2009 News
February 4, 2009
Bucks County Municipal Primary Candidate Petitions Available In the County Board of Elections Office
Get Information through Board of Elections Page on www.BucksCounty.org
The Bucks County Board of Elections, James F. Cawley, Esq., Chairman, Charles H. Martin and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW, announces that candidate petitions for the May 19, 2009 Municipal Primary are available. County offices that will appear on the ballot include District Attorney, Sheriff, Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds, Controller and Jury Commissioner, all of which carry four-year terms.
Magisterial District Judge petitions are available for Districts 07-1-01 (part of Bensalem Twp.), 07-1-11 (Lower Makefield Twp., Morrisville Borough, Yardley Borough), 07-2-02 (Doylestown Borough and Doylestown Twp.) and 07-3-02 (Warrington and Warwick Twps.). Petitions also will be available for school director, the borough offices of Mayor, Council and Tax Collector and Auditor. Executive and Council offices are scheduled for Bristol Twp., as are Mayor, Council, Treasurer and Auditor positions in Bensalem Twp. In addition, petitions for Constable are available for all municipalities. For a complete list of Municipal Primary positions, which are subject to change until February 17, please go to the 2009 Board of Elections Offices page.
The list of elected positions also includes the Judge of Elections and Inspector of Elections. In these capacities, elected members of the community are chosen to assist in conducting elections with “accuracy, integrity and dignity.”
Nomination petition circulation for all of these positions commences on February 17, and ends at 5 p.m. on March 10, 2009. The Board of Elections automatically sends petitions and information to all Judges and Inspectors who worked in their district of residence during 2008.
According to the Board of Elections, the county needs more than 1,500 election officials to work at the polls during every election. Among other duties, these officials: 1) open and close the polls; 2) set up voting equipment; 3) process and sign-in voters; 4) process absentee ballots; and 5) record vote totals.
To be eligible to serve as an election official, a candidate must be a registered voter, be able to
read, write and speak English, and have the availability to attend a training class. On Election Day, officials generally work from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
For comprehensive information about becoming an election official in Bucks County, please visit the the Board of Elections, Election Officials page. The Board of Elections also maintains an e-mail address: elections@co.bucks.pa.us.
To contact the Board of Elections by telephone, please call 215-348-6154.
For information about petitions for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Judicial Offices of Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court and the Court of Common Pleas, please direct all inquires to the state at 717-787-5280, or www.dos.state.pa.us/bcel.