Smart Talk Wednesday: Analyzing an election like no other

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Matt Slocum / AP Photo

Election coordinator Charlene Maloney processes a mail-in ballot at the Bucks County Board of Elections office prior to the primary election, Wednesday, May 27, 2020 in Doylestown.

The day after a primary election is usually pretty straightforward in Pennsylvania. Normally, the votes would have been counted and Pennsylvanians would know which Democrats and Republicans would be competing for the offices they’re running for in the November general election.

However, the 2020 primary wouldn’t be like previous ones anyway after mail-in voting became law last year. Those votes wouldn’t have been counted until after the in-person polls closed so results may not have been known officially the next day.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed the original April primary date back to June 2. Voters were encouraged to vote by mail, many voters stayed away from polls out of fear of contracting the virus, many poll workers didn’t want to go to the polls for the same reason and some polling places were changed.

Against that backdrop, Wednesday’s Smart Talk focuses on the primary.

Appearing on the program are Dr. G. Terry Madonna, Professor of Public Affairs and Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs, political analyst and pollster at Franklin & Marshall College and PA Post reporter Emily Previti, who covers election-related issues extensively.