DFA-List candidate Barbara McIlvaine Smith wins in Pennsylvania

Written by: Mike C on Nov 7, 2008 11:27 AM EST

DFA-List candidate Barbara McIlvaine Smith won in her race for state representative in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Here's what she had to say:

I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for helping us to succeed one more time! It's because of your support and dedication that we won by over 53% of the vote:

REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 156TH DISTRICT
BARBARA McILVAINE SMITH (DEM). . . . 18,143 53.23
SHANNON ROYER (REP). . . . . . . . . . . . 15,909 46.68

I know how hard campaigning is and so do you. Every other year, we spend way too much time, energy, and money — around $350 thousand dollars — to win a 2-year term. So let's change it.

It's time for reform: a constitutional convention to give state Representatives a 4-year term; set term limits; enlarge the house districts by 20% in order to reduce the number of legislators; make the Bipartisan Management Office in charge of hiring staff for the caucuses; and fire the staff that works one year for their caucus and then the next as campaign managers. We, the people, deserve a smaller, more efficient government!

We also deserve a more efficient electoral system. Yesterday's events prove it. My polling place at Wayne Hall on the campus of West Chester University was a case in point.

We had 4 voting booths and one person with the official registration book checking in the voters. My family and I arrived at 7:15am and waited in line for an hour and 15 minutes. When I was close to the doorway, a poll worker came out and loudly announced that ALL people MUST show either their voter registration card or their driver’s license. I shouted back, “Only first-time voters must comply.” The woman stuck her finger in my face and said, “EVERYbody!”

I then turned around to face the crowd and shouted, “First-time voters ONLY must show their I.D. That’s the LAW!” I immediately called my campaign office and told them to send over a lawyer ASAP.

It took until almost 4 o’clock in the afternoon for the problems to be resolved. With over 3-hour waits in line in the rain, democracy staggered, but in the end triumphed, thanks to the efforts of dedicated people like former committee woman Paula Schultz, Kathleen and Ed Bond, County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone, Committee woman Carolyn Comitta, West Chester Democratic Chair Nathaniel Smith, and Agnes from Voter Services who literally saved the day, according to all reports.

When people get engaged in the democratic process, they get the kind of representation they expect and deserve.

Yes, we do — and YES, WE DID!

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