With a nod to the increasing number of independent voters in Lehigh County and across the country, Lehigh County is considering a change to the way local elections are overseen.

Commissioner Sarah Fevig on Wednesday introduced a bill to change the county’s Board of Elections from three members to five, adding an independent voice and removing the county executive as a voting member.

The proposed change, which would ultimately be decided by voters in a ballot referendum in November, would make Lehigh the first county in Pennsylvania without a political majority in charge of the board.

This is critical, Fevig said, since election results and procedures have been increasingly under scrutiny since 2020.

“We need a model that addresses threats to our freedom and democracy, and capitalizes on the opportunity that we have as members of the county to work together to secure our future and our fundamental right to determine our own elected leaders,” she said.

The Board of Elections determines polling places, sets where ballot boxes are placed, and certifies county election results, among other duties. Currently, it consists of one Republican, one Democrat and the county executive. That creates a majority for the executive’s party.

Under the proposal, the board would grow to five members: two each from the political parties with the most members — Democratic and Republican, by today’s numbers — and one from the party with the third most, which would be an independent in 2026.

Those positions could flip in the ever-changing political landscape, Fevig said, noting that 20% of the county’s voters now identify as independent, up from 11% in 1998.

Lehigh County’s voting population mirrors a trend nationwide, especially among younger voters. A recent Gallup poll estimated that more than 45% of voters identified as independent.

The county executive would hold a nonvoting, advisory seat. Members would still be appointed by the Board of Commissioners, but instead of membership being limited to those appointed by the parties, citizens could apply and interview for the position.

The proposal would ban elected officials or those running for office from being a board member.

County Executive Josh Siegel said Wednesday that he supports the change, as did elections board member Mike O’Hare.

“I think it’s well worth doing. Elections are very well run in Lehigh County … but this could make things better. Independent voters are going to become more and more of a presence and I think we need that voice,” O’Hare said.

Commissioner Sheila Alvarado said she did not support the bill, noting that many of the unaffiliated voters she met while working the polls were loyal to one of the major parties but had simply forgotten to check a party when they registered.

Commissioner Ron Beitler, who recently announced that he was switching his affiliation from Republican to independent, said he supported the bill but warned that choosing the independent member of the board should be done carefully to pick someone with the correct mindset.

“This is something that’s easy to support,” Commissioner Jon Irons said. “I think it’s really exciting to see independent and nonaffiliated voters having more of a stake in our elections and being part of that democratic process. I think it does a lot to build trust in our election process.”

Fevig said creating the bill has been “deeply collaborative,” with members of all three political affiliations on the Board of Commissioners providing input as well as election officials.

“We make these moves today to show that in Lehigh County we believe no political party has a monopoly on guaranteeing free and fair elections. It is the responsibility we all share and work on together across party lines,” Fevig said.