Some Luzerne County write-in winners declining posts

At least 54 write-in winners from Luzerne County’s Nov. 2 general election have informed the election bureau they are not interested in serving, county Election Director Michael Susek said Monday.

Letters were sent to 385 write-in winners the week of Dec. 13 instructing them to submit paperwork if they want to accept the seat or notify the bureau if they are declining to serve, Susek said.

Paperwork for those interested in serving must be physically in the election bureau by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, he said. The bureau is located on the second floor of the county’s Penn Place Building at the corner of Market Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre.

To date, 52 write-in winners have provided required candidate affidavits to the bureau, he said.

“There are still a significant number outstanding,” Susek said, encouraging recipients to call the bureau at 570-825-1715 if they have questions.

The letter informed write-in winners they must submit a notarized candidate affidavit and waiver of campaign expense reporting. For some offices, a financial interest statement must be filed with the municipality or governing political body, with a copy furnished to the bureau, it said.

Constable write-in winners also must pay a $10 filing fee, it said.

Susek, who started as election director Dec. 13, said constables are the only ones required to pay that fee, and he was in the process of researching the origin and purpose of this requirement.

He also has reached out to the county’s law office and state to research state legislation stemming from the coronavirus pandemic that temporarily waived the notarizing requirement for the candidate affidavit and campaign finance documents.

Susek said the bureau was operating under the belief the COVID-19-related notarization waiver had expired and that the notarization requirement was back in effect.

County Councilman Walter Griffith sent emails Monday questioning the notarization, fee and various requirements stated in the letter.

Griffith also said the letters should have been sent sooner to give recipients more time to respond before the deadline.

The county’s five-citizen, volunteer Election Board did not certify the general election results until Nov. 24 due to a lengthy review of provisional and flagged mail ballots, the tallying of write-in votes, the breaking of ties in 172 races and a state-mandated recount in the Commonwealth Court race.

After certification, bureau representatives said research had to be performed on each write-in winner to determine if they were registered voters and to obtain their mailing addresses.

In a another matter, Susek said some of those elected are asking about swearing-in ceremonies.

Election inspectors and judges of elections are sworn in the morning of the election, Susek said. More details on that will be provided in an upcoming mailing the election board has planned to inform poll workers of new training mandates, he said.

Those elected to municipal positions, such as tax collector, should contact their municipality about taking the oath of office, he said.