Luzerne County begins mandatory testing of April 23 primary election voting equipment | Dallas Post

With the April 23 primary election a month away, Luzerne County’s Election Bureau started mandatory public testing of voting equipment Monday at the election warehouse in Wilkes-Barre.

Known as “logic and accuracy testing,” the review covers 710 ballot marking devices and 226 precinct scanners, said county Acting Election Director Emily Cook.

Several citizens and officials attended an opening demonstration, including county Council Chairman John Lombardo and council colleagues Jimmy Sabatino, LeeAnn McDermott and Gregory S. Wolovich Jr.

Cook activated Democratic and Republican test ballots on a device, pausing at the county government study commission race that is of high interest due to the number of candidates.

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

However, Cook announced during last week’s county election board meeting the bureau will stick with a single-column listing that will require scrolling based on an “extensive and thorough review” with legal counsel, the election consultant and Pennsylvania Department of State.

Instead, the bureau is adding the following alert on the screen in red capital letters: “There are 17 candidates for this office. Press scroll down for more candidates.”

The single-column listing means 10 candidates will appear on the screen without the voter touching the scroll button: Cindy Malkemes, Mark Shaffer, Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich, Vito Malacari, Claudia Glennan, Stephen J. Urban, Andy Wilczak, Ted Ritsick, Charles Sciandra and Mark Rabo.

Scrolling will be necessary to view the names of the remaining seven candidates: Sandra DeBias, Tom Bassett, Vivian Kreidler-Licina, Fermin Diaz, Matt Mitchell, Tim McGinley and Dave Chaump.

McDermott asked Cook if the red alert could flash to further draw attention to it.

Cook said a flashing feature is not permitted under the the county’s Dominion Voting Systems equipment certified by the state for use in Pennsylvania.

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

Commission candidate 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.

Mitchell said Monday he is frustrated a one-screen solution was not identified but said he is grateful the county added the alert at the top of the page. He is running on a bipartisan team with three other candidates — McGinley, Ritsick and Sciandra — and said the group will work to raise public awareness about the scrolling.

“It seems like they’re doing the best they can to keep it as fair as possible,” Mitchell said of the election bureau.

In response to a citizen question posed Monday, Cook told attendees the Dominion equipment is not connected to the internet.