Centre County elections director stepping down months before presidential election

Centre County is looking for a new director of elections just five months before the 2024 presidential election in November.

Beth Lechman’s upcoming resignation comes after nearly three years in the position.

“My employment with Centre County has been an experience that I am grateful to have had,” Lechman wrote in an email to the CDT. “I will be using my election experience in a position that affords me the opportunity to spend more time with my family.”

Previously, Lechman worked as the Westmoreland County elections director, where she left three months before the 2020 presidential election, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Despite the elections office shakeup so soon before the presidential election, Centre County Commissioner Amber Concepcion said Tuesday she’s confident that the county’s Nov. 5 election will go smoothly.

“The job has already been posted online, and we encourage anyone with appropriate experience to apply,” Concepcion said. “I’m confident though that despite (Lechman’s) resignation, we’ll still be able to hold a smooth and successful fall election in Centre County with whoever we bring in to fill the position.”

John Franek, the county administrator, wrote in an email to the CDT that the position will be filled like other county vacancies.

The county elections office has a “core office staff” of five, including the director position, Franek wrote, adding that staffing levels fluctuate throughout the year based upon the workload.

Lechman took over as Centre County elections director in 2021, replacing longtime elections office head Joyce McKinley.

Other counties across Pennsylvania have also had to replace election directors heading into a critical election year.

According to a Votebeat article from February, since the November 2019 election, Pennsylvania lost 58 election officials — a combined 293 years of experience, which is 21% fewer years of experience than the officials for the November 2019 election had.

It follows a national trend, with election workers facing threats and harassment after the 2020 election and former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud.

Secretary of State Al Schmidt called the turnover of election officials a “real concern,” according to reporting from the Pennsylvania Capital Star, pointing to the potential of mistakes from newer election administrators.

According to Franek, Lechman’s last day will be sometime in mid-July.