Dallas City News

Mail ballot drop boxes weren’t on Luzerne County Council’s agenda, but the issue dominated public comment at Tuesday’s meeting.

Responding to county Manager Romilda Crocamo’s elimination of four drop boxes for the Nov. 5 general election, a crowd of citizens spoke both for and against the decision.

While voters from both parties use drop boxes, much of the discourse has been along party lines, with Democrats supporting them and Republicans opposing them.

A press conference outside the courthouse to seek restoration of the drop boxes was held before Tuesday’s meeting. It was coordinated by In This Together NEPA, an affiliate organization of Action Together NEPA, which has supported Democratic candidates for county offices.

Speakers included three county voters and three Democratic legislators: state Sen. Marty Flynn (Scranton) and state Reps. Eddie Day Pashinski (Wilkes-Barre) and Jim Haddock (Pittston Township).

Collectively, the message was that drop boxes are safe and that many voters rely on them and trust them to get their ballots to the bureau by 8 p.m. on Election Day because they cannot rely on the postal system for timely delivery.

A group of Republicans, one with a megaphone, loudly heckled and made comments throughout the press conference, voicing criticisms and counterarguments about drop boxes. At one point, Republican Theodore Fitzgerald removed his socks to show he has a disability with his feet, saying he would still cast his vote without a drop box.

The three legislators were highly critical of the elimination. They said the county should keep the drop boxes for the upcoming general election, particularly because more than 26,300 voters already requested mail ballots with the impression drop boxes would be available.

Flynn outright challenged Crocamo’s authority and reason for eliminating the boxes, saying he would ask the state Attorney General’s Office to investigate.

Haddock and Pashinski said they agreed with his decision to seek an investigation. However, they said their preference would be restoration of the boxes for the upcoming election and a discussion about how to proceed going forward.

Asked about Flynn’s plan, Crocamo said she welcomes an investigation and may request one herself.

Crocamo, a Democrat, had issued a release before the 5 p.m. event saying she welcomes the state legislators and questioning why they did not pass legislation making drop boxes mandatory for all counties along with parameters on the number required per capita. She said the law has “so many holes that counties are left to suffer in dealing with these issues.”

Meanwhile, county Democratic Party Chairman Thomas Shubilla did not participate in the media conference but released a Sept. 6 letter Tuesday afternoon from Republican National Committee Attorney Wally Zimolong to county Chief Solicitor Harry W. Skene. The letter stated that the county is responsible for securing drop boxes if it exercises its discretion to use them.

“If the county is unwilling or unable to secure its ballot drop boxes, then it must immediately stop using drop boxes to receive ballots for the upcoming general election,” Zimolong wrote. “If the county does not confirm it will fulfill its duties under the Election Code to assure that ballot drop boxes are secure, the Republican National Committee will pursue all available legal remedies to protect the integrity of the election.”

During public comment at the council meeting, 17 citizens spoke in support of the drop boxes, while 24 were against.

Salem Township resident Claudia Glennan expressed many of the concerns raised by others that the U.S. Postal Service is “not reliable.” If the manager’s decision to eliminate drop boxes is deemed legal and not reversed, she said the county should communicate to voters explaining the situation and detailing their options because they may be unaware of the drop box cancellation.

One man said he received a birthday card nearly three weeks after it was mailed to him, and he has had other problems with untimely mail delivery.

Another woman said her relative had mailed her ballot 10 days before the deadline, and it did not arrive on time.

Audrey Serniak, a former county election board member who had voted in support of drop boxes, said she commends Crocamo’s focus on security in general but believes the manager should have brought the drop box elimination plans before the public months ago instead of this close to an election. At minimum, the county should continue providing two boxes in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton, she said.

Former county councilman Carl Bienias III was among those who agreed with the elimination, citing an argument made by many current and past speakers that drop boxes are not mandated by law and were allowed as a temporary option in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that is now over.

Bienias said voters are not disenfranchised because they can mail their ballots or vote in person at polling places.

County Controller Walter Griffith said Crocamo made the decision based on safety concerns, not on her personal opinion for or against the boxes. He said the drop boxes create an added liability risk for the county.

State Rep. Alec Ryncavage (R-Plymouth) submitted a letter in support of Crocamo’s decision that was read as part of public comment. He said tough decisions often prompt resistance.

“As a state representative elected to serve 65,000 residents in Luzerne County, I want to make it clear that you are not standing alone in this,” Ryncavage wrote. “There are many, myself included, and a significant number of my constituents, who support the steps you’ve taken to safeguard the security and validity of our elections.”

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.