Luzerne County won’t have a fifth ballot drop box in Duryea

Luzerne County won’t have a fifth ballot drop box in Duryea for the Nov. 5 general election.

County Election Board Chairwoman Denise Williams sought a status on the matter during Wednesday’s meeting because a board majority had voted in February to conditionally add a box in the lobby of the Frank P. Crossin Towers in Duryea.

The past approval hinged on a willingness from the facility’s management, the availability of funding for a security camera and box and verification that the facility has ample parking and is accessible to those with disabilities.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo told the board Wednesday she does not know if funds are available in the tight county budget. The county would have to come up with an estimated $2,500 for a surveillance camera and $3,660 for a drop box.

Even if funding is identified, Crocamo said she wants to use all available money to enhance election security.

Crocamo said she has “very serious safety concerns” for the November general election, including the securing of drop boxes.

The county does not have manpower to station sheriff deputies at each drop box, she added.

Crocamo said she plans to use a portion of upcoming state Election Integrity Grant funding to provide safety measures for election workers, including poll workers. Security must be stepped up at the county’s Penn Place Building in downtown Wilkes-Barre, which houses the election bureau, to ensure nobody feels at risk, she said.

Crocamo also said she has reservations about paying for a security camera at a site the county does not own.

The county Housing Authority, which is independent from the county, operates Frank P. Crossin Towers.

County Deputy Election Director Steve Hahn said security concerns were raised because the motion-sensor door to enter the residential section of the Duryea facility opens if someone inside walks by it.

Williams said she proposed the Duryea site to accommodate northern county residents because a box at the Pittston Memorial Library was popular before the city halted use of the site in January 2023 due to legal costs related to a Right to Know challenge.

Based on Wednesday’s feedback, particularly about security concerns at the Duryea site, Williams said someone else can take on the effort if a box is desired in the northern region.

“I fought the fight for this,” Williams said. “I don’t see a future for a drop box in the northern part of the county.”

The county has drop boxes at the Wright Manor assisted living facility in Mountain Top, Misericordia University in Dallas and two county-owned properties — Penn Place in Wilkes-Barre and the Broad Street Exchange in downtown Hazleton.

The February vote to conditionally approve the Duryea drop box had been along party lines on the five-citizen, volunteer board, with yes votes from Democrats Williams, Daniel Schramm and Albert Schlosser and no votes from Republican board members Alyssa Fusaro and Rick Morelli.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Schramm said the Duryea site won’t be feasible due to the cost and door security issue.

Schlosser agreed the security concern is a “big issue” with the Duryea site but stressed he supports drop boxes in general to make voting easier, particularly for the elderly and those with disabilities.

Fusaro said she remains against drop boxes and also cannot support the Duryea site due to security challenges for the facility’s elderly residents and the added cost.

Morelli said he opposes the Duryea drop box, in part, because there are “more challenges and complications” each time the county provides more options to voters. He also cited budgetary issues.