On Oct. 1, Luzerne County manager Romilda Crocamo was sued by three county residents after announcing she would stop the use of drop boxes for mail and absentee ballots in the county.
It’s yet another lawsuit surrounding the controversial system, used by many college students as well as seniors, disabled people and those who work out of the county. Drop boxes are used by people who don’t send in their mail-in or absentee ballots through the mail, instead dropping them into the designated boxes ahead of the election.
The lawsuit claims Crocamo violated Pennsylvania election law and asked for a Luzerne County judge to issue an order stopping her decision. Her decision was condemned by the Pennsylvania Democratic party, and a warning letter was emailed by attorneys representing the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
“The county manager has no legitimate legal basis to determine whether the county will use ballot drop boxes,” Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman Senator Sharif Street said in a statement. “Under both Pennsylvania law and the Luzerne County Home Rule Charter, the Board of Elections and Registration alone carries the full responsibility and authority to determine this issue for the upcoming general election. To ensure a fair election, the Board can and should proceed as planned with four drop boxes for the 2024 election.”
Street represents the commonwealth’s third senate district in Philadelphia County.
Republicans in Luzerne County supported Crocamo’s decision.
Crocamo told WVIA news that security concerns led her to remove the boxes from four locations. Her concerns included dropping off more than one ballot, putting substances in the box and a simple lack of surveillance at the site.
A review of security camera footage from the drop box locations from the 2022 election found no “obvious fraud.”
The controversy comes after multiple lawsuits were filed over the general election in 2020, after which former President Donald Trump made inaccurate statements about mail-in ballots and put the system under a spotlight.
The New York Times reported that Republicans in Pennsylvania are behind Democrats in the commonwealth in mail-in ballots, however the numbers may have to do with party ideology. Republicans are traditionally less inclined to vote over mail due to a distrust of the system.
Democrats in Pennsylvania requested around 881,000 mail ballots, and Republicans requested 373,000, the New York Times reported.
Multiple lawsuits that are still pending surrounding mail-in ballots, including their accuracy and minor mistakes on mail-in envelopes, could influence the way the election this year turns out.
Regardless of the suits, voters can request a mail-in or absentee ballot up to 50 days before Election Day, and must return their ballot on time. Drop boxes also help with voters who wait to return their ballot and want to ensure their vote will be counted.
Mail-in or absentee ballots must be received by county election offices by Oct. 29, and can be requested online.
