The Luzerne County Election Board discussed a proposal to mandate poll worker training during a meeting Wednesday at the county courthouse in Wilkes-Barre. From left are board members Richard Nardone, Denise Williams, Audrey Serniak and Missy Thomas. Board member Kathryn Roth attended remotely.
Jennifer Learn-Andes | Times Leader
Luzerne County’s Election Board is considering mandating training next year for the more than 1,000 people who staff county polling places on election day.
Board member Richard Nardone proposed the idea during Wednesday’s meeting at the courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, saying the county should not allow people to perform that role without adequate education on procedures and responsibilities.
Deputy Election Director Eryn Harvey told the board she wholeheartedly supports the concept but is concerned a mandate will worsen a poll worker shortage.
“We can’t find people the way it is,” Harvey said, emphasizing that most election day workers voluntarily undergo training.
Each of the county’s 186 precincts typically has at least one clerk, a machine operator and three elected workers — a judge of elections and two inspectors (majority and minority). The elected posts are sometimes filled through appointment because nobody runs or those elected are unable to serve, officials have said.
Harvey also questioned if the county can mandate training for the elected judges of election and inspectors.
Nardone said recruitment also must be addressed, but he does not believe it makes sense to permit untrained workers at the polls.
“We won’t solve it today, but it has to be solved,” Nardone said.
Harvey said media coverage and advertisements have highlighted the need for poll workers, and she is open to suggestions on how to attract more.
Election Board Chairwoman Denise Williams said she has discovered some other counties mandate training and said properly trained workers are essential to election integrity.
Requiring at least one training annually would be reasonable, she said, particularly for judges of election and inspectors with a “huge” role in proper functioning of polling places.
Williams said she requested a list of all May primary poll workers and will also seek information on which attended training. That information also should be furnished to the board for all subsequent elections, she said.
Harvey noted the bureau provides a wide range of training options to accommodate many schedules and locations.
Speaking during public comment, county Councilman Walter Griffith suggested more online video and virtual training options that may be more appealing to those interested in working at the polls.
Drop boxes
A board decision on providing mail ballot drop boxes in the November general was delayed until the Aug. 25 meeting because the bureau is still researching options and formulating a written plan requested by the board.
The board wants information on larger boxes resembling postal mail boxes that are too heavy and bulky for a person to steal, similar to a ones used in neighboring Lackawanna County.
In the May primary, the county had provided three counter-top mail ballot drop boxes at the Pittston Memorial Library and Hazleton and Nanticoke city halls in addition to one previously available at the county’s Penn Place building in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
Williams said a decision to switch to the mailbox style would have to be made soon to ensure the boxes could be ordered and arrive in time. She has stressed the boxes would only be placed inside buildings with security cameras.
The board also is awaiting a bureau policy on how the mail ballots would be secured and collected, the number of proposed boxes, the cost and where they would be placed.
DA election
Board members met in closed-door executive session Wednesday to discuss litigation filed Tuesday against the board over the timing of the county district attorney election. They did not comment on the matter during the public meeting.
The court action stems from conflicting interpretations on what must happen now that DA Sam Sanguedolce is filling the seat vacated by prior DA Stefanie Salavantis.
An election board majority concluded new state legislation requires the seat to be on the ballot this November, although it has not yet decided if the term should be two or four years. The litigation filed by county council and Sanguedolce argues the race should not be on the ballot until 2023 and that the elected term must be four years.
As expected, the county Court of Common Pleas has requested the court case be assigned to an out-of-county judge.
Election investigation
At the request of county council, Sanguedolce had agreed to investigate any allegations of potential criminal conduct relating to the May primary.
County Assistant Solicitor Michael Butera told the election board he met with one of the detectives involved Wednesday and learned that investigation of one complaint has been completed, with a finding of a clerical error at the state level but no evidence of criminal activity.
The detective was unable to discuss other complaints still under investigation, Butera said, commending the DA’s office for examining each issue “very methodically.”
Sanguedolce will issue a report when the investigation is completed, Butera said.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
