The May primary election matters, but not everyone gets to vote — which needs to change

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
In a few weeks, Pennsylvanians will go to the polls in what can be the most overlooked election we have: the off-year municipal primary, May 16. You may have your mail in ballot — as I do — don’t lose it or disregard it.
Even with much easier mail-in voting, too many people will pass on their chance to vote. Additionally, as these are primary...
County officials: election process running smoothly

Chester County’s Department of Voter Services reports that the vote computation process from Tuesday’s primary election continues to run smoothly with all precincts accounted for and only provisional and military/overseas civilians’ ballots still to be counted.
“We prepared for this election for many months to ensure every citizen in our county not only knew their vote would be properly...
Move to remove WCASD board members is an attack on democracy

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
Court of Common Pleas Judge William P. Mahon vacated his order Friday removing five members of the West Chester Area School District Board of Education — but the case and the possibility that duly-elected public officials could be removed from office remains a possibility.
So for now, Sue Tiernan, Joyce Chester, Kate Shaw, Karen Herrmann and Daryl...
Op/Ed: Gerrymandering cheats voters

By Mike Hays, Special to The Times
Mike Hays
One of the most abhorrent and undemocratic things about gerrymandering is how it stifles competition. As a new teacher in Pennsylvania, I have been thinking about how I might explain gerrymandering to my 8th grade class.
Full disclosure: I am not an innocent bystander, having run for the PA House 26th District in 2012 as an underfunded, yet determined,...
Extreme Pa. GOP mapping its own demise

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
You’ve probably heard about the old story about the dog who finally caught the car — and didn’t know what to do with it.
In Pennsylvania, of late, assume legislative Republicans are the dog grabbing the rear bumper, but one who doesn’t see the reverse lights suddenly turn on.
They’ve already moved to take emergency declaration power away...
Editorial: An electoral shock to the system needed to save GOP

As has been the case since the earliest days of The Times, we had planned to make endorsements in all of the 2018 elections.
We expected, again, to endorse a combination of Democratic and Republican candidates — based entirely on who we saw as likely serving as the best possible public servants. While we often did not agree with a candidate’s ideology, we were able to credit work ethic, honesty...
NAACP to hold elections, Nov. 5

The election of officers and at-large members of the Executive Committee for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Coatesville Area Branch Unit #2257, will take place on November 5, 2018 at the Coatesville High School, 1425 E Lincoln Hwy,
Coatesville PA 19320 in Bldg. 9/10 in the Large Group Room. Polls will be open from 5pm to 9pm ET. In order to vote in a Branch election,...
SHOCKER: Democrats sweep row offices, win up and down ballot

Updated: 3 p.m. with Comments from Chesco Dems chair Brian McGinnis
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Democrats (from left) Patricia Maisano for County Treasurer, Christina VandePol, Coroner, Margaret Reif, Controller and Yolanda Van de Krol , Clerk of Courts, swept to historic wins, Tuesday. Photo courtesy Chester County Democratic Committee.
Chester County’s Democrats won a stunning victory...
Don’t forget there are important races in 2017, too

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Tanned, rested and ready — amazing what the blue waters of the Caribbean and lots of odd beverages with paper umbrellas will do for the soul — and ready to jump into the burning dumpster fire that is politics, 2017.
While Republicans in the U.S. Senate debates various health bills that will likely cost them both their Senate majority and the U.S. House —...
The AHCA: the perfect bill…to hate

Deeply flawed health-care bill will raise taxes, unemploy local Congress members
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Having read through the new Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act, the — the American Health Care Act — I’m left with just one thought:
I guess we’re going to find out how Lloyd Smucker, Pat Meehan and Ryan Costello fare in the private sector if this mess somehow...