Weeks before the May primary election, Lehigh County has selected its new chief clerk of elections.
The Lehigh County Board of Elections will meet Tuesday afternoon to confirm Michael Paston, a deputy chief clerk of courts in Bucks County, as the new Lehigh County elections chief, County Executive Josh Siegel announced Monday in a news release.
Paston, of Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County, is the first deputy clerk of courts in Bucks County, a role he has been in since 2020. He was in the same role in Montgomery County from 2013 to 2019, according to the release. Paston is an attorney and tax professional, and managed dozens of people between those roles in Bucks and Montgomery counties.
He led Montgomery County’s voter services department for the primary election in 2013, according to Siegel’s office.
He will take the role once held by Tim Benyo, who resigned in March to take a job with a nonprofit group. Benyo had been in the role since 2010.
Paston was selected after weeks of interviews, according to Siegel, who said he stood out because of his professional background and experience in county government.
“After an exhaustive search and interview process, I am happy to welcome Michael to Lehigh County as our next Chief Clerk,” Siegel said in the release. “Lehigh County has been lucky to have had steady leadership until Mr. Benyo and I have complete confidence that Michael is the right choice, able to step in and get to work on day one and not lose a step in running the May 19th primary.”