New Luzerne County election director: May primary 'impacts us the most'
WILKES-BARRE (WOLF) — We're just six weeks from the May primary election.
In Luzerne County, there are important races for judge, mayor, council and school board.
There are also new election officials leading the way with a big responsibility to run a fair and safe election.
"The reality is this is the election that impacts us the most," Luzerne County election director Bob Morgan said Wednesday.
Morgan is settling in as election day. It's his first week working inside the bureau as he and his staff are getting ready for the important primary on May 18.
"Mayors, city councils, school boards. People who impact you on a daily basis," Morgan said.
If you remember last September- nine military ballots in Luzerne County were found in a dumpster right next to the elections bureau. There were also new voting machines and more mail-ballots than ever before.
Morgan knows he has to make sure staff and volunteers are trained and experienced with the equipment.
"We are doing everything we can to make sure that everyone is trained and everyone understands the operation. There's not going to be the unfamiliarity there might have been last time," Morgan said.
We're still waiting to see who the new election board chairperson is in the county. The chair was supposed to be chosen Wednesday, but at the 11th hour, it was moved to next week. There are three new election board members too, so plenty of new faces.
Meanwhile- county councilman Harry Haas says the election board and bureau have a big job on their hands.
"There's a lot of trust to be built back," Haas said. "A lot of people still don't trust the results of the last election. We know we had misplaced ballots in some cases. So we want to make sure going forward that this is all taken care of."
Major turnover. Major responsibility. "It's so critical that the new board members understand the responsibilities and their powers."
