Dallas City News

Luzerne County’s Election Bureau caught up on processing all mail ballot requests Sunday night, according to an email sent to county officials.

To date, 56,377 county voters have requested mail ballots, or 27%. That’s more than a quarter of the county’s 209,806 registered voters.

Tuesday is the deadline to request mail ballots, including those sought through an on-demand option at the county’s Penn Place Building in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

On Monday, 371 voters appeared at Penn Place for on-demand voting, leading to crowds in the lobby and a long line outside the election bureau on the second floor.

While there was frustration over the wait, a row of voters on the second floor after 4 p.m. made the best of the situation by singing a series of classics.

“We’re forming a group called The Voters,” one woman said.

On-demand ballot requests were provided Monday for voters in line by 4 p.m., as stated on the county website. After an elderly veteran was turned away and left because he arrived too late, one woman already in line pointed out the state’s vote.pa site says on-demand ballots are available until 4:30 p.m. There is a disclaimer on vote.pa advising voters to double-check their county’s official website “before heading out the door.” The woman said the vote.pa site should be updated so voters do not miss out.

Legal action

The county’s report that processing mail ballot processing is current could have an effect on litigation filed Friday.

Republican Jamie Walsh had filed the civil complaint against the county and county’s five-citizen Election Board primarily over the pace of Nov. 5 general election mail ballot processing.

A court hearing on that filing is scheduled at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre, according to a Monday order by county Court of Common Pleas Judge Tina Polachek Gartley.

As with other election-related filings, a three-judge panel will preside over the matter: Judges Polachek Gartley, Lesa S. Gelb and Fred A. Pierantoni, a Monday administrative order said.

Walsh’s filing also cites a backlog of voter registration applications, but county officials said Friday that all registration applications had been processed.

The litigation seeks an order requiring the county to process all voter registrations and pending mail ballot applications so voters have time to return them.

Asked about the impact of the backlog elimination on the suit, Walsh referred comment to his attorney, Charles Kannebecker, who did not immediately provide a response.

To be counted, mail ballots must be physically in the election bureau by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5, and postmarks do not count in meeting the deadline.

Registration update

The county picked up another 2,542 registered voters in the past week, according to the latest state statistics released Monday.

Republicans added 1,481, for a new total of 91,481.

Democrats gained 696, bringing that total to 88,810.

The number of voters choosing no party or other affiliations rose by 365, increasing the total in that category to 29,515, the statistics show.

These latest figures increase the gap between registered Republicans and Democrats to 2,671.

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