Luzerne County mails primary election ballots and issues plea for poll workers

Luzerne County’s Election Bureau has mailed May 18 primary election ballots to 20,559 voters who requested that option to date, county Deputy Election Director Eryn Harvey said Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the bureau is once again issuing a plea for citizens willing to be poll workers on Election Day, especially in three locations that have nobody signed up so far: Conyngham Township, Larksville borough Ward 2 and Nanticoke city Ward 2, Harvey said.

On the issue of mail ballots, voters have until 5 p.m. on May 11, or a week before the primary, to apply, although officials urge interested voters to act sooner if possible. State legislators added the option to vote by mail with no excuse or justification required last year.

The registration breakdown of the 20,559 county voters choosing mail ballots to date, according to Harvey: Democrats, 14,738; Republicans, 4,801; and Independents, third-party or no affiliation, 1,011.

In total, 9.32% of the county’s registered voters have requested mail ballots. According to the latest state statistics, the county has 220,545 registered voters: 105,746 Democrats, 86,045 Republicans and 28,754 others.

All voters statewide will have an opportunity to decide four public questions in the primary — three proposed state constitution amendments and a change that would allow municipal fire departments and emergency medical service providers to be eligible for state loans.

In addition, all voters in four county municipalities — Pittston Township, Avoca, Dupont and Duryea — will decide whether Republican Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak or state Rep. Marty Flynn, D-Scranton, fills the 22nd Senatorial District seat vacated by John Blake.

The remaining votes on nominating candidates for races will be left to county Democrats and Republicans because Pennsylvania has closed primaries.

Mail voters must place their ballots in the unmarked white secrecy envelope and then place that envelope inside the outer one with the label and bar code. Ballots won’t be counted if voters fail to enclose them in both envelopes or sign and date the outer envelope, the state said.

Ballots must be received in the county election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day, the state said.

In addition to mailing, voters also will be able to hand-deposit their ballots into one of four drop boxes. The bureau said it will soon announce when these boxes are installed.

One will be in the county’s Penn Place Building lobby at 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Wilkes-Barre.

The others will be in the Hazleton and Nanticoke city hall buildings and the Pittston Library. The county changed the original Pittston city hall location to avoid any perception of impropriety because Magisterial District Judge Alexandra Kokura Kravitz’s office is in that building, and she is running for county judge, the administration said.

Poll workers

Registered voters are needed to serve as poll workers in 18 municipalities, including the three previously mentioned with nobody committed to work, Harvey said.

A mix of clerks, machine operators, inspectors and judges are needed at polling places in these municipalities, Harvey said. Training is provided.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Workers must arrive at the polling place at 6 a.m. to ensure proper set-up and opening of the voting systems.

The compensation is $250 plus mileage for the judges and $215 for other workers, Harvey said.

Poll workers also are needed at these locations, Harvey said:

• Boroughs — Edwardsville (Ward 1); Hughestown (Ward 1); Kingston (Ward 3); Luzerne; New Columbus; Pringle; and Shickshinny.

• Townships — Hanover (Ward 6); Jackson; Jenkins (Ward 1); Lehman (District 1 and 2); Plymouth (Ward 1); Salem; and Wright (Wards 1, 2 and 4).

• City — Hazleton (Wards 6, 8, 9 and 10)

Residents interested in working on Election Day can fill out the online application through the election department poll worker link at luzernecounty.org or contact the election office at 570-825-1715.