Op-Ed: Luzerne County must preserve drop boxes to protect voter access and trust

As a member of the Luzerne County Council, I’m deeply concerned about the decision to eliminate ballot drop boxes just weeks before the November 2024 election. Drop boxes have served our community since 2020, providing a secure and accessible option for voters, particularly for our seniors, disabled individuals and rural residents. Removing them now threatens to disenfranchise voters and create unnecessary confusion at a critical time.

Drop boxes are not only convenient but also highly secure. Equipped with video surveillance and tamper-proof designs, they have been used safely across the county without incident. Their removal is a step backward, undermining years of work to make voting more accessible to every eligible voter in Luzerne County. While concerns have been raised about security, the facts don’t support these claims. Counties across the Commonwealth have used drop boxes extensively without significant security issues, and studies have shown that drop boxes do not benefit one political party over another — they simply make voting easier for everyone.

In Luzerne County, there has been a systematic campaign to discredit drop boxes, driven by baseless claims of voter fraud. This rhetoric, often fueled by national narratives, has taken root locally despite the fact that no significant security issues have arisen from the use of drop boxes in past elections. The removal of these boxes only emboldens those who seek to suppress voter access under the guise of “election integrity,” when, in reality, drop boxes have been a critical, trusted resource for voters of all political stripes.

Drop boxes have been a vital resource, especially for those who cannot easily access the election bureau or face challenges with mail delivery. Forcing voters to hand-deliver their ballots to a single location is not a viable option for many. The convenience of drop boxes ensures that working parents, people with disabilities, and voters in rural areas can participate in the electoral process without unnecessary barriers.

The timing of this decision is especially concerning. Voters are already making plans for how they’ll cast their ballots, and eliminating drop boxes now will only cause confusion and erode public trust. Luzerne County’s mail ballots will be going out soon, thanks to the hard working staff of our elections bureau. Voters who signed up to vote by mail did so thinking they’d have access to drop boxes.Instead of creating more obstacles, our focus now should be on expanding access and encouraging voter participation.

We must stand for a system that encourages participation from all eligible voters. Luzerne County should be leading the way by maintaining — and even expanding — drop box access to ensure our elections are secure, accessible, and trusted. Preserving drop boxes in our community is not just about convenience; it’s about protecting the integrity of our democracy and ensuring that every voter has the opportunity to be heard.

Let’s keep Luzerne County moving forward.