November 3, 2023/12:00am
Erie, PA – As the date of Tuesday, November 7th approaches, Erie County residents and local Gannon students of Pennsylvania prepare to cast their votes in for the partisan, municipal elections, of 2023. The results of the elections are to determine control over the seats of the Erie County Council. This is especially considering that four of the seven seats are to be determined by the ballot, as reflected upon by A.J. Rao, from the Erie Times-News.
The municipal elections in Pennsylvania take place in odd-numbered years. This every-other-year method is like those used by most of the other states.
Municipal elections are held in local counties. This is so citizens may practice their right and freedom to cast votes for their individual preferences. About this upcoming election, it will be to political party affiliations. These elected officials are to represent and to lead in an assortment of municipal positions. This is specifically in terms of positions on the Erie County Council.
Local elections can reflect the distribution of the political stances and opinions of citizens within a community. There are a variety of influencing factors that can impact the voting behaviors of Gannon students and Erie, Pa. residents.
As the nine candidates of the 2023 municipal elections continue to display attributes of political awareness, throughout their campaigning processes, citizens of Erie County will be given the opportunity to make carefully, calculated considerations towards the qualifications and motives of these candidates in the running.
As Rao had further stated in the Erie Times-News, Democratic Council Member, Terry Scuttella, will be up against Republican, Cody Foust, in the polls. The elected official of choice will have been given a governing chance. This is for him to take a seat as a representative of the First District, which happens to be a vast majority of what is Millcreek.
The Third District seat, representative of parts of Millcreek and Erie, is being ran for by Democrat, Rock Copeland, and Republican, Kim Hunter, as Rao confirmed in the article, “Erie County Council: Municipal election race includes these nine candidates on the ballot.”
Again, in reference to Rao, Democrat, Christopher Drexel, will be up against Republican and Council Chairman, Brian Shank. Shank is currently running for a second term to proceed his holding of a seat at the Erie County Council. He has been representative of the Fifth District that ranges between Greene, Harborcreek, North East, and Summit. This was as confirmed by the Erie Times-News.
It was also stated that Democrat, Lorraine Dolan, and Independent, Rita Bishop, will be up against Republican, Ellen Schauerman, for a seat to represent southwestern Erie County, the Seventh District of the Council.
There is significance in the number of local residents that utilize their voting rights. Voting in municipal elections allows citizens to express both their concerns and their interests at local levels, as they aim to induce changes within their own communities. These decisions, made by locally elected, municipal officials, have been capable of tremendously impacting the public and the policies that citizens are called to oblige to.
To learn more about the 2023 municipal elections, being held in-person on November 7th, from 7:00am until 8:00pm, navigate directly to Erie County voters’ guide to the races, candidates, and issues in the 2023 municipal election. This guide, provided by GoErie and the Erie Times-News, will specify knowledge in terms of political candidates, voting rights, polling places, and relevant, communal concerns. This is amongst just a few of the resources and notes that the site provides.
Develop further political insight within the local community and county of Erie through advancements in understanding the municipal elections of 2023.
