Luzerne County manager announces plans for comprehensive assessment of recent mail ballot issues

Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo has asked retired county judge Joseph M. Augello to complete a comprehensive assessment of two recent issues involving mail ballots, according to a Wednesday afternoon announcement.

Crocamo said the assessment is a “significant step towards ensuring transparency, fairness, and integrity in our upcoming elections.”

“With an illustrious career spanning 47 years of experience, Judge Joseph Augello brings a wealth of expertise, wisdom, and impartiality to this crucial role. His extensive legal background, impeccable reputation and dedication to justice makes him an ideal candidate for this important task,” Crocamo said .

Augello’s primary objective will be thoroughly evaluating “every aspect” of the recent ballot issues, Crocamo said. Augello will work with Attorney Tim Gates, the county’s election consultant, “to ensure compliance with the highest standards of democracy,” she said.

“This appointment reflects our unwavering commitment to upholding the democratic principles upon which our society is built. It demonstrates our intention to address any concerns or doubts that may arise, fostering trust and confidence among all stakeholders involved in the electoral process,” Crocamo said.

Augello will work independently, free from any influence or interference, to guarantee an objective assessment, she added. His findings and recommendations will be presented in a detailed report, which will be made available to the public, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Election bureau staff support the initiative and will cooperate fully with Augello, she said, thanking Augello for taking on the assignment.

“Let us embrace this opportunity to enhance our electoral system and ensure that every voice is heard. Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive democracy for future generations,” Crocamo wrote.

According to an online bio, Augello, of Pittston, served as a judge for more than 47 years, first as a magisterial district judge and then in the county Court of Common Pleas. In October 2010, he transitioned to senior judge status, retiring in 2022.

What happened

In the first mail ballot situation, 1,557 Wilkes-Barre voters in Wards 2 to 8 and 14 to 20 received the wrong ballots, resulting in the need to mail new ones containing the correct city races for these wards.

According to the county, the problem occurred when data files specifying which ballots these voters were supposed to receive did not correctly synchronize when files were merged. The county is still assessing why those particular city precincts had an issue when others synchronized correctly during merging, officials said.

The second matter stemmed from an outside printer error that caused an unspecified number of voters to receive mail ballot packages without the required inner secrecy envelope.

Approximately 25 voters detected the omission and made arrangements to pick up the blank secrecy envelopes or have one mailed to them. Voters who already mailed in their ballots without the secrecy envelope were asked to contact the bureau to make arrangements to remedy the matter at 570-825-1715 or by emailing elections@luzernecounty.org. The bureau is located on the second floor of the county’s Penn Place building, 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre.

The county also has instructed Pennsylvania-based NPC Inc. — the county vendor that prints the ballots, assembles the ballot packages and mails them — to issue a secrecy envelope to all voters who potentially did not receive a ballot along with instructions.

NPC told the county it believes secrecy envelopes were missed because a machine operator placed the inserting equipment into a manual override while he attended to a nonconformity that was detected at the beginning of the inserting line.

“Because the machine was only in override mode for short periods, we do not believe the omitted secrecy envelope issue is widespread,” the company said, adding the operator has been retrained to “not allow the machine to continue to operate in override mode.”