[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6589245,"mediaKeyId","5681276-d43587a4bd3e6c3d2d8fb9f8d54456f3","parentId",5681276,"title","Board authorizes Haverford Township redistricting court filing; waives three campaign-finance fines and approves meeting minutes","audioSeconds",979,"startMs",2435000,"endMs",3414000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681276-d43587a4bd3e6c3d2d8fb9f8d54456f3&start=2435&end=3414","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681276-d43587a4bd3e6c3d2d8fb9f8d54456f3/thumbnail_2435000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6589245/Delaware-County/Pennsylvania/Board-authorizes-Haverford-Township-redistricting-court-filing-waives-three-campaign-finance-fines-and-approves-meeting-minutes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6589245-eb242a2e7136a012560c6fb580a3abdb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112859&Signature=Bi4ihi9Rvs-IAfx~2pCEXPRCpuliDDfuOYL-ZcwPp79ZYWFbzRSdhT-Rlrtn-y0PX0i~TVZuUTPJLBN4TiFrg71hMnb0f6FZ2h98Dnjd~pFYcMLO3HdxFKe9lSBRLRPbNXCOvTBENn2o2trw5fM2xbIuGUPgVTdV5vlqxQ3u6v3y0X4wsQRrCaJk0LIwtl0lItcHSnR3Sx0JN5isTgFxNhg~QqG8w3Lp6Q09e7t~iW~6iaPc2fL3zkI8QkHsXsv1XrQ7lPW3C5TbZUQhuR27ihEYRya-5JvD0XZdhJs75X2OVpyu~0zX3YPg2JiGbK50knNhJKwL8CKDaN~8upbKPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Delaware County, PA","date","2025-08-27T02:31:18Z","article","The Delaware County Board of Elections voted unanimously on Aug. 26 to authorize county staff to file in court on a Haverford Township redistricting ordinance that adjusts the boundary between two precincts, board members announced.

The board also approved three campaign-finance waiver requests recommended by Lisa Jackson, the county’s campaign finance supervisor. Jackson presented waiver requests for the Lansdowne Republican Party (county fines about $1,500; recommendation: waive county-level fees), the Democratic Committee of Sharon Hill (treasurer brought reports up to date; recommendation: waive $500 in county late fees), and the Darby Borough Democratic Committee (fees about $870; recommendation: waive county-level fines while the new treasurer works to bring reports current). Jackson told the board the state of Pennsylvania has separate enforcement and does not waive state fines.

The board additionally approved minutes from the January, March, April, May and June 2025 meetings.

Votes at a glance
- Motion: Authorize staff to file in court on the Haverford Township redistricting ordinance. Outcome: approved, unanimous (aye). Notes: Board member discussion described the redistricting as a minor boundary adjustment following the decennial census; staff will forward the verbal descriptions to the Department of State and return to the board for final action after any court confirmation.
- Motion: Grant campaign-finance waivers for three local committees as recommended by the campaign finance supervisor (Lansdowne Republican Party; Democratic Committee of Sharon Hill; Darby Borough Democratic Committee). Outcome: approved, unanimous (aye). Notes: County waivers apply only to county-level fines; state fines remain the state’s responsibility.
- Motion: Approve minutes for January, March, April, May and June 2025. Outcome: approved, unanimous (aye).

Board procedure and clarifications: Jackson and other board members emphasized that the county’s longstanding policy is generally to waive first-time, teachable violations while withholding waivers for repeat offenders. Board members said they expect clearer communication to committees and treasurers about responsibilities to avoid repeat problems.

The motions passed by voice vote with all members saying “aye.”","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Elections Public Meeting 8.26.25 9am","oneSentenceSummary","The Delaware County Board of Elections voted unanimously on Aug. 26 to authorize a court filing for a Haverford Township redistricting ordinance, approved three campaign-finance waiver requests for local committees, and approved minutes from earlier 2025 meetings.","taxTitle","Delaware County, Pennsylvania","taxId",52111,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6589251,"Delaware County outlines 2025 municipal election preparations and pilots electronic poll-book connectivity",421,1083000,1504000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681276-d43587a4bd3e6c3d2d8fb9f8d54456f3&start=1083&end=1504","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681276-d43587a4bd3e6c3d2d8fb9f8d54456f3/thumbnail_1083000.jpg","/articles/6589251/Delaware-County/Pennsylvania/Delaware-County-outlines-2025-municipal-election-preparations-and-pilots-electronic-poll-book-connectivity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6589251-b84f0e16a58f7ab3f43c52a19be3f0e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112859&Signature=TM1O2HLdB2z8jbFF7tA7kmSCehmQYyZSht2rDKVReeLY3a~CmUiEPzHjH~u7zBH-LLho4Ms8NPV7wlruhkIp3dRWXK9bmtcWI3P25-cDdM5l-IIhZx~mHKzKGu~HewNxORfzg1GWR4wcukiQ3J2zYjo3JRivpzV7rdEk-~IPhI39p5xbJsXZLaprXRditrgsEHIqDIZex8OfX2MYrmWzpCP5n2GYgv6SQtjzgRti~yYaDylWNaB-DWGHFhVhA7GoDBjRZoEdTgpq4meF4zUsuWCtKN-VtgPeVP5gL38ixIP94O8hKVRX0Y1a~BrE0QsuTqQM-ZuD-oaMqOXtKwU6Rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Delaware County elections staff told the Board of Elections on Aug. 26 that preparation for the 2025 municipal elections is well underway, with equipment calibration, candidate filings, voter-registration work and poll-worker recruitment ongoing. Jim Allen, presenting the director’s report, said the county expects more than 2,200 people to work polling places on election day.

Allen described a planned pilot demonstration, targeting about Sept. 17, to test full connectivity for electronic poll books (e-pollbooks) using data from a prior election. The pilot would simulate pushing turnout and mail-ballot-arrival information to poll pads so poll workers can print midday reports (sometimes called “strike lists”) and reduce the need for provisional ballots when a voter’s mail ballot shows as received.

“This is something that was unimaginable with paper poll books years ago,” Allen said, describing real-time push updates and an audit log of who made corrections and why. The county plans to document the pilot for the Pennsylvania Department of State in hopes the state will consider broader certification and use.

Board members asked whether the pilot would be conducted in a bipartisan way. Allen said training and procedures would be identical across poll workers and that the feature is part of certified equipment functions. He also confirmed staff will include instruction for poll workers and that any midday printing would not require continuous internet connectivity at precincts.

Other operational details: Staff said they continue to process mail and absentee applications and complete equipment checks before loading ballots. Voter-registration list maintenance was completed in July; staff reported mailing more than 11,000 address-verification letters and noted about 2,654 returns, including 1,186 undeliverable responses and 762 cancellations due to moves out of state.

What’s next: County staff will run the e-pollbook pilot, continue poll-worker training and document findings for the Department of State. Board members requested careful, bipartisan rollout and clear communication to parties and poll-watchers about any new procedures during the pilot.","Elections staff told the board they are calibrating equipment, processing absentee ballots, training poll workers and planning a Sept. 17 pilot of connected electronic poll books to test midday reporting and real-time updates to reduce provisional ballots.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6589255,"Delaware County files court notices for 46 precinct consolidations; officials say changes aim to improve staffing and reduce costs",665,1671000,2336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681276-d43587a4bd3e6c3d2d8fb9f8d54456f3&start=1671&end=2336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681276-d43587a4bd3e6c3d2d8fb9f8d54456f3/thumbnail_1671000.jpg","/articles/6589255/Delaware-County/Pennsylvania/Delaware-County-files-court-notices-for-46-precinct-consolidations-officials-say-changes-aim-to-improve-staffing-and-reduce-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6589255-31e62c821634dec6cc7ce9e310b9de2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112859&Signature=JFrWObYMQufjxk6lt4M2lA9iO-RDmETH8T-vEZ1HbgCRkp3kicKCM42nReXRr4z5gaxlRbSLeC2eW7To91EPVg9uilFkd1KAcMLRBAnfBM6DdlmrcP~sd~AS7dJzVevOg~6zMQ8BYkHRvYmlDLrCKYU1BLyYNUASfnJSZ4--1QcT1lFVEmJwnL4EY7tpfq5zszlL~9M1E9nNCkOsdvI6fgmwvdzCjZH6ct2CLVlULEWytJHjiPoSh0nBKGr-s2NNk7bjx-cF9LeDfmXvoFHvEpaOzuE~HQbsRCWXEE~oke3aHN4lL9kH9k1qdePIGLE8ugNeM3CD0rBiPNtW3Ul26g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Delaware County elections staff filed court notices in late July seeking approval to consolidate 46 pairs/trios of precincts in municipalities across the county, officials told the Board of Elections on Aug. 26. County staff said they posted more than 400 signs in affected communities and are awaiting judicial rulings before bringing final precinct consolidation ordinances back to the board.

The consolidations cover many boroughs and townships including Darby Township, East Lansdowne, Eddystone, Folcroft, Glenolden, Lansdowne, Nether Providence, Prospect Park, Ridley Township, Sharon Hill, Trainer Borough, Chester City and Township, Clifton Heights, Collingdale, Marcus Hook, Norwood, Upland, and Upper Darby. Elections staff said they removed a few pairs from the list after identifying imprecise legal boundary descriptions in older records.

Why it matters: County officials described pressing, recurring difficulties finding and staffing poll-worker panels in small precincts. “Some of these consolidations when they’re combined are still smaller than many other precincts that are operating and have been operating just fine,” Jim Allen, elections staff presenter, said. Officials estimate roughly $100,000 per year in savings on poll-worker panels alone, not including programming, trucking, and warehouse labor.

Next steps: County staff said they will wait for court rulings from the Court of Common Pleas. If some or all consolidations are approved by the courts and by the Department of State, staff expect to implement the easiest dozen or so by this fall, with the remaining consolidations handled between November and February. Staff emphasized they will mail notices to voters in affected precincts, explaining any change in precinct numbering and confirming whether polling locations remain the same.

Operational details: Elections staff said many consolidations are straightforward because pairs already vote at the same physical location; consolidation would reduce duplicated check-in tables and equipment setups. County planners assisted in preparing maps. Officials also noted that many precincts lacked sufficient poll workers during the primary and that municipal and party leaders had asked staff to pursue consolidations.

Board members asked for clear public notice and time for poll-worker recruitment and training; staff said they had posted the legally required notices—about 10 signs per pair of precincts—and had spoken with municipal leaders in several boroughs.","County elections staff filed for consolidation in dozens of small precincts and posted hundreds of notices; officials said consolidations address chronic poll-worker shortages and could save roughly $100,000 a year in panel staffing costs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6589260,"Third Circuit affirms lower-court ruling; Delaware County will continue counting misdated or undated mail ballots",650,4030000,4680000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681276-d43587a4bd3e6c3d2d8fb9f8d54456f3&start=4030&end=4680","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681276-d43587a4bd3e6c3d2d8fb9f8d54456f3/thumbnail_4030000.jpg","/articles/6589260/Delaware-County/Pennsylvania/Third-Circuit-affirms-lower-court-ruling-Delaware-County-will-continue-counting-misdated-or-undated-mail-ballots","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6589260-c231bd4a799a233db325fb4e5b878f9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112859&Signature=F91i4UxekTfpm2os37WrkzIagbqWCo9rliKFYZpWHhrcHxpXpZbDJ9f2E24PCLe-JBIdwSU96Y5gbCbI3zrMJVnL-P3XlceSl4aRSsH0Z7GFbSYU6opvEZQXDuqqAdruhyLqY1LNi70QuWAHB7T8Ab8~QfrmAvoPm3JrckSK4l~U5d2c3GV9a7FkGOA2-UOPTP855aSOurive1lI4amfSadUR9nEVjgwgzdi9nN~MFX~3c7~QauS55Va~kGT4gf3i8HdBSlzv~ZQaOy2XMx4QgStvdT3sf3Z2AZbxM4kokfzHiDxsQ-7QTIWOGV9BYCCtqb0V2LFdccpzJmGa0utAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a unanimous precedential opinion in Eakin v. Adams County, affirming a lower court ruling that mail and absentee ballots should not be discarded solely because the outer envelope lacked a date or contained an incorrect date. Board member Parks told the Delaware County Board of Elections on Aug. 26 that the ruling means the county’s recent practice of counting such ballots during the 2025 primary will continue.

The ruling resolves litigation dating to February 2022 over whether Pennsylvania’s requirement that outer envelopes be dated prevents counting otherwise-valid ballots. “The third circuit has now formalized that ruling as of this morning, and we will continue to be counting those ballots pending any further proceedings in that case,” Parks said during the meeting.

Why it matters: The question had produced differing directives across courts and elections offices and affected how counties handled mail ballots in tight timeframes. County officials said the decision provides immediate operational clarity for fall elections, while also noting the possibility of further appeals or en banc review.

What the county will do now: Elections staff said they will continue to print and distribute outer-envelope instructions that include a date line “just in case” the issue returns to state or federal courts. The county also plans to monitor the docket for any next steps, including an en banc request or a petition for review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Parks advised the public that the county intends to follow whatever future court orders may arise.

Context from the meeting: County staff and board members described the litigation’s procedural history: a district-court injunction, a third-circuit reversal of an earlier decision, and the district court’s later constitutional ruling that was affirmed by the panel this morning. Parks said the case had been active for several years and that the recent opinion applies to the counting practices used in the 2025 primary.

Staff note: Elections personnel emphasized they will still instruct voters to write today’s date on the outer envelope (not birth dates or other references) to avoid confusion if the law changes again on short notice.

Looking ahead: The county will watch for any filings seeking en banc review by the Third Circuit or certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court and will comply with any subsequent orders.","A federal appeals court issued a precedential opinion in Eakin v. Adams County affirming a district court order that ballots with missing or incorrect dates on their outer envelopes should not be discarded; Delaware County elections officials said they will continue current practice and will keep instructing voters to date envelopes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board authorizes Haverford Township redistricting court filing; waives three campaign-finance fines and approves meeting minutes

Delaware County outlines 2025 municipal election preparations and pilots electronic poll-book connectivity

Delaware County files court notices for 46 precinct consolidations; officials say changes aim to improve staffing and reduce costs

Third Circuit affirms lower-court ruling; Delaware County will continue counting misdated or undated mail ballots