Dallas City News

Luzerne County picked up another 1,250 registered voters in the past week, according to the latest state statistics released Monday.

Republicans hit the 90,000 mark, adding 767 voters.

Democrats gained 326 voters, for a new total 88,114.

The number of voters choosing no party or other affiliations rose by 157, bringing the total in that group to 29,150.

These latest figures increase the gap between registered Republicans and Democrats to 1,886.

For perspective on where Luzerne County stands at the statewide level, its registration ranks thirteenth among the 67 counties, the statistics show.

Philadelphia is at the top, with 1.094 million registered voters, followed by Allegheny County, which has 943,221. The other counties with higher counts: Montgomery (628,620), Bucks (489.050), Delaware (421,560), Chester (393,916), Lancaster (362,538), York (328,165), Berks (274,542), Westmoreland (253,989), Lehigh (256,570) and Northampton (232,450).

The figures will change again in next week’s report. Monday was the last day to register for the Nov. 5 general election.

The county election bureau has processed thousands of requests in recent weeks from new voters and those seeking party affiliation or address changes.

In the most recent update released last Wednesday, the bureau had 1,700 more requests to process, which included new registrations and party/address changes. A new election tasks status report will be released this week.

Mail ballots

County Election Director Emily Cook said the county was up to date in processing all outstanding mail ballot applications. Approximately 45,000 voters have requested mail ballots for the Nov. 5 general to date, she said.

Oct. 29 is the last day to apply for a mail ballot, although officials advise voters to act sooner because that deadline is only one week before the election.

Voters in the 119th District Legislative District also have started receiving replacement ballots.

New ballots were issued to 6,700 voters in that district because state Rep. Alec Ryncavage’s name was misspelled. Dominion Voting Systems, the county’s voting equipment supplier, has taken responsibility for the “Tyncavage” misspelling, citing human error, and agreed to cover the cost of the corrected ballots and postcards explaining the error.

The county urges voters to complete and return the replacement ballots, but the county election board is prepared to accept selections for Alec “Tyncavage” during its post-election adjudication if voters only cast the original ballot.

Return reminder

Completed mail ballots must be physically in the election bureau by 8 p.m. on Election Day, and postmarks do not count in meeting that deadline.

In addition to regular mail, two mail ballot drop boxes are available:

• Broad Street Exchange, 100 W. Broad St., Hazleton: weekdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Nov. 1 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 4. This box is not available on Election Day.

• Penn Place main lobby, 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays (Oct. 22 and 29); 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the other weekdays; and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. In addition, the box is available on weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Oct. 26-27 and Nov. 2-3).

Voters also have the option to bring their ballot packages to their polling place to be spoiled so they can use the ballot marking devices. Cook said voters in the 119th District would have to bring the second-issued ballot to be voided, which includes an outer envelope labeled as “ballot update.”

Those without their mail ballot packages can complete a paper provisional ballot at the polls, which is reviewed during board adjudication to verify no other ballots were cast.

Election Board

The five-citizen, volunteer county Election Board will hold its final public meeting before the election at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Posted Monday, the agenda lists two matters up for approval.

First is the Nov. 5 general election proclamation, which formally announces the election in 186 county voting districts from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. and states all candidates appearing on the ballot and each polling place. This document is posted under agendas at luzernecounty.org.

The second board matter would refer four ballots from the April primary to the county District Attorney’s Office due to questions related to the witness verification.

A witness verification is required when voters are unable to sign their ballot envelope due to a disability or illness.

During post-primary adjudication, four ballots were flagged because they were from different addresses but had the same witness signing the outer envelope, with no signatures or marks in the box.

Board members had asked the election bureau to reach out to this witness for an explanation. Deputy Election Director Steve Hahn followed up and said the witness informed him all four residents resided in a nursing home. The witness indicated all four made the ballot selections on their own but could not sign or mark the outer envelope signature box because it was too small, Hahn had said.

Election Board Vice Chairwoman Alyssa Fusaro had questioned how the outer envelope signature box could be too small to leave a mark if the voters were able to shade in small bubbles on the ballot, describing the situation as a “major red flag.”

Board member Daniel Schramm had agreed, saying their inability to put an X or other mark in the signature box made him question if someone else filled out the ballot selections for them.

Fusaro, Schramm, board member Albert Schlosser and board Chairwoman Denise Williams had all voted to reject the four ballots. Board member Rick Morelli had to leave before the vote but said later he also would have voted to reject the four ballots.

Citizen Joe Granteed, of Plains Township, and others have been pressing the board to seek an investigation.

Election Day monitoring

U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam on Monday announced the creation of a regional team that will be be overseeing the handling of election day complaints regarding voting right concerns, threats of any kind to election officials or staff and election fraud — all in consultation with the U.S. Department of Justice headquarters in Washington.

Criminal Division Chief Bruce D. Brandler has been appointed to oversee and lead the district’s election day program, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Consiglio, Geoffrey MacArthur and James Buchanan will serve as the district election officers for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in its Harrisburg, Scranton and Williamsport offices, it said.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” Karam said in the announcement. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of any kind. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

Federal law protects against threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input, it said.

The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice when needed because of a disability or inability to read or write in English, it said.

The district election officers will be on duty while the polls are open to respond to complaints and ensure complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities. Their contact information: Consiglio (Harrisburg) 717-221-4482; Buchanan (Scranton) 570-348-2800; and MacArthur (Williamsport) 570-326-1935.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The public can reach the local FBI field office at 215-418-4000.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

In cases of violence or intimidation, citizens are advised to immediately call 911 before contacting federal authorities.

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