Campaign Signs Put Both Parties on the Same Chester County Grass
Along a Chester County thoroughfare, campaign signs stand in a row on a grassy median under trees turned to fall color. The names of Democratic and Republican candidates call out side by side to the drivers passing by.
The sign in front belongs to Chrissy Houlahan, the Democrat running for re-election to the U.S. House. On the grass nearby, Republican Marty Young has put up a sign for the same seat under the slogan “To Save Healthcare.” Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District is contested ground again this year.
The governor’s race stands on the same grass. The names of Josh Shapiro and Austin Davis, the Democrats, share the patch with Stacy Garrity and her running mate for lieutenant governor, Jason Richey, the Republicans. Garrity, the state treasurer, is the Republican trying to keep Shapiro from a second term.
At the far right stands a sign for Justin Pak, who is running for the state House. Pak, a Republican, is challenging Democratic incumbent Melissa Shusterman in the 157th District. His sign leads with the words “A Dad,” a pitch that trades grand slogans for the face of everyday life.
Chester County is one of the Philadelphia suburbs where elections are fought closely. The two parties have run near each other in presidential race after presidential race, and each election season the roadsides and front lawns fill up with signs. The number of signs does not measure how people will vote, but they are the most visible signal of who is campaigning in a neighborhood.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Applications for a mail ballot close at 5 p.m. on Oct. 27, and a completed mail ballot must reach the county election authority by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Chester County operates ballot drop boxes at designated locations, including county offices.
The signs will come down soon after the election. For the two weeks that remain, this strip of roadside grass will stay the first view of the choice Pennsylvania voters are about to make.
