Following its successful efforts to protect the right to vote in Luzerne County, Pa., the Center for Election Confidence (CEC) returns to northeast Pennsylvania to stand up for over 500 voters who were sent the wrong ballots by Lackawanna County.
From news reporting on the matter (WNEP-TV, Scranton, Pennsylvania.):
Citing a printer’s error, spokesman Patrick McKenna said those 545 voters mistakenly received ballots for the 2024 primary and not the 2025 primary, which is held May 20. The correct ballots will be mailed to those Republican voters by April 30, he said.
Following outreach to CEC by voters in Lackawanna County, CEC sent a letter to the Lackawanna County Elections Director on May 6, 2025, requesting a meeting to discuss this issue and the steps the county is taking to protect the rights of voters now and in the future.
Voters in Lackawanna County have contacted us, expressing concern about this situation as well as what remedies are employed so that it does not recur. We would like to schedule a meeting to discuss this matter and the steps the county is taking to protect the rights of voters now and in the future. I have attached/enclosed a list of documents we would like to review as a part of that discussion.
CEC is engaged to ensure that Lackawanna County fulfills its constitutional responsibility to its voters to communicate fully and directly about both the ballot delivery issue and its resolution, and to count all valid votes. Indeed, CEC is seeking information from Lackawanna County concerning its intended processes for handling receipt of “bad” ballots (including when a voter returns only a “bad” ballot or when the “bad” ballot is received by the election office simultaneously with or after receipt of a “good” ballot) and receipt of multiple ballots from the same individual, as well as for segregation and preservation of all “bad” ballots received. Further, CEC will inquire concerning Lackawanna County’s training plan for election officials relating to these procedures.
In all aspects, CEC is focused on protecting the right to vote and building voters’ confidence in election processes and outcomes. While this is simply the latest example of serious election administration errors in northeastern Pennsylvania, CEC is hopeful that its efforts will ensure that this situation may be resolved swiftly and transparently, with minimal impact on voters.
Linda A. Kerns, Esq., serves as CEC’s counsel in this matter.