Luzerne County Council’s election inquiry committee to examine many issues

In its first meeting Thursday, Luzerne County Council’s four-member election inquiry committee came up with a range of matters it wants to examine.

Council created the committee largely in response to the premature unsealing and discarding of nine overseas military Nov. 3 election mail ballots by a temporary worker. That matter is still under federal investigation, although county Manager C. David Pedri said required information was retrieved to count all nine votes.

Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck will serve as inquiry committee chair, and Councilman Harry Haas will be vice chairman. The other council committee members: Sheila Saidman and Stephen J. Urban.

Committee members approved a list of review topics proposed by McClosky Houck and added some more.

The committee will meet publicly at least six more times through Dec. 17, with the goal of preparing a summary of findings in January.

Areas of focus will include the role of the county Election Board, election operating procedures, management of the election bureau and all actions taken in connection with ballots, from the time they are produced to their tally.

The board plans to delve into election laws and the county’s home rule charter, research election board structures in other home rule counties and review the job duties and training of workers, including temporary employees and election day poll workers.

Polling place locations, the programming of electronic voting machines and public accessibility to election-related information also are on the list.

“I think it’s ambitious, but thoroughness is what we need here,” Haas said of the plan.

The committee’s next meeting is at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Directions on attending the virtual session are posted under council’s public meetings online section at luzernecounty.org.