Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri wants to use paper ballots instead of the new touchscreen machines, shown here, for in-person voting on June 2 due to coronavirus concerns with touchscreens.

Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri wants to use paper ballots instead of the new touchscreen machines, shown here, for in-person voting on June 2 due to coronavirus concerns with touchscreens.

Would avoid sanitary issues with electronic machines

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<p>Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri wants to use paper ballots instead of the new touchscreen machines, shown here, for in-person voting on June 2 due to coronavirus concerns with touchscreens.</p>

Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri wants to use paper ballots instead of the new touchscreen machines, shown here, for in-person voting on June 2 due to coronavirus concerns with touchscreens.

<p>Pedri</p>

Pedri

Non-disabled Luzerne County voters casting their ballots in person on June 2 would use paper ballots instead of the new electronic touchscreen ballot marking devices under a preliminary coronavirus plan presented Tuesday.

Each voter would receive a pen to make their selections on paper so no pens would be shared and then feed the paper into a scanner to be tabulated, plan drafter county Manager C. David Pedri told council in its virtual meeting.

Each polling place would still be equipped with an electronic machine for voters with visual impairments or other disabilities that prevent them from using paper ballots, with cleaning after each use, he said.

Paper is a better option for this primary because it alleviates coronavirus concerns about touchscreens, Pedri said. A day of repeated screen wiping and drying also could slow up voting and damage the equipment, election workers have said.

Public training on the new machines also was halted during the pandemic.

“It’s not ideal, but once again we’re trying to pivot and work on things as best as we can,” Pedri said of the paper ballot plan.

Polling place consolidation

The number of voting locations also will be reduced from 144 buildings to an estimated 58 “well-ventilated, larger buildings” to alleviate concerns about proper social distancing and polling place and poll worker shortages, Pedri said.

A breakdown of the 58 polling locations he envisions: 21 new ones, possibly schools; 32 existing ones that already are large enough; and expansion at five current locations to accommodate additional wards. He stressed more may be added if needed.

High schools are a possible location for new one-time polling places because they are not holding students at this time, are centrally located and familiar to residents and have ample parking and large gyms to spread out voters, Pedri said. He discussed the option with superintendents and said they are working on securing necessary approval.

The owners of numerous buildings previously used have expressed concerns about coronavirus exposure and contamination, he said.

Staffing the usual number of polling locations also won’t be possible, Pedri has said, because most of the more than 700 poll workers are over 65 and more vulnerable to the coronavirus, he said.

When extending the primary from April 28 to June 2, state officials authorized counties to reduce polling place locations by up to 60% due to concerns about a lack of poll workers and building owners willing to allow crowds into their properties.

Vote by mail

Attempting to reduce in-person voting, the county will send mail-in ballot applications to all registered Democrats and Republicans, likely on Friday, Pedri said. The mailing will include a self-addressed, stamped return envelope, with the expense funded by the state under the plan.

The state no longer requires voters to provide a reason for voting by mail.

Approximately 20,000 voters already have applied for mail-in ballots, which the county started mailing on Monday, he said. The county now has 184,308 residents eligible to vote in the primary to date — 104,949 Democrats and 79,359 Republicans, the latest statistics from Monday show. Only voters in these two parties can vote on June 2 because Pennsylvania has closed primaries.

Nearly 11% have requested mail-in ballots so far based on the latest statistics. The deadline for registered voters to apply for mail-in ballots is 5 p.m. May 26.

What’s next

While the powers and role of the county election board under the county’s home rule structure have been debated, with some conflicting opinions, for years, the board has historically approved polling locations and changes.

Pedri said he consulted with election board members individually on his proposed plan and will present the final version to the board for consideration at its May 6 meeting.

Consolidation must be legally completed at least 20 days before the election and publicly posted at least 15 days before, Pedri said.

Pedri said he also consulted with other counties, mayors and other municipal officials, the Pennsylvania Department of State, legislators and others on the proposed plan, saying he also wants council input.

Councilman Robert Schnee asked how voters will be informed of changes once they are finalized.

Pedri said locations will be posted on the county website and promoted through social media, advertised in the newspaper and possibly stated in postcard mailings to voters, although such a mailing is not required by law.

Councilman Harry Haas said he was “personally very impressed” with the plan, suggesting the county reach out to college students or unemployed residents if they are still low on poll workers. Haas said he liked the pen idea.

Agreeing with Haas, Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott said she is pleased voters will still have an option to vote at the polls.

But Councilman Stephen J. Urban pointed out the electronic poll books voters now use to sign in require voters to share a stylus, saying that would be “defeating the purpose” of other prevention measures.

Pedri said he is seeking a cost to return to paper poll books for the primary, which would be eligible for state reimbursement.

Councilman Walter Griffith suggested pens with stylus tips so voters could also use them to sign in on electronic poll books. Griffith raised a series of complaints, many centering on delays in coming up with a plan that he believes put the county “pretty far behind the curve” and will make it more difficult to prepare voters.

Council Chairman Tim McGinley said officials “can’t go back” and indicated he believes Pedri’s plan is a “good first step.”

County Election Board Chairman Jose M. Adames told council he will wait to comment on the plan until the full board has an opportunity to review it in public.

Election Board member Peter Ouellette told council the board wants to encourage voting by mail, and sending the application will make it easier for people to use that method. In response to an inquiry about why electronic machines must still be available on June 2, Ouellette said federal law requires accommodations for those with disabilities to vote unassisted.

The new machines from Dominion Voting Systems Inc. were to be used for the first time in the primary.

With the new machines, voters will make selections on computerized devices similar to the way they do now. But instead of touching a screen box to cast the ballot, voters will receive a paper printout to verify their selections before the paper is fed into a tabulator to be read and saved in compliance with a state mandate.

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