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Luzerne County’s election bureau processed 3,017 voter registration requests during the past week, leaving 1,700 more to address, according to a weekly election tasks report the county election bureau released Wednesday.
County Manager Romilda Crocamo commended employees for their progress in tackling the influx and noted a significant portion of the application requests continue to be from people already registered to vote.
For example, she said some registered voters are unnecessarily submitting new registration requests because they are not opting out when they renew their driver’s licenses.
Duplicate requests slow down processing, she said. Voters should check their registration status at pavoterservices.pa.gov prior to submitting a new application.
The county administration had assigned employees from other county departments to assist with registration processing.
“County employees are dedicatedly working well into the evening and throughout the weekends to ensure that all requests are processed efficiently,” Crocamo said Thursday. “Their commitment and hard work play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and accessibility of our electoral process.”
Crocamo said all outstanding requests will be promptly addressed. Monday, Oct. 21, is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 5 general election.
“I appreciate their efforts and the community’s understanding as we strive to serve every voter. Please be patient and respectful when dealing with all election workers,” Crocamo said.
The county has processed thousands of requests in recent weeks.
These are not solely new registrations because the applications also include voter requests to change their party affiliation or address.
At the start of this month, the county had 203,643 registered voters — 87,724 Republicans, 87,314 Democrats and 28,605 choosing no party or other affiliations.
The latest state registration figures released Monday indicate the county now has 206,014 total voters, or 2,371 more than the count at the start of October.
The current party tallies: 89,233 Republicans, 87,788 Democrats and 28,993 others.
Oct. 29 is the last day to apply for a mail ballot, although officials urge voters to act sooner because that deadline is only one week before the election.
Voters with questions may contact the election bureau at 570-825-1715 or elections@luzernecounty.org.
The bureau’s latest tasks report, which details election preparation requirements and progress completing them, is posted on the election page at luzernecounty.org.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.