Mail ballot voting reminders issued for Luzerne County nursing and personal care homes

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

jandes@timesleader.com

Luzerne County’s Election Board is stepping up efforts to educate nursing and personal care homes about the handling of mail ballots.

The bipartisan citizen board recently unanimously approved a detailed question/answer sheet prepared by board member Alyssa Fusaro.

Fusaro said she believes these facilities need more detailed explanation and cleared the information with the county solicitor’s office.

The following questions and responses were approved by the board but also may be of interest to others:

• Can I drop off another voter’s ballot?

Yes, as long as you and the voter fill out an authorization form, officially known as an “authorize a designated agent to help you obtain and/or return your mail-in or absentee ballot” form.

This form can be found at www.dos.pa.gov/VotingElections.

• How many ballots can I return?

You may only return your own ballot and the ballots of voters for which you are a designated agent. These voters must be from the same household.

• Can I return multiple ballots from different households?

No. You may only be a designated agent for one household.

Example: Mr. and Mrs. Smith ask you to return their mail-in ballots for them. They sign the designated agent form and give it to you. The next day, your husband asks you to return his mail-in ballot for him. You cannot return his because you are already a designated agent for Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

• Is it illegal to drop off multiple mail ballots without having a signed designated agent form?

Yes

• Can I be a designated agent for several residents in a nursing home or rehabilitation facility?

Yes, but ONLY if those residents live within the same room of a facility.

Pennsylvania Department of State guidance states: “A ‘household’ for the purpose of designating an agent does not include a long-term care facility. However, a couple sharing a room or apartment within a facility may be considered members of the same household. This means that each resident who is unable to return their own voted ballot due to a disability must designate a different agent.

Although not in the board-approved question/answer, the state also suggested facilities make arrangements for residents to deliver their own ballots to a U.S. Postal Service mailbox, the county election bureau or a designated county drop box location.

Fusaro said these requirements make it clear that there should be no instances of any voters dropping off a large number of ballots.

Last year, the board had received and reviewed drop box surveillance recordings to investigate a complaint about a woman, reportedly from a nursing home, who had deposited or attempted to deposit multiple ballots at the county-owned Penn Place Building in downtown Wilkes-Barre, officials said. That matter was referred to the county District Attorney’s Office and remains under investigation.

As decided at its April 27 meeting, the election board wanted the election bureau to mail the new question/answer form along with a letter to nursing and personal care homes throughout the county before the May 17 primary. However, the bureau, engrossed with other election preparations, was unable to send it out before the primary, officials said.

County Election Director Michael Susek said he will ensure it is mailed before the November general election.

At the board’s urging, the bureau sent a less detailed letter to nursing and personal care homes within the 116th Legislative District before the April 5 special election for state representative there. That letter informed them of the required designated agent form and provided a copy of the form.

The county has mailed more than 19,000 ballots to county voters who requested them for the May 17 primary.

Completed mail ballots must be received in the county election bureau by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters can return their ballots by mail or deposit them in one of the county’s five drop boxes inside buildings. Drop box locations and hours are posted under the election bureau 2022 primary election link at luzernecounty.org.