Luzerne County Election Board chairwoman blasts proposed board structure change

Luzerne County Election Board Chairwoman Denise Williams said Monday she has grave concerns about a proposed county home rule charter amendment ballot question reconstituting the five-citizen board.

Under the charter, the election board has four council-appointed citizens — two Republicans and two Democrats. Those four then choose a fifth member of any or no affiliation to serve for four years and act as board chair.

Drafted by county Councilman Gregory S. Wolovich Jr., the proposed question would ask voters if they want council to appoint all five members.

The board structure — two Democrats, two Republicans and a fifth of any affiliation — would remain the same. However, the fifth member of any affiliation would be appointed by council every two years instead of serving a four-year term. The election board members would then choose which of the five members serves as chair and vice chair through a reorganization vote every two years, the proposal says.

The current election board would be vacated if the ballot question passed in the Nov. 7 general election because the reconstituted structure would take effect in January, Wolovich has said.

Council plans to vote this evening on introducing an ordinance needed to put the question on the ballot, with four of 11 council votes required to advance the ordinance. A public hearing and majority vote at a subsequent meeting would be necessary for final passage.

Williams, a Democrat, said the proposed amendment “reeks of a partisan power play to have council control the make-up of the election board.”

Stressing she is speaking as a citizen and not on behalf of the board, Williams questioned the logic of potentially placing five new citizens on the board, particularly in 2024, a busy presidential election year.

“To vacate an entire board and take away all that institutional knowledge and start from scratch, I certainly am very concerned about election integrity,” Williams said.

Wolovich had said existing members would be welcome to apply for reappointment, but Williams said some council members have made it clear they want her off the board. She believes the motivation is to obtain a Republican majority on the board.

Williams said she was unanimously appointed by four bipartisan board members two years ago and that it took her almost two years to solidly grasp complicated election procedures and legal requirements. She also noted the board oversees elections but has been repeatedly reminded it has no power over election bureau staffing and daily operations.

“I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the county,” she said of the proposed ballot question.

Wolovich had told his colleagues the change would give council more say over which citizens are appointed to serve. Voters also would have more input because they elect five or six council members every two years, and those newly elected members would be involved in selecting the fifth election board member of any affiliation every two years, he said.

In addition to Williams, the board currently consists of Republicans Alyssa Fusaro and James Mangan and Democrats Daniel Schramm and Audrey Serniak. Mangan and Serniak will complete their current terms the end of this year, according to the county website. Williams’ seat expires in April 2025, and Schramm and Fusaro are in terms that expire the end of 2025, it says.

A mix of citizens have filled the fifth election board chairperson seat since home rule’s January 2012 implementation:

• H. Jeremy Packard, an Independent, was the first chair from February 2012 through February 2016.

• Lewis W. Wetzel, a Republican, served as chair until October 2019.

• Jose M. Adames, a Democrat, filled the chairmanship from January 2020 but resigned in June, citing increased responsibilities in his employment.

• Jeanette Tait, a Democrat, held the chairmanship seat from July 2020 until the end of February 2021, citing personal reasons.

• County Councilman Stephen J. Urban, a Republican, was briefly appointed board chairman in March 2021 by two of three board members seated at that time, but council swiftly voted to remove him, saying council members can’t serve on the board under the charter.

• Williams has been serving as chair since April 2021.

This isn’t the first time an election board-related charter amendment has been proposed. In January 2021, a council majority voted to reject a proposal asking voters if they want to change the election board to a seven-member body of four citizens and three county council members.

Tonight’s council voting meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions for the remote attendance option are posted under council’s online meeting link at luzernecounty.org.