Everything You Need to Know About Navigating the 2020 Election

F1 Part I: Everything you need to know about Navigating the 2020 Election Sunday, September 20, 2020 EDITOR’S NOTE mail. Welcome to Navigating 2020. Any partisan content you see will be from the candidates and the political We realize this year has been like no other. parties themselves and clearly marked as such. We also know we face an all-important election in just 44 days – an elec- In the matter of fairness, we o ered each political party in Luzerne tion, much as the year, like no other. And we are intent to make sure you are County the same opportunity to advertise. ready to cast your ballot. This is the rst of three special sections to help So we hope you enjoy the work we have put into this section and the ones you get ready to do just that. to follow in the coming weeks. Our promise to you is that we will remain non-partisan in the pages of the And we sincerely hope you take the time to exercise your civic duty come special sections. Our only goal is to give you all the information you could Nov. 3 and vote. need to vote – whether you plan on doing that in person or through the – Times Leader F2 2 NAVIGATING ELECTION 2020 Sunday, September 20, 2020 ELECTION NIGHT File photo Teams of Luzerne County workers spent long days painstakingly opening envelopes containing mail-in ballots following the June 2 primary election. Timing of election results up in the air By Jennifer Learn-Andes Michael Butera recently said several also will delay the final tally, officials day to “election week.” [email protected] legislative changes related to mail-in say. “We’ll take accuracy over speed every voting have been circulating at the state In the primary, completed ballots had single time,” Ouellette said. n influx of mail-in ballots that capital, with no final decisions. to be physically returned to the county Approximately 40,300 county vot- took longer to process in the That includes proposals allowing election bureau by 8 p.m. on Election ers cast their ballots by mail on June June 2 primary election ended counties to start opening up mail-in Day, and postmarks did not count. 2 — an option that was encouraged in the tradition of Election Night ballots 21 or 3 days before the election The state Supreme Court last week the coronavirus pandemic and available Acandidate victory announcements. granted the Democratic Party’s request with no excuse or reason required for — a process known as pre-canvassing Luzerne County and many others — so they are ready to be loaded into to order a three-day extension for the the first time due to state legislation needed more than a week to finish tabulators and tallied on election night, Nov. 3 general, which means mailed bal- that had passed last year. opening and scanning the ballots and Butera said. lots received by 5 p.m. Nov. 6 must be County officials are projecting the reach decisions on the ones flagged for “It could take as long as it did in the counted if they were postmarked by the number of mail-in voters will be in the missing signatures and issues. spring or be faster. We don’t know until time polls closed on Election Day. 50,000 range for the upcoming general. It’s still unclear if legislators will the state decides what it is going to do,” Because mail-in ballots take longer Teams of county workers had to reach a solution on changes to speed up said county Administrative Services to process, county Election Board Vice spend days opening outer envelopes, the process for Nov. 3. Division Head David Parsnik. Chairman Peter Ouellette said the See RESULTS | 3 County Election Board Solicitor Another deadline that has changed mindset needs to change from election F3 Sunday, September 20, 2020 NAVIGATING ELECTION 2020 3 MAIL-IN VOTING Results From page 2 shuffl ing the sealed secrecy envelopes inside and then opening those to access mail-in ballots that had to be unfolded and smoothed so they didn’t cause a jam when batches were fed into scanner/tabulators. The envelopes couldn’t be opened until 7 a.m. on Elec- tion Day under state law. Separate from state legislation out of her control, county Elec- tion Director Shelby Watchilla said she is trying to accelerate mail-in ballot processing by researching the The basics explained possible addition of an automated envelope File photo opener. Luzerne County Election Board members review flagged issues, such as missing signatures, on mail-in ballots following the June 2 primary. Photographed, from left, are These devices can Audrey Serniak, Joyce Dombroski-Gebhardt, Keith Gould and Peter Ouellette. open 40,000 envelopes By Jennifer Learn-Andes or reason required for free up election staff for state’s database. Ouellette provided some per hour and have [email protected] the fi rst time due to other election prepara- After fi lling out the been used successfully state legislation that had tions, Parsnik said. ballot, voters must place procedural reminders for and safely in other nless state legis- passed last year. The county election it in the white envelope, See MAIL-IN | 4 counties, Watchilla lators change the Mail-in ballots for the offi ce will continue han- seal it and then put that said. date, voters inter- general election are on dling the processing of envelope inside the one ★★ American Proud ★★ ★★ American Proud ★★ ested in casting track to be mailed by all returned ballots. with the label/barcode Utheir ballots by mail have the end of the month to be returned to the until Oct. 27 — a week to county voters who Mailing speci cs county. CADE’S before the Nov. 3 election requested them, said Attention to detail is During processing, — to request the option. county Election Director important to ensure a secrecy envelopes are Gold and Coin Store Luzerne County offi - Shelby Watchilla. mail-in vote is counted, shuffl ed as a way to pre- Buying cials are projecting the The county admin- offi cials say. vent the linking of ballots number of mail-in voters istration has decided Along with instruc- to specifi c individuals. • Scrap Gold and Silver• Large Currency • Dental Gold • Jewelry will be in the 50,000 to retain an outside tions, mail-in voters The outer envelopes range for the upcoming company — Ohio-based receive a ballot, a plain are scanned so the sys- “Don’t Delay-Cash in Today” general. Election IQ — to handle white secrecy envelope tem records which voters ★★★★★★ Approximately 40,300 the preparation and mail- with no identifying infor- have cast mail-in ballots. county voters cast their ing of ballots instead of mation on it and an outer For the upcoming elec- “You’ll Have it Made at Cade’s” ballots by mail on June performing that work envelope that contains tion, the state is covering 2 — an option that was in-house, said county the voter’s name and the cost of postage for 1187 Wyoming Ave Exeter encouraged in the coro- Administrative Services a label with a bar code mail-in ballots. (570) 762-1298 navirus pandemic and Director David Parsnik. that, when scanned, iden- County Election Board available with no excuse This outsourcing will tifi es that voter in the Vice Chairman Peter Highest Prices Paid 80969327 F4 4 NAVIGATING ELECTION 2020 Sunday, September 20, 2020 party that offers to per- or deputy sheriff, elimi- Mail-in form that task on their nating any mail delays, behalf. Watchilla said. From page 3 In the primary, com- The recent Supreme pleted ballots had to Court ruling also autho- mail-in voters based on be physically returned rized counties to use errors observed by the to the county election drop boxes for mail-in county Election Board bureau by 8 p.m. on Elec- ballots — something that following the June 2 pri- tion Day, and postmarks had been identifi ed as a mary: did not count. need by county election • Voters must sign the That has changed for board members. outer mailing envelope the general election. The containing the bar code. state Supreme Court last Security • Multiple ballots can- week granted the Demo- Only one valid ballot not be placed inside the cratic Party’s request can be issued to each same secrecy or mailing to order a three-day voter, tracked through envelope. If this hap- extension, which means the unique barcode. pens, the county cannot mailed ballots received Watchilla said there count the ballots because by 5 p.m. Nov. 6 must is no chance two ballots there would be no way to be counted if they were would be counted for determine which ballot postmarked by the time the same voter — one in is tied to the voter listed polls closed on Election person and one by mail on the envelope with the Day. — because the sign-in bar code. Mail-in voters can books at polling places • When selecting can- bring their completed fl ag voters who received didates, voters should ballots directly to the mail-in ballots. fully shade in the ovals election bureau in the In the primary, all vot- and be careful not to county-owned Penn ers who received mail- select more than the Place building at 20 N. in ballots had to use a specifi ed number of Pennsylvania Ave. in special provisional paper candidates — known as Wilkes-Barre. ballot if they appeared over-voting. No vote can As the election nears, in person.

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