Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
Lower Merion has an upcoming election that will help decide everything from the direction of the state’s Supreme Court to who will sit on the school board. To make Election Day easier, whether voting at the polls or by mail, here are the important points for Lower Merion voters to remember. This election will decide whether three of the state’s Supreme Court justices, who decide cases with lasting impact on Pennsylvanians, will keep their jobs for the next decade. Seats on the Superior and Commonwealth Courts, which hear cases before they reach the state Supreme Court, are also on the ballot. On the local level, Lower Merion voters will elect four board members to the Lower Merion School District’s board of directors — a hotly contentious race — as well as other municipal administrative positions, like the jury commissioner, who oversees the county’s jury selection pool, and the township tax collector. The Lower Merion School District board of directors not only sets the tone for the district’s culture and education policies, but also approves its annual budget and hires and evaluates the district superintendent. Board members serve four-year terms. This is one of the hotly contested races; earlier this year the primary election surfaced discussions of antisemitism and complaints over controversial election mailers. The four Democratic school board candidates have a joint campaign website at electlmsd.com outlining their plans. Incumbents Anna Shurak and Kerry Sautner, the latter of whom is the current board chair, are joined by newcomers Jennifer Rivera and Juanita Kerber. The four Democratic candidates say they have fought to strengthen public education, uphold equity, and ensure transparency, and that “political groups are trying to roll back” their progress. Three of the Republican school board candidates — Talia Nissim, Deena Pack, and Omer Dekel — have a joint campaign website at togetherlmsd.com. Jacob Rudolph, a 2025 graduate of Harriton High School, is the fourth Republican candidate whose campaign site can be found at jacobforlmsd.com. During the primary, Rudolph ran on a slate with the three Together LMSD candidates, who prioritized transparency and fighting antisemitism in the school district. Rudolph recently broke off from the slate after Nissim, Pack, and Dekel were endorsed by the 1776 Project PAC, a conservative political action committee that works to get “un-woke school board members” elected. Vote for up to four candidates. Democrats: Republican: Pennsylvania’s Court of Common Pleas is broken up into 60 judicial districts, with Montgomery County located in the 38th District. These are the courts handling general trials for civil and criminal cases, as well as appeals from lower courts. These judges serve 10-year terms, after which they are up for retention. Vote for up to three candidates, who will appear on the ballot as both Democrats and Republicans. Voters will also decide whether to retain three judges serving on the Court of Common Pleas’ 38th District. Vote for no more than three candidates: “Yes” or “no” retention vote: Two jury commissioners, from different political parties, oversee the county’s jury selection and management process. They are responsible for ensuring there is a continual pool of fair and impartial jurors for trials heard in Montgomery County. Vote for up to one candidate. Commissioners serve a four-year term. Democrat: Republican: These two positions manage local elections on the ground level, from opening and closing polls to verifying voter registration and overseeing voting machines, among other duties. Each voting precinct has its own judge and inspector of election, who are elected to four-year terms. Candidates running for this office must live in the voting precinct. Each of Lower Merion’s 43 voting precincts will have its own candidates running for office. To find your precinct’s candidates, look up your voting precinct’s sample ballot on Montgomery County’s voter services webpage at montgomerycountypa.gov/753/Voter-Services. Not sure of your precinct? Look it up at pavoterservices.pa.gov. The township tax collector oversees the collection of all taxes within the township, such as local real estate, school, and earned income taxes. This office is responsible for keeping records and providing reports when requested. Tax collectors are elected on four-year terms. Jana Lunger is running unopposed and will appear as both Democrat and Republican on the ballot. One of the most lasting votes Lower Merion residents will cast on Nov. 4 will be whether to retain three of the state’s Supreme Court justices for another 10-year term. Voting “yes” will extend their term. Voting “no” will end their term. If voters elect not to extend the justices’ terms, vacancies would be created, which would allow Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to nominate new justices to the state Supreme Court. However, new appointees would need to be approved by a Republican-controlled Senate. Read a detailed breakdown of the three Supreme Court justices — Christine Donohue, Kevin M. Dougherty, and David Wecht — in The Inquirer’s Philadelphia election guide. » READ MORE: Philly’s guide to the Nov. 4 election An opening on Pennsylvania’s Superior Court was created after Dan McCaffery was elected to the state Supreme Court in 2023. Voters will decide who will fill that vacancy and join 14 other judges in presiding over criminal and civil cases, before they can be taken to the Supreme Court. These judges serve 10-year terms, after which they are up for retention. Vote for up to one candidate. Voters will also be asked if they want to retain Alice Beck Dubow on the Superior Court. Read a breakdown of the candidates in The Inquirer’s Philadelphia election guide. Democrat: Republican: Liberal: “Yes” or “no” retention vote: » READ MORE: Philly’s guide to the Nov. 4 election An opening on the Commonwealth Court was created after Ellen Ceisler retired this year. Voters will decide who will fill the vacancy on this state court, which oversees state and local government cases and regulatory agencies. These judges serve 10-year terms, after which they are up for retention. Vote for up to one candidate. Voters will also be asked whether to retain Michael H. Wojcik for another term. Democrat: Republican: “Yes” or “no” retention vote:
