ABC Keystone Merit Shop Advocacy Blog

BY: DAVID G. GREINEDER, IOM, ABC PENNSYLVANIA DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

The political parties have officially nominated their candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. As part of that process, the Republicans and Democrats hold national conventions to conduct business and hear from prominent leaders. While one can argue we have been there for quite a while, we are now in the thick of election year politics, otherwise known as the “silly season.”

There is no doubt 2020 is a monumental election. President Trump is running for his one and only re-election, facing former Vice President Joe Biden. Voter participation is expected to be at its highest level in our nation’s history, not only because of the candidates on the ballot, but because voting will be more convenient than ever due to COVID-19. Starting in a few weeks, county board of elections will begin sending mail-in ballots to eligible voters. Registered voters will have a time frame to fill out the ballot and mail it back to the board of elections by Election Day, November 3. As we get closer to the dates, elected leaders are expressing concerns about election integrity and timely receipt of ballots. As the state Legislature prepares to return in mid-September, legislation is expected to advance that will address these concerns. It is unclear if a bill will ultimately be supported by the Governor.

Turning our attention to candidates for office, the entire state House of Representatives and half of the state Senate are up for re-election. ABC Pennsylvania will be meeting on August 28 to review the list of candidates running for office for the purposes of endorsing those candidates that support free enterprise and the merit shop philosophy. We will be issuing letters to the candidates that receive ABC’s endorsement and will post the full list on ABC Pennsylvania’s website by the middle of September. We will be sure ABC members have the information and are notified of the candidates we believe best represents the construction industry.

With the mail-in voting process, there is no better time than now to communicate with your elected officials on issues of importance to you. Please stay connected with us via e-updates and our monthly newsletter for opportunities to engage. If you are not signed-up to receive email alerts, please download the “ABC Action App” from the app store on your mobile device, or at abc.org/abcaction.

Thank you for your membership.  Stay safe, stay informed, and stay engaged.  


Posted August 26, 2020