Luzerne County study commission zeroing in on county election board

Luzerne County’s Government Study Commission is set to start discussing the composition of the county election board at its Thursday meeting, the agenda said.

This issue is of particular interest to many because the board provides general supervision over elections, certifies results and makes determinations on the tallying of flagged ballots during post-election adjudication.

The seven-citizen commission is assessing potential county home rule charter changes and aims to place its proposal on the November 2025 ballot. Voters will then decide whether to switch to the new structure or keep the system in effect since January 2012.

Prior to home rule, the county’s three elected commissioners served as the election board, with the court appointing substitutes during periods when sitting commissioners appeared on the ballot.

In comparison, the charter created an election board of five citizens. The 11-member council appoints four of the five — two Democrats and two Republicans. Those four council-appointed members then select someone of any affiliation, or no affiliation, to fill the fifth seat and also serve as chair.

Various election board changes have been suggested in recent months by presenters invited to appear before the commission.

In August, council Chairman John Lombardo said he believes council should fill the election board’s fifth chairmanship seat as it does the other four.

“While I understand the desire to prevent partisanship on the board, it can easily be argued that the board is partisan either way since there are almost always three members of one party, and two of the other party,” Lombardo said at that time.

Denise Williams, a Democrat, last filled the fifth seat, resigning in December because she is running for county council. Prior to Williams, the board had two other Democrats, a Republican and an Independent in the fifth chair seat.

During her presentation to the commission in October, Williams proposed keeping selection of the fifth member up to the four seated election board members — not council — but requiring the fifth seat to be filled by an Independent or unaffiliated voter. Eliminating the possibility of a Democratic or Republican majority on the board was in the best interest of voters, she had said.

Williams also recommended adding the county manager and two council members (one Democrat, one Republican) to the election board as non-voting members, maintaining it would help increase communication and input on board decisions.

Because the election bureau is part of the executive branch, the county manager oversees election bureau employees and the council-approved budget.

Also appearing before the commission in October, retired political science professor Tom Baldino recommended filling the fifth chairmanship seat with an Independent or unaffiliated voter.

Baldino served on the first election board under home rule, from 2012 through 2015. He and the three other council-appointed members selected Independent H. Jeremy Packard as the first board chair, which meant there was no Republican or Democratic majority.

When asked for her opinion on the subject in December, county Manager Romilda Crocamo said she believes both citizens and council members should serve on the board — all as voting members.

Study Commission Chairman Tim McGinley said he looks forward to commission discussions about the election board structure.

“We’ve heard input from others, but the commission hasn’t really had a voice in this yet,” McGinley said.

Thursday’s Government Study Commission is at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. A link to attend the meeting remotely will be posted under council’s online meeting section (scroll down) at luzernecounty.org.

On the subject of the election board seat vacated by Williams, the four election board members are scheduled to publicly interview applicants at their Feb. 26 meeting, which also starts at 6 p.m. in the courthouse.

Five citizens have applied for the fifth seat: Democrats Stacey E. Fiester, Patrick Smith and Christine Boyle and Republicans Vivian Kreidler-Licina and Frank Yamrick.