Luzerne County announces error in processing of 119th District ballots

Luzerne County’s processing of mail ballots was halted around 4:30 p.m. because officials realized ballots with the misspelling of 119th Legislative District state representative candidate Alec Ryncavage’s name were in the mix, even though those ballots were supposed to remain segregated, officials said.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said the ballots with the “Tyncavage” misspelling were not yet scanned in, and officials were “working backwards” to identify the impacted ballots and resegregate them to address during the county election board’s adjudication.

However, Ryncavage, the incumbent seeking re-election, said the error is a concern because the ballots have now been removed from the outer envelopes identifying the voters who cast them.

The county had issued corrected ballots to 6,700 mail ballot voters in the district, but Ryncavage said officials promised the original ballots would be accepted from voters who never cast a second ballot.

He is concerned that commitment will no longer be possible to carry out if the identity of the voters cannot be established for the misspelled ballots already opened.

During the processing now underway, known as pre-canvassing, workers remove the sealed inner secrecy envelopes from the outer envelope containing the voter’s name. The secrecy envelopes are then shuffled before the ballots are removed so there is no way to link an individual voter to the ballots inside.

Ryncavage said he and his legal counsel met with county officials to discuss the matter.

For now, it was determined the pre-canvassing team will only process 119th District ballots with the correct Ryncavage spelling. The reissued ballots contain a red mark that distinguishes them from the original ones mailed, he said he was informed.

Some voters received original ballots with the correct spelling of Ryncavage’s name, but the county indicated only ones with the red identifier will be counted in tonight’s unofficial election totals.

“The county must ensure there is absolutely zero double-votes cast in this election. It must be one vote per person,” Ryncavage said.

Tabulation of mail ballots processed during pre-canvassing cannot occur until 8 p.m.

Crocamo said a staff member inadvertently included the Tyncavage ballots with the replacement Ryncavage ballots. The county is working with the election board and Pennsylvania Department of State to mitigate the issue, she said.

Both the candidates have been notified, Crocamo said.

Ryncavage, a Republican, is running against Democrat Megan Kocher.

“It’s really upsetting to see there are more issues impacting the 119th,” said Kocher. “I hope they’re able to reach a timely solution so voters know as soon as possible who their next representative will be.”