Politics & Government

Leetsdale Candidates Accused of Poll Violations on Election Day

A slate of challengers emerges victorious in the primary after being asked to stop handing out treats and tear down its canopy tent.

Several complaints lodged Tuesday forced a group of challengers running for to stop passing out treats and remove a tent they set up Tuesday outside the borough’s polling place. 

The canopy tent that belonged to candidates Joseph McGurk, Linda Michael, Jeffrey Weatherby and Melanie Dunn was back up a couple hours later after an

Lyvonne Wesche, judge of elections, said she received a call from the countyelections division in Pittsburgh Tuesday morning after officials there fielded complaints from others who contended the candidates were trying to buy off voters while they sat under the tent and passed out candy and coffee outside the Leetsdale Community Room.

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“We just call Pittsburgh, and they tell us what to do and we follow,” Wesche said.

Wesche said she asked the candidates not to pass out any candy or coffee and requested that their tent come down.

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McGurk said the group took down the tent and put away a portable heater its members had been using. He said the group was told there were “many” complaints.

Wesche said the candidates were mainly giving coffee to poll workers but had given candy to a few voters who stopped to talk.

“They got rid of it all. They were very accommodating,” she said.

That included taking down the tent around 11:30 a.m.

“We took it down in the rain,” Michael said. “We didn’t give her any trouble. We took it down right away. “

Meanwhile, poll watcher Robert Kusnirak said he didn’t think it was fair the group had to take down the tent. He called the county elections division and spoke to a judge, explaining that the group was on borough property with a borough-owned table and chairs from the patio sitting under a canopy out of the rain.

Kusnirak said the judge told him as long as the group stayed 10 feet away from the dors at the polling place, they were fine.

“This is petty,” Kusnirak said. “It’s stupidity.”

By 1:30 p.m., the tent was back up. The people who filed the complaints weren't identified, but some of the challengers believed the hullabaloo came from their opposition.

Councilman Michael Bajsec said he personally did not report the group to the elections division, but said he did call about a poll worker who stood too close to voters while they cast their ballots, making them feel uncomfortable.

Leetsdale resident Sherry Decker said she also didn’t feel comfortable voting with the wife of one of the candidates preparing her voting station.

Wesche said the tent and food complaint was straightened out. It was unclear whether anyone notified Wesche about the voting issue. Wesche said the day ran smoothly after the tent incident and, in her opinion, that situation was much ado about nothing.

“It was a big exaggeration, blown out of proportion,” Wesche said.


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