Ballot drop box sign

EASTON, Pa. – Three residents complained to Northampton County Council about the security of ballot drop boxes Thursday night, but there will be no armed guards watching people drop off their votes. 

Sheryl Gerkovich of Nazareth said the county should increase security to reduce suspicion about voting fraud. 

Councilwoman Margaret Ferraro, a Republican, said county sheriffs should be watching the boxes to block "ballot harvesting," which occurs when one person collects and leaves multiple ballots.  

Former President Donald Trump and some of his allies have challenged the validity of the 2020 election, claiming ballot fraud. 

County Executive Lamont McClure, a Democrat, said the county has four drop boxes: one in the courthouse in Easton, one in Bethlehem City Hall, another at the county's 911 center, and the fourth at the Human Services Building in Bethlehem Township.  

"All four are under 24-hour surveillance," he said, adding that having armed guards near them would be illegal. 

That, according to county Elections Division lawyer Richard Santee, would be defined as "voter intimidation" and is illegal. 

Prohibiting security guards at the drop boxes shows "there is no common sense in government," Ferraro said. 

Councilman Kerry Myers objected, with feeling. 

Kerry Myers Tara Zrinski Northampton County Council

Northampton County Councilman Kerry Myers and Councilwoman Tara Zrinski. 

"As the only man of color sitting here, (voter intimidation) was used as a tool to keep people like me from voting," he said. 

Councilwoman Tara Zrinski said she is concerned that self-appointed ballot monitors could discourage people from voting. Santee said interfering with the right to vote is illegal.  

McClure said the law requires a person to drop off only their own ballot, except when a disabled voter designates someone to deliver it for them. 

Lehigh County resident Ashleigh Strange, who said she represents a group known as Lehigh Valley Stands Up, agreed that ballots should be secure, but that voting should be made easier.  

County council also named an archery center in honor of former County Executive Gerald Seyfried on Thursday, and approved about $5.7 million in grants to local small businesses, nonprofit groups and municipalities.

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