The McKean County Green Party passed bylaws and elected officers this week. The chapter will seek affiliation with Green Party of Pennsylvania and file with McKean County Board of Elections.

The mission of the Green Party of McKean County will be to protect the Allegheny and Susquehanna river watersheds beginning in McKean County and to nominate and elect candidates to run as Greens for public office — supporting the mission and pillars of the Green Party of the United States and Pennsylvania.

Bylaws were passed by three party members during a meeting Tuesday at 66 Main St. — the party’s makeshift office at newly elected McKean County Green Party Chairperson Barbara Laxon’s business and home.

Former Philadelphia 47th Ward 14th Division Inspector of Elections Alexander George Casper, who now lives in Bradford’s First Ward, will run for judge of elections as a Green using the political body ballot line.

He will serve as McKean County Green Party treasurer.

The Department of State requires residency of one year for most public offices. Casper moved to Bradford in December.

However, the election board doesn’t have a timeline for residency requirements like other public offices, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

More than 80% of election board seats usually remain vacant without a candidate, which leaves the system vulnerable to exploitation.

“I’m running to secure a free and fair election,” Casper said. “Our election system will require two parties that are willing to certify the elections. Since I have no stake in the primary under the current election code, you can trust me to be impartial for both parties’ primaries.”

Ambrose Jackson Rodgers, an 18-yearold future Buffalo State University student, was elected to one of the precinct’s two geographically appointed committee seats offered to residents of Foster Township’s Third District. Rodgers is also circulating political body nomination papers to run for township auditor as a Green.

There are two committee seats per Foster Township precinct awarded to registered Greens.

Independents who attend three meetings will also be eligible to vote on issues for the general membership at meetings.

The party will run these two candidates initially, as April 21 was the deadline to register to run for the Green Party on the Green ballot line.

However, the party is open to endorsing registered independents who support their four pillars and mission.

The next step is for the party committee to open a bank account, which party bylaws state must be in McKean County.

They must also file paperwork to register their political body with the county board of elections, which will occur in the next few weeks. Once the chapter files and opens an account they legally can begin fundraising and spending for campaigns in McKean and surrounding counties.

The party is also working to include regional representation from McKean’s neighboring counties in Pennsylvania.