she said.
The measure is expected to come up for a final vote May 13.
Watch the full "Political Pulse" episode for more on how the proposal would work and what it could mean for future elections in Lehigh County.
Lehigh Valley Public Media is hosting a debate between Bradley Merkl-Gump and Mark Pinsley for Pennsylvania's 16th Senate District's Democratic Primary. Tune in to PBS39 or the PBS39 YouTube channel at 6 p.m. Tuesday to watch, or click HERE to register and be part of the studio audience.
