Letter: Former aide to lawmaker should not run elections

Editor:

In Pennsylvania, county election directors are appointed, not elected, to ensure that the office is nonpartisan and above the political fray. But trust in our elections process is at an all-time low, despite abundant evidence to the contrary, because the former president and his minions keep telling us it’s not trustworthy.

Among those pushing this dangerous lie is incoming Berks County election director Paige Riegner’s former boss, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who joined in the fight to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Riegner claims her work at the state House was legislative, not political, but as chief of staff her job was to support and defend the positions of her boss. When asked, she declined to say that the 2020 election was free and fair, so how can we trust her to oversee ours?

By selecting a political operative as elections director, our county commissioners have violated the public’s trust and the integrity of the office. Their actions mirror ongoing efforts by Republicans in Pennsylvania and other battleground states to undermine our democracy and guarantee that a loss like former President Donald Trump’s in 2020 won’t happen again.

We do need stability in the elections office, like we had under Debbie Olivieri’s capable longtime leadership. But more importantly, we need to be able to trust those in charge to ensure free and fair elections here in Berks. Our commissioners have betrayed that trust.

Jane Palmer
Wyomissing

Source: Berkshire mont