August 2020

​The August meeting of Democrat Women of Mercer County started with laudatory comments for the new editor of The Herald and the Letters to the Editor in the Saturday edition.
Phil Heasley, candidate for District 8 State Representative, joined the call to share news and plans for his campaign. He was particularly pleased to announce that the AFL-CIO has endorsed his candidacy since his family has been union for generations. Heasley is also endorsed by Planned Parenthood. The AFL-CIO has also endorsed Kristy Gnibus in her bid to represent Congressional District 16.
State House District 8 stretches along I-79 from Lake Arthur in the south to Lake Wilhelm in the north (excluding the Slippery Rock area). Supporters who live in District 8 can request a Heasley campaign sign for their yard at HeasleyforPA.com, and a volunteer will bring a sign to them. Three Heasley for PA billboards are going up in prime locations, and the campaign is also looking for supporters who own frontage on main roads who would welcome a 4’ by 4’ sign. On Sunday, August 30, his campaign hopes to hold a “Meat and Greet” BBQ at Moraine State Park. They are working out details and rules with park management, but masks and social distancing will be required.
Pick up Joe Biden for President and Kristy Gnibus for Congress yard signs and prepaid Biden pins and bumper stickers on Wednesday, August 12th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Union Hall at 1028 Roemer Blvd. in Farrell. Voter registration and vote-by-mail applications will be available. Members can answer questions about voting, the candidates, and how concerned citizens can volunteer to help ensure a fair and safe election. 
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is looking for volunteer poll workers, poll observers (witnesses at polling places to prevent voter suppression), and canvass observers (watch while absentee/mail-in ballots are counted). This work is essential to ensure that every vote is counted. Join the PA Dems Voter Protection Team at padems.com/2020/01/voter-protection/.
Handwritten postcards are an effective and socially distanced way to reach out to voters in your neighborhood and encourage them to vote. You can purchase your own cards and stamps, or 10 pre-stamped cards from the post office for $3.90, and write to a list of nearby voters provided by DWMC. Contact DWMC through Facebook to get a list of names and addresses and sample messages.   
Mercer Field Organizer LaShana Barnett is looking for more volunteers to help with phone banking. Contact her at [email protected] or (724)851-2915. 
Vote-by-mail is an essential alternative to in-person voting during COVID-19. Mail-in ballot applications must be received by the county election office by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, 2020. Don’t wait; apply online now at votespa.com or call the Mercer County Election Office at (724) 662-7542. Voters should receive their ballots by mid-September. Again, don’t wait to fill it in and send it back, and be very careful to read the rules and follow them completely.