LWV Radnor President Emeritus Roberta Winters interviews LWV Student Intern William Meyer about the offices up for election this November. Filmed at the MLTV - Main Line TV Studios and broadcast on Friday, Oct 22, 2021.
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INTERVIEWER: Hello, I'm Roberta Winters, past president of the League of Women Voters of Radnor Township. As you probably know, there are two elections every year, one in the spring, which is the primary, and each fall we have either a general election, a presidential election, or a municipal election. And this year, on November 2nd, we will be holding a municipal election. League members recognize that each election is very important and your vote counts. We also want to make sure you get out to vote and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. Today I am delighted to have with me William Meyer who is a student at Radnor High School. He worked with me all summer long to try to find ways to encourage people who live in Radnor to participate in this fall's municipal election. William, can you tell the audience a little bit about yourself?
WILLIAM: Thank you for having me today. I am currently a sophomore at Radnor High School. Ilike to play squash and write for the school newspaper, the Radnorite. In fact, as a part of my summer internship with the League of Women Voters, I wrote an article on the upcoming election and what's on the ballot.
ROBERTA: Well, I hope everybody takes it home and shares that with their parents, because you're just the right person to be here to tell us about the municipal election. And just why are they so important? I know we hear a lot about the president, but we don't hear about what's going on in Radnor.
WILLIAM: Municipal Elections are actually impacting the impact of life more than those of the presidents. The individuals on your ballot control things like school taxes and trash pickup. Decisions that they make can make or break your day. They impact the lives of your children by determining the conditions of the parks and programs that they have, to the amount of homework there are assigned every night. No one likes potholes and it's up to them to determine how many wheel hits between Bryn Mawr and Strafford. They can even make decisions about the Senior Center in Wayne.
ROBERTA: Well, I can understand why they're so important and they make a big difference in our lives. What do you believe as a student will be the most important election that we have to look at as we look at that ballot. Who do we have to look at most closely?
WILLIAM: Definitely the school board. As you may know, the school board has gotten a lot of attention lately from the mascot change to COVID restrictions.
ROBERTA: I think that's happening all over the country. The school board seems to be like the bullseye that people are looking at. And just what does the school board do anyway, William?
WILLIAM: Well they adopt district policies that make a difference to me and everyone else in the community. They set standards such as courses that I take and what I need to graduate, including testing programs which dictate when I have to take those tests. I watch the work they've done to improve and renovate the field beside the high school. Hopefully it'll be ready next year for the football season and I can see football game at home. I'm sure the taxes you pay will reflect these improved facilities as well as other things like the books they approved for my classes. They also make choices about the teachers I have - their qualifications and the contracts. Believe it or not, they even had to approve the League of Women Voters student club at the high school.
ROBERTA: Well, I'm glad they approved the League of Women Voters student club at the high school, because we know sometimes those extracurricular activities really motivate students whether it's in the music program or the football program, so I that's really important that they look at every student club as well. But just how does it work anyway, if you're on a school board?
WILLIAM: Well, there are nine school board directors with four-year terms each. Elections held every odd year includes either four or five school board members running for office. This year there will be four running from each party. They, their meetings, agendas, and agendas are available online if you wish to see them and watch their meetings. You can also provide public input at all their meetings, whether it be in person or online.
ROBERTA: Well, that's really important because we have like Sunshine laws so they can't just make decisions in the darkness? They have to be out there in public letting us know what the agenda items are we can look in advance we can actually get online, but you have to check things out because with COVID, I know things are different than they used to be, you just can't always just show up.
WILLIAM: Definitely.
ROBERTA: So are there any other candidates on the ballot, William, that are kind of people should be thinking about? WILLIAM: Another really important role in local government is the Board of Commissioners. Their job includes setting township taxes for stores, restaurants and other businesses as well as their homes' real estate. They appoint members to advisory boards such as the Environmental Advisory Council the Parks and Recreation Board and the Shade Tree Commission. The Zoning Board that they appoint actually has legal authority to determine what can be built or what can be built and what not can be built in the township. We've all seen the big puddles in Radnor when it rains a lot.
ROBERTA: Oh, yeah.
WILLIAM:Mm-hmm, yeah. But the Board of Commissioners has the authority to address the stormwater issues that and have even levied a special fee to help pay for fixing the problem.
ROBERTA: Well you know I'm glad you mentioned all those subcommittees, because if people want to get involved, you can actually put your name in, so you can serve on the Environmental Advisory Board. I think there were three vacancies still on that board. It's important that everybody gets involved because that shade tree in your yard may be the subject of someone else's issue down the road, so these committees are very important, so check it out because even if you're not a commissioner, you can still be involved.
WILLIAM: Yeah, and there's a lot of different, like, boards I can join, and there's -- when I first figured out, when I was part of the League of Women Voters, I was making reports on different meetings and I was so struck to see how many different committees there were.
ROBERTA: And that's how you learned a lot about local government, just turn on the TV and you can watch them.
WILLIAM: Exactly.
ROBERTA: Well, there are seven commissioners, I think, aren't there? Can you tell me a little bit about the, how many are there, and how that works?
WILLIAM: Exactly. There are seven commissioners who are elected and represent each of Radnor's different Wards, seven to be exact. This November's, um, voters will select commissioners from Wards two, three, four, and six. Usually they would only be from even wards; however, this year there's a special election for the third ward for an open vacancy.
ROBERTA: Well you know that third ward is interesting, because there's an independent running for that seat as well as another candidate. So that's like the first time in Radnor we- that I can recall that we've had an independent running for a commissioner position, so it'll be interesting to see how that works out. And I think there are also some elections beyond just the school board and beyond the commissioners at the county level. And people don't often think about Delaware County, because we're sort of on the side of the county, but what's going on there?
WILLIAM: Well, actually there is the County Council, and we will be electing two of the five members this year. They have an important role in overseeing elections, which we've heard a lot about recently, overseeing elections. They are responsible for providing county services, including the recently approved Health Department, Waste Disposal, Family Services, and even prisons. As a result of our municipal elections, those we select to serve have their own budgets and raise their funds through taxes and bonds to pay for the services they provide.
ROBERTA: So in other words we've got people in the county, and I think the seat is over there in Media, they look at all the elections, they operate in ways that we don't even see, in terms of things like you say, the sewer systems and that stuff- WILLIAM: Yeah. ROBERTA: -but without them we'd be in really dire straits, when you think about it. WILLIAM: mm-hmm. it's true.
ROBERTA: I think there are also some people who are, like, part of the judicial system that will be on the ballot. Can you tell us a little bit how that works?
WILLIAM: well i think you are talking about judges, and there are as you can imagine a lot of judges, some more important than others. At the most basic level, there are local magistrates that have their own courts. They decide small claims and may even decide whether you have to pay your parking ticket. They issue warrants for searches and arrests and can even conduct preliminary hearings in criminal matters.
ROBERTA: Well, those magistrates you don't think much about but they do make a difference. I've actually brought something to a magistrate's court to be settled, so. But what's - I know there are other judges beyond just those local magistrates, though, so can you talk about those?
WILLIAM: Mmmhmm. Yeah, the next level are the judges in the Common-- Court of Common Pleas. They deal with both civil and criminal cases, what's on the ballot, um, they are affiliated with major parties and once elected they serve 10 year terms, which is obviously very long. I've been alive for 15 years, that's like--
ROBERTA: so [both laugh]
WILLIAM: --for me just thinking about that, that's a long time. And then, once, after one term the voters can choose to retain or remove them from office with a simple yes or no vote. This November, voters will choose three new judges in partisan elections.
ROBERTA: I know the partisan elections is always a little bit dicey, because the League has things that judges should be non-partisan, because we don't want them deciding based on a political party, but right now in Pennsylvania that's the way it works and those 10-year terms, as you say that's more than half your life they've been serving on the bench. So, what about other judges beyond the Court of Common Pleas?
WILLIAM: Well, there will be three judges of the Court of Common Pleas and two for Superior Court as before that will stand for retention this year in order to remain on the bench, with also a yes or no vote, and then, um, there will not be any candidates for the higher courts of election, though.
ROBERTA: So. I know when people are looking at judges it's kind of hard to figure out who you should vote for.
WILLIAM: Yeah.
ROBERTA: and I know you can go to Vote411 and we have all the candidates listed and they can put their comments up there, but judges it's a little tricky. So are there any good places you know of to get information about those judges before you cast your ballot?
WILLIAM: Well one good place to find information about judges is the Pennsylvania Bar Association. They rate the candidates. And also as you were saying VOTE411. They also have interviews too with the different candidates on different topics.
ROBERTA: So if you go to 4-1-1 I think this, at the state level they actually did forums, and actually you know had people talk about different questions, and you can go to that VOTE411 and link to perhaps a candidate debate or a forum so you can find out more about the judges or some of the other candidates, so that's really good to know.
WILLIAM: Yeah.
ROBERTA:Yes, I think there's even a debate about the County Council going on, that people, they want to see who's up and running can check out that.
WILLIAM: Yeah it's very useful.
ROBERTA: So. The thing I want to know about is the elections, a little bit more, because it seems like every time I open the paper, turn on the news, there's something about elections. And I want to know if there's something that we're going to vote on on November 2nd that'll help our elections appear to be safer and more secure than some people believe they are. So how can we work on maintaining our elections and making sure they have integrity?
WILLIAM: Yeah, exactly. As you're saying the security and elections has been a big deal lately, and at each polling place as you're referenced to there are three important people that you will be electing. The first is the Judge of Elections. They are like the boss. They supervise all election activities and personnel inside the polls, and they also have the power to open and close the site, and return those results to the county.
ROBERTA: Wow, they are important. Well, how about the other people I see at the polls? Aren't there some people there beside the one who's in charge?
WILLIAM: Yeah. You'll also see the Majority and Minority Inspectors of the election. They work together to ensure a bipartisan representation that along the voting polls and at the voting places. They manage the poll books and have that have the voters names and signatures in them and assist voters as appropriate. They also appoint a Machine Operator who keeps things running smoothly.
ROBERTA: Now, I know that the poll books are the things that have your names in them and they check your signature to make them and one of the things I like about voting in Radnor is most of the people know everybody else, so they-- it's not like they have to check your ID. But if you're a first-time voter you might have to have an ID check.
WILLIAM: exactly
ROBERTA: but if i wanted to go and find out more about these candidates for like School Board or County Council or Commissioners, what do i do?
WILLIAM: Well, go to VOTE411 as you were saying earlier, VOTE411.org to be exact. They have a voter's guide that tells you about all the positions and who is running for them. Each candidate has a space to enter personal information and answer important questions about issues at which voters most care about.
ROBERTA: Is there anything else on VOTE411 besides the candidate information, maybe stuff about the forums or interviews?
WILLIAM: Well you can put your zip code in and you can see a sample ballot, find your polling place, check about deadlines and verify your registration.
ROBERTA: Well I think today is the 18th, so today is the last day you can register, so if you didn't register before you saw this, it's too late now.
WILLIAM: Yeah.
ROBERTA: Try to get in your registration before the next election in the spring.
WILLIAM: mmhmm.
ROBERTA: And the other thing, William, I want you to make sure you tell the high school kids, if they turn 18 between November 3rd and the next election in May, they can register on November 3rd. So as long as you're 18 by the next election, which is the primary in May, you can register to vote right away.
WILLIAM: Exactly.
ROBERTA: After the election. November third. so.
WILLIAM: Yeah. Next election is in May, to be exact.
ROBERTA: So. Now suppose when I go to the polls I have a problem. You know, sometimes something happens. It happens, everybody has a bad day. So what do I do if I have a problem at the polls?
WILLIAM: um, well you can go to VOTE411 and there's also like various hotline numbers, just like ask. And they have information in English, Spanish, Arabic and other Asian languages which you can get --call them and they'll help you with that.
ROBERTA: So I don't even have to speak English to get help.
WILLIAM: No.
ROBERTA: I know we have like a registration forms and stuff and now in Spanish, but I can go to VOTE411, have it in different languages, find out what I do if there's a problem and I'm getting a hard time for some reason? That's really good. WILLIAM: Yeah, for example, my grandma she speaks mainly Korean, so if she wanted to vote then she can go to VOTE411.
ROBERTA: and find it all out in a language she would understand.
WILLIAM: Exactly.
ROBERTA: That's really great.
WILLIAM:Yeah, it's really amazing.
ROBERTA: Now suppose if I want to vote by mail or I'll be away from home on November 2nd, you know, I'm -- things happen and, or you know, even with COVID now I know people who are very sensitive to feeling their immunosuppressed may not want to go to the polls, what do they need to do?
WILLIAM: um they go to votespa.gov it's used, it used to be called votespa.com and both addresses will work for this election? There you can register to for to vote by mail and absentee values, if you need it. They even have information about first time voting and what your experience should look like.
ROBERTA: So if I want to know what the machines look like, I can go there find out at votespa.com we would sometimes call it "vote spa," you know, but anyway: votespa. The other thing is right now I believe the ballot the mailboxes are open if you want to insert your ballots now in the drop boxes they're already open and if you find out you have to be away for some reason, you can go to Media, you can actually sign up for your mail-in ballot, fill it out, and deposit right then and there. because i think right now the mails may be a little tricky but if you go to the Elections office in Media, get some help, find out what you need to do, and you'll be able to vote even if you won't not didn't expect to have to be away, or perhaps have reservations about going to the polls on November 2nd. So there's usually a way to vote and we're trying to do everything as League members to make sure that opportunity is available to you. So if you have questions, go to Vote411 go to votespa.com "vote spa" and you'll get lots of help and always remember Delaware County is the one who controls the elections for us in Radnor, so you can call those offices and get the help you need. There's a great website there. So, William. This is really great and I know like first-time voters like you'll be in a few years have these special things they have to bring with them and if they don't have a driver's license they have other options and so forth. But um again that's all at votespa.com
WILLIAM: yeah
ROBERTA: Is there anything else you need to tell us, William? You've told us about the School Board and the Commissioners and the County Council and the Magistrates and the different Judges
WILLIAM: yeah
ROBERTA:,and where to get all the information so what else do we need to know today?
WILLIAM: Well, above all, no matter how you vote on November 2nd, just do it. Just like how Nike says you know it's their logo.
ROBERTA: so just use the Nike logo and say just do it
WILLIAM: Yeah, whenever you see Nike, someone's like go vote.
ROBERTA: Go vote. So if you look at somebody's sneakers, that should remind you.
WILLIAM: Exactly.
ROBERTA: Go vote. Well, thanks so much, William, for being here today and helping Radnor's here[sound interruption] people who are eligible to vote in Radnor and elsewhere to know about this important municipal election on November 2nd. You'll be out of school on November 2nd and so you know you can help at the polls. There's actually paid jobs for the students who are 17 and 18 to work at the polls and for anybody else who needs a job for a day or want to do something civically that's important for the democracy to work and your votes to count, there are positions you can hold and you can go to Delaware County Bureau of Elections, find out what's available, sign up today and make a difference on November 2nd. Well, as many of you know the League of Women Voters was founded as a result of the Suffrage movement and that was a way in which we got a voice in our government. Voting is our most precious right and that becomes increasingly more important in our local county, state, and national elections. Please consider joining us as we try to help make democracy work at lwvradnor.org and I'd like to again thank you, William, for coming today and for you the audience, for paying attention to this important message that we have for you we cannot express our gratitude enough to the staff of Mainline Television 21 for their continued support and expertise in our efforts to educate you the public about the importance of civic participation. Thank you.