An inordinate amount of Butler County voters are leaving their political parties this year, according to the county elections bureau director.

“There are an unusually large number of party-change requests,” said Aaron Sheasley, director of the Bureau of Elections.

He said both Democrats and Republicans are leaving their political affiliations, but most are switching their voter status to “Independent” or “no affiliation.”

Sheasley did not have the exact number of voters who have left their party, but he compared January 2021 to previous Januaries in Butler County.

“This one is off the charts,” he said. “Four times or more than normal (left their party).”

He said while those who have switched to Independent or no affiliation will not be able to vote for candidates in this year's primary election, they will be permitted to vote on the three referendum questions on the ballot.

The ballots of voters who are not affiliated with the Republican or Democratic parties will only see the referendum questions, which are constitutional amendments, on their ballots, Sheasley said.

He expects some voters who have switched from the Democratic or Republican parties to be surprised when they find they cannot vote for candidates at their precincts during the primary election.

Upcoming primary

Sheasley said the 2021 primary and general elections are just as important, if not more so, than the presidential election in November.

“The elections that people are voting for in this primary and again in the fall have the most impact on your daily life here in the county,” he said.

Township supervisors, borough council, school board and other seats will be up for grabs this year, Sheasley said.

Those positions are the ones that make decisions on roads, taxes, school operations and other local issues.

“They impact you and your kids' lives every day,” Sheasley said.

In the 2021 election, every judge of elections and every majority and minority elections inspector will be up for election in all 89 precincts in the county, Sheasley said.

He said the judge of elections is in charge of his or her precinct on the two election days per year.

“They are responsible for what happens in the precinct on Election Day,” Sheasley said. “They are the eyes and ears of the election bureau on that day.”

Each judge of elections is paid $200 plus the mileage they incur driving their precinct's election results to the county government building in Butler.

They also receive paid training, and starting this year at Sheasley's behest, the judge of elections training will be on the elections bureau page on the county website, so it can be viewed multiple times by new judges of elections.

“We're using technology more than we ever have,” he said.

The judge of elections seat is typically one that people run for repeatedly, and sometimes the children or grandchildren of a retiring judge of elections will run for the seat.

Sheasley said his grandfather was a judge of elections in another county, and he began coming to the precinct with him when he was 12 years old.

Sheasley served as a judge of elections as an adult.

“That's where I got the bug for elections and political science,” he said of his time with his grandfather.

Inspectors up for election

Also up for election in each county precinct this year are the positions of majority and minority inspector, Sheasley said.

He explained that the inspector garnering the most votes is elected majority inspector and the second-highest vote-getter is elected minority inspector in each precinct.

The majority inspector is the judge of election's right-hand person, and the minority inspector accompanies the judge of elections to the county government center, so no one person is ever alone with a precinct's memory stick or ballots.

The elections bureau ensures the judge of elections and minority inspector are of different political parties to retain the highest possible level of transparency.

The judge of elections and inspector positions were affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the 2020 election, Sheasley said.

Some judges called in the days immediately before the general election to report they had been exposed to COVID-19 and could not work the election.

Sheasley found himself scrambling to get each precinct staffed on Election Day, but was glad the state election code was altered to deal with the situation.

“They relaxed the rules because they knew this was going to happen,” he said.

Potential candidates

Sheasley is thrilled that many voters have called his office recently to ask questions about running for a local seat, especially in the face of election fatigue from 2020.

“It's very encouraging,” he said.

He encourages those who are considering tossing their hats into the ring to check out the elections bureau page at butlercountypa.gov, where the bulk of the information on how to run for local office is available.

Sheasley also welcomes calls or visits to the elections bureau from those considering a run for office.

“We're happy to talk to you and walk you through the process,” he said.

But petitions to run are due March 9, so those considering a campaign for office should take action as soon as possible, Sheasley said.

“The more people who run for office, the less people we have to appoint,” he said. “We don't like to appoint people because we are making a decision for the precinct that people who live there should be making.”