The Montgomery County Republican Committee last week successfully intervened in the distribution of so-called “green ballots” circulated by the PV Forward PAC
With just over a week until the May 20 Primary Election, tensions have escalated in the Perkiomen Valley School Board race after a court issued an order to halt the distribution of misleading campaign materials by a local political action committee.
In a development that has stirred controversy throughout the community, the Montgomery County Republican Committee last week successfully intervened in the distribution of so-called “green ballots” circulated by the PV Forward PAC — ballots that Thrive4PV candidates say were deceptive and unauthorized.
The ballots allegedly used Republican branding and were distributed to voters without the party’s approval, despite Pennsylvania allowing candidates to cross-file in school board races.
In response to the court’s stipulated order, Thrive4PV — a slate of candidates including incumbent Republican Jason Saylor, Russ Larson, and write-in hopefuls Don Fountain and Rowan Keenan — issued a strongly worded statement celebrating the legal action.
“We are pleased that the Montgomery County Republican Committee took action to stop the continued distribution of fake green ballots that were being mailed and texted to voters in Perkiomen Valley,” their statement read. “This deceptive material had the potential to mislead voters and undermine the integrity of our local elections.”
According to the court order, PV Forward PAC is now prohibited from distributing any future sample ballots that are printed on green paper, include the word “Republican,” or fail to clearly identify the material as paid for by the PAC.
Additionally, PV Forward must send a corrective notice to all recipients of the original ballot by May 14, clarifying that the mailer was not affiliated with or endorsed by MCRC.
"While we are relieved by this legal intervention, we are also deeply disappointed that no remedy exists for voters who already cast their mail-in ballots based on this false and unauthorized material. Their votes are already in and cannot be changed," the statement continued. "We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the community—especially the strangers who reached out to inform us of what was happening. Their vigilance and kindness made a real difference."
"It is deeply troubling that local school board elections have sunken to a level where deceptive political tactics are being used to manipulate voters. We believe our community deserves better than this kind of political gamesmanship," the statement read.
Despite the court’s decision, PV Forward pushed back on the narrative of wrongdoing. In its own statement released late Friday afternoon, the group emphasized that the agreement was reached mutually, without a hearing or judicial finding:
“There has been no admission of any wrongdoing and declarations of victory by either party would be premature,” PV Forward stated, describing the resolution as an “amicable” agreement. "The current agreement was consented to by all parties, meaning no hearing was held and this was not a decision from a judge. A judge will sign off on the agreement reached by the parties, referred to as a stipulated order."
The dispute has sparked broader concerns about the tone and tactics of local politics.
“It is deeply troubling that local school board elections have sunken to a level where deceptive political tactics are being used to manipulate voters,” the Thrive4PV statement continued. “Democracy depends on fair, honest, and informed participation.”
While litigation between the two PACs may continue beyond the Primary, both groups say they are pressing ahead with their outreach to voters across party lines.
Still, the controversy has added a layer of scrutiny and uncertainty to an already competitive race.
The May 20 election will determine which candidates advance to the general election in November, in a community where school leadership—and now, campaign conduct—is under an intense microscope.
