Ballot scrolling will be required in Luzerne County study commission race | Dallas Post

The names of all 17 Luzerne County study commission candidates won’t fit on one screen of the ballot marking devices in the April 23 primary election, which means scrolling will be required, Acting Election Director Emily Cook announced during Wednesday’s election board meeting.

Instead, the bureau plans to add this alert on the screen in capital letters: “There are 17 candidates for this office. Press scroll down for more candidates.”

This wording will be further emphasized in red, Cook said.

Primary voters will choose seven citizens to serve on the panel, but they will only be seated if a majority of county voters approve a referendum on the ballot asking if they want to convene a government study commission.

The county administration examined the possibility of fitting all 17 candidates on one screen of the devices used at polling places to address concerns voters would not realize they must hit scroll to view all candidates.

Study commission candidate Matthew Mitchell, a prior county council member, has advocated placement of everyone on the same screen through at least two columns, saying that approach would be “more fair.”

In the November general election, 10 county council candidates appeared on the screen, while voters had to touch a scroll-down box to see the names of the remaining two candidates — Mitchell and Kimberly Platek. Mitchell said he received calls the morning of the election from voters indicating they could not find his name.

Cook said the decision to remain with a one-column listing was made after an “extensive and thorough review” with legal counsel, the election consultant and Pennsylvania Department of State.

Assistant Solicitor Gene Molino said there were a number of “legal concerns” with compressing the names through smaller type and multiple columns.

There is a potential for legal challenges based on an argument that multiple columns don’t adhere to the ballot positions determined through a “casting of the lots” drawing procedure, Molino said.

To elaborate, if six candidates are listed in the first column, the seventh candidate would appear at the top of the second column. For voters reading left to right by row, the seventh person could be perceived as being elevated to second in the order, he said.

Election Board member Rick Morelli said the added instructions help, but he has serious concerns voters won’t scroll, putting candidates at the bottom of the list at a disadvantage. He said there should be a “failsafe” to ensure voters must view all candidate names before they can proceed, such as a second page on the screen instead of scrolling.

Board Vice Chairwoman Alyssa Fusaro agreed.

Cook said the county’s Dominion Voting Systems equipment certified by the state for use in Pennsylvania is not equipped to provide the modification suggested by Morelli.

Election Board Chairwoman Denise Williams said she believes the added alert to voters is sufficient.

The candidates in the order they will appear: Cindy Malkemes, Dallas Township; Mark Shaffer, Wilkes-Barre; Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich, Fairview Township; Vito Malacari, Hanover Township; Claudia Glennan, Salem Township; Stephen J. Urban, Kingston; Andy Wilczak, Wright Township; Ted Ritsick, Forty Fort; Charles Sciandra, Duryea; Mark Rabo, Hazleton; Sandra DeBias, Hazle Township; Tom Bassett, Pittston; Vivian Kreidler-Licina, Nescopeck Township; Fermin Diaz, West Hazleton; Matt Mitchell, Plains Township; Tim McGinley, Kingston; and Dave Chaump, West Pittston.

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Noting the election is now 34 days away, Cook said the bureau should start sending mail ballots the first week of April to voters who requested them.

Paper poll books will be printed for all polling places as a back-up for both 2024 elections, she said. Starting with the upcoming primary, the county will be using new electronic poll books from Knowink for voter sign-in.

All polling places will remain the same for the primary election except for Forty Fort Ward 2.

County Acting Deputy Election Director Steve Hahn said the bureau recently learned the Forty Fort Presbyterian Church has closed and is no longer available as a polling place for the borough’s Ward 2 voters. Because no other viable options were identified, Ward 2 voters will cast ballots at the Cross Valley Assembly of God Church, which is the polling place for Ward 1.

Cook said the complete list of polling places will be posted Thursday morning on the election page at luzernecounty.org.