Illegal Re-Alignment of Precincts in 157th House Race
Obama won this precinct in 2012 by 322 to 174
Chester County Voter Services Attempts To Tamper With Election
Ploy Would Cause Massive Confusion, Disenfranchise Voters
Leo J. Scoda, chair of the Phoenixville Democratic Committee and former mayor of the Phoenixville borough, released the following statement regarding Chester County Voter Services October 1st decision to move Precinct 477 West 1 out of the 157th House of Representatives District into 155th House of Representatives:
“In a last minute scheme to hijack the competitive race in the 157th House of Representatives District, the Republicans in the Chester County Voter Services have decided to move voters out of the 157th and into the 155th just 34 days before the general election. This action would essentially discount affected citizens’ primary election votes in the 157th, where Democrat Marian Moskowitz is challenging Republican Warren Kampf for the State House seat. The vote is set to be a close one between the two in November and a change like this, a month out, could decide the election.
“This kind of political game undermines and puts a stain on the election process. It stands to shift the political landscape of the region without consent of the voters involved.
“Voters who voted in the 157th in the primary are now supposed to be voting in the 155th in the general, which not only throws the race into massive confusion, but also violates the core principles of the Pennsylvania Constitution. If West 1 was to be moved, it had to be done before the primary election and not afterwards.
“This action not only further disenfranchises the borough of Phoenixville, but would also violate the Constitution which clearly states that municipalities and precincts should not be subdivided.
“By trying to move these voters out of the 157th and into the 155th, the Chester County Voter Services are clearly disregarding laws that require redistricting to keep districts in as equal population as possible.
Today, we are immediately calling on James Forsythe, the director of Chester County Voter Services, the Chester County Election Board to reverse this decision immediately. There is an entire group of voters who have already voted for Marian Moskowitz and Warren Kampf who deserve to choose between the two of them in November.
“The integrity of this election requires swift and immediate action.
