With a crucial presidential election coming later this year, a coalition of nonprofits has organized a local forum on election administration and electoral integrity.
“Trust in Our Elections: A Community Conversation” will feature current and former government officials, including a former Pennsylvania governor. It is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Ware Center, 42 N. Prince St., Lancaster.
Its organizers — Hourglass, the Steinman Institute for Civic Engagement and Keep Our Republic — say the nonpartisan event is aimed at “fostering a deeper understanding of the 2024 election process and equipping our community to combat misinformation surrounding election integrity.”
Panelists include:
- Tom Corbett: Corbett served as Pennsylvania’s governor from 2011 to 2015. Previously, he was the state’s attorney general, chair of the Pa. Commission on Crime & Delinquency and U.S. attorney for Western Pennsylvania.
- Ray D’Agostino: First elected in 2019, D’Agostino began his second term as Lancaster County commissioner this month.
- Kate Huangpu: Huangpu is a state government reporter at Spotlight PA.
- John Jones III: Jone has been president of Dickinson College since February 2022 after serving as interim president. He previously served as chief judge of the U.S. Middle District Court of Pa.
- Michael McDonald: McDonald has been director of policy at Pennsylvania’s Department of State since April 2023.
Professor Stephen Medvic, director of the Center for Politics & Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College, will moderate.
The forum is free, but registration is required. For more information and to register, click here.
Corbett and D’Agostino are Republicans. McDonald serves in the administration of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Hourglass and the Steinman Institute are local nonprofits devoted to civic engagement. The Steinman Institute is affiliated with LNP newspaper and was created when the newspaper was donated to public media outlet WITF.
Keep Our Republic is a “nonpartisan civic education organization” devoted to strengthening America’s democracy and addressing risks to its electoral system. Corbett and Jones are members of its Pennsylvania advisory council; it also has councils in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Support for the event is provided by Lancaster County Community Foundation.
