At their meeting last Thursday, Northampton County Council voted to re-appoint Scott Hough to the Elections Comm'n. Julie Geissinger, wife of GOP Chair Glenn Geissinger, was also appointed. These are the Republican designees to the five-member Elections Commission, and are the persons recommended by Geissinger.
Under the Home Rule Charter, the party chairs are required to submit the names of five individuals who are willing to serve. The Executive nominates from that list, with the majority party getting three members and the minority party getting two. County Council must confirm the nominations by majority vote.
In order to ensure that his two picks received the Executive's nomination, Geissinger only provided two names. They were his wife and Scott Hough, an elections commissioner who refused to certify the 2023 results.
The elections commission appointments were included in a slate of appointments to various boards and agencies.
County Council member Kelly Keegan asked to have the vote for the elections commission conducted separately, but her motion failed. Keegan was joined by Council members Ken Kraft and Jeff Warren in seeking a separate vote.
Though there was no discussion, Hough refused to certify the elections results despite being advised by the attorney representing the elections commission that the vote to certify was mandatory and not discretionary.
A vote to certify the elections results simply means that those are the figures computed, niot that they are accurate. It is what starts the clock ticking for legal challenges that could make that determination.
All Republicans were joined by Democrats Ron Heckman and Lori Vargo-Heffner in voting No to a separate vote.
Having failed to separate the vote on the elections commission from other agencies and boards, Council voted 7-1 to confirm all appointments, with Ken Kraft being the sole No vote.
Council's action reappoints an elections commissioner who violated the law by refusing to certify the election results even though he is mandated to edo so under the Elections Code.
16 comments:
Protest votes are as American as apple pie. I'm glad he voted in protest and support him wholeheartedly. I remember when Dems were big on protest. Now, they only show up to hate Jews and demand more dough for nazis in Ukraine. The wheel turns ....
As I've said many times GOP GG is a clown who relies on people of most questionable ethics to do his bidding. I was elected to office in spite of the harassment dished out by the ncrc under GOP GGs watch. The flagrant nepotism is disgusting and that's why he had his wife installed. So when the next machine fiasco occurs he can say he sent a representative unlike last time. When you go to the circus......expect to see clowns. What a shame!
Dumbass
I agree with Kraft on this one. Hough made some excellent points during his tenure and I really think the county needs to review the elections commission and their exact powers. What is happening in practice appears to be at odds with both the Charter and the Elections Code. But that is no justification for going rogue. Houck failed to follow both the Elections Code and instructions from the solicitor.
curious to know what the rejection rate was of mail in ballots in 2023. You have this? Would love to know the rejection rate of the last presidential election. With more mail in ballots there should be more rejection. Rate?
Dumbass has issues with the R County Chairman, multiple Area Chairman, and at least 4 members current and past members of the Northampton Area School Board as well as the previous board president (who he ranted about in an unhinged monologue at the last meeting).
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Dumbass is the problem.
Dumbass truly is a Dumbass.
Congratulations, Scott and Julia. I could comment on dumbass but that would be a waste of time.
Bernie O’Hare said: “…Hough refused to certify the elections results despite being advised by the attorney representing the elections commission that the vote to certify was mandatory and not discretionary.”
I’d say he was given bad legal advice. If voting a certain way is mandatory, it’s not really a vote.
I’d note that the fact that he wasn’t fined, removed, or sent to prison is proof positive that he wasn’t required to vote to certify.
If only other elected and appointed officials had such common sense and willingness to question authority.
Congratulations to both on their appointments.
If not legal as per charter, why did McClure forward it to council? Why no statement like many other times? Why didn't he protest to the courts? Also, the election commission lawyer is a McClure appointee handed to them. What is the point and purpose of a commission with no real authority? Keegan should have explained her rationale, if she didn't it's on her.
"I’d say he was given bad legal advice. If voting a certain way is mandatory, it’s not really a vote."
The one correct statement you make is that it's not really a vote. That is correct. It is a certification, and it is mandatory, not precatory. Unless there is an existing challenge or an outstanding petition for a recount, state law (25 P.S. Section 3154) mandates that they certify. That is what sets the clock for other challenges that could have been filed.
The commissioners were given the correct legal advice. Scott Hough chose to go rogue and ignore it. Had a majority refused to do so, a mandamus action would force certification or contempt. This is not a game. You don't refuse to certify the results as reported by the official canvass.
Hough chose to listen to GOP Chair Geissinger and numerous upset people instead of following the law.
Let ne add that, while Republican lawyers were present at the certification meeting, not a single one of them advocated a refusal to certify.
"If not legal as per charter, why did McClure forward it to council?"
McClure could have refused to forward the names submitted by Geissinger bc that action gives the Exec no choice . He wisely chose to forward the two names submitted instead of engaging in government by litigation.
They still show up once in a while to vilify the cops as and cheer on the criminals and illegals. Don’t be so negative 7:13AM.
Hi GOP GG
The ranting you speak off also resulting in a majority of the board agreeing with the person you speak of. Your argument sucks and yet im the dumbass. You people are amazing. Keep losing and crying why you dont understand. As for me I work for the people and will execute their will to the fullest! Im not controlled by GOP GG or his minions so obviously I must be unhinged. LMAO. As I stated earlier expect to see clowns when you go to the circus!
Dumbass
Bernie O’Hare (3:15) said:
Bernie O'HareJanuary 25, 2024 at 3:18 PM
"I’d say he was given bad legal advice. If voting a certain way is mandatory, it’s not really a vote."
The one correct statement you make is that it's not really a vote.
———————————————————
So now “…it’s not really a vote.” But in the original post he was “…advised by the attorney representing the elections commission that the VOTE to certify was mandatory…”
Sorry, but you don’t get to have it both ways, no matter how much you want to.
Except that I'm not having it both ways. There really should be no vote to certify. You just sign the certification. You are taking my poor choice of words to imply something that simply is not needed.
Bernie,
For the record, no one, including Glenn Geissinger, had a conversation with me on how to handle the certification. I made a decision based on not having all the information I felt the commission needed to make a certification. This includes the concerns of dozens of voters who showed up that day. I was requesting (as I had previous to that meeting) to investigate the situation and information gather. Moving forward, please don’t assert that I am beholden to anyone. No one is pulling my strings.
Secondly, when the documents were handed to me, I told the solicitor, Mr. Santee, that I couldn’t sign them in good faith. I was taught a long time ago not to sign anything I was unsure of, I was not sure those machine results were correct PERIOD and therefore was not comfortable.
You have my phone number and email, next time feel free to call and ask me questions before you defame me in posts by stating I broke the law and implying I’m a criminal. The election was certified. I have not been charged or arrested. I’m thankful to the Commissioners and the County Executive for reappointing me. There is work to be done to get to the bottom of last year’s fiasco and to do everything we can to not lose anymore faith from the voters.
I hope you’ll join in reporting on the Election Commission actually being able to do its job and run a fair and transparent election.
Scott Hough
Listen Scott, There was no need to call you. The facts are quite clear. You went rogue. You refused to certify the election results even though it is a statutory obligation and you were quoted the law by your solicitor. You were urged not to certify by a mob at the elections commission hearing and that included the urging of GOP Chair Glenn Geissinger, who spoke publicly. There were several GOP lawyers at that meeting, and not one of them advocated that you refuse to certify.
Nobody defamed you, but if you feel that I defamed you by reporting truthfully that you went rogue and did so after the public urging of your party chair, please knock yourself out and sue. See where that gets you.
Your refusal to certify might have been more damaging to those who who wished to challenge.
Throughout your tenure as an elections comm'r, you have made some worthwhile suggestions, which I have noted in the past. But I'd never vote for someone who choses for himself which laws he will follow and which he won't concerning an election. Your refusal just continued to undermine public confidence in our elections.
It is not a "commission" that confirmed your nomination. It is county council. They may call themselves commissioners, but are still known as county council.
I did not call you a criminal. I said you broke the law, and you did. Had a majority refused to certify, they would have been subjected to a mandamus requiring certification or contempt of court.
The simple reality is that you went rogue and played to the mob.
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