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VOTER REGISTRATIONS County election bureau chief says some signing up online are not mailing in applications as required

March 19, 2008

1,500 locals switch to Dem side

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
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An estimated 1,500 Luzerne County voters have switched their party registrations to Democrat, county Election Bureau Director Leonard Piazza said after Tuesday’s county Election Board meeting.

Piazza didn’t have a breakdown of their original registrations but said they were either Republicans or third-party voters.

He promised to prepare a fresh voter registration breakdown report after Monday, which is the deadline to change parties or register to vote for the April 22 primary.

The 1,500 registration changes have occurred since Super Tuesday, or Feb. 5, he said.

He attributes the changes to the state’s closed primaries, which allow Democrats to vote only for Democrats and Republicans to vote only for Republicans. Third-party voters don’t get to vote on presidential candidates in the primary.

This year’s Pennsylvania primary is crucial to the outcome of the tight race between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

His office has been handling hundreds of voter registration filings daily, either new registrations or party changes, Piazza said.

Piazza issued a warning Tuesday that some people are skipping a necessary step when they register to vote on the state Web site.

Some are submitting the online application but ignoring the written instructions, which say a copy must be printed, signed and mailed to the proper county voter registration office by Monday’s deadline.

“Some people are assuming that once they hit submit, there’s no other responsibility,” Piazza said.

Piazza said he has received notice of 150 online applicants who have not signed and submitted written paper applications, which means these applicants may not be registered or permitted to vote.

He advises people who believe they skipped this step to re-register, print and sign copies and then mail or drop them off at his office.

Applications must be postmarked by Monday or delivered to his office by 4:30 p.m., he said. The office is located on the second floor of the county’s Penn Place building at the corner of Market Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre.

In other business Tuesday, the county Election Board agreed to seek bids from public accounting firms to count write-in votes on April 22.

Piazza said the move will save money because the county won’t have to hire roughly 80 people to handle the task. The chosen accounting firm would work “under the watchful eye” of a bi-partisan election team, he said.

Also, Bear Creek Township District 02 Judge of Elections Nancy Wright and three other members of the township’s election team asked the board to remove elected minority inspector Deborah Ann Hargraves.

Wright said election workers and voters have expressed numerous concerns about Hargraves. Wright said she believes election board members may resign if Hargraves is not removed.

Hargraves, who was not at the meeting, said the complaints are unwarranted and that there are no grounds for her removal.

County Election Board members said they don’t believe the board is willing to initiate formal impeachment proceedings. Board members advised Wright and the others to report problems to police.

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.

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