Latest news with #Ritsick
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Study commission majority approves Luzerne County Election Board recommendation
May 29—A Luzerne County Government Study Commission majority approved a recommendation Wednesday that would give county council authority to determine if the five-person county election board should remain composed of five citizen volunteers. The commission is drafting a revised charter that will come before voters for possible adoption in November. Its Wednesday recommendation would keep the board at five members, require at least two Democrats and two Republicans and allow the four council-appointed members to then choose someone to serve in the fifth seat — all provisions in the charter in effect since 2012. However, it would permit council to eliminate prohibitions barring county employees and elected officials from serving in these board seats. To make such a change in composition, council would have to amend its administrative code. Majority-plus-one council approval would be mandated for code changes related to the election board, which would be five votes under the commission's recommendation to reduce council from 11 to seven members. Supporters of the proposal reason that council must have flexibility to change from an all-volunteer board if the board's powers increase. Earlier this month, commission solicitor Joseph J. Khan, of Curtin & Heefner LLP, said the Pennsylvania Election Code, or Title 25, is clear that election boards have employee appointment authority and other responsibilities currently performed by the county administration. Among the board powers cited at commission meetings: hiring the election director, choosing the voting system and preparing annual election budgets. Concerns were raised about granting such control over elections to five unelected people, which could equate to a board majority of three citizens from one political party. Four of seven commission members in attendance Wednesday approved the election board recommendation: Chairman Ted Ritsick, Vice Chairman Vito Malacari, Secretary Matt Mitchell and Stephen J. Urban. Commission member Tim McGinley was absent, and Commission Treasurer Cindy Malkemes and member Mark Shaffer voted no. Ritsick said after the meeting the recommendation allows council to weigh all legal analysis to ensure the county is in compliance with election law. Wednesday's recommendation included a clause stating nothing in the charter, administrative code or any other county ordinance or resolution "shall be construed to deprive the (election) board of its powers to appoint, procure or otherwise act to protect the elective franchise as required by state law." "Rather than us taking a side, we've equipped council to handle whatever interpretation becomes a reality," Ritsick said. During Wednesday's deliberation, Shaffer and Malkemes said they won't support wording that could allow elected officials to serve on the election board. The approved recommendation also will allow any election board member to serve as board chair instead of requiring that leadership post to be held by the fifth person selected by the council-appointed board members. It also gives council authority to decide how the four-year election board terms are sequenced and reduces the period in which appointees have to be registered to the applicable political party from five to three years preceding appointment. The commission, which was convened a year ago, has now approved a proposed preamble and revisions to 11 charter articles, leaving only a transition section and final report. The transition section must spell out how some changes would be implemented, including the effective date and how council would be reduced over future election cycles. Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Luzerne County study commission tackling election board next
May 15—Luzerne County's Government Study Commission is set to start addressing the election board at its Thursday meeting. The commission is drafting a revised charter that will come before voters for possible adoption in November. The election board provides general supervision over elections, certifies results and oversees post-election adjudication. Commission Chairman Ted Ritsick said Wednesday that no firm recommendations have been weighed to date because the panel is still gathering information needed to assess the board structure and duties. Citizens and officials have raised differing views on whether the board's composition should be altered or untouched and what powers should be handled by the board, as opposed to the administration. "Now we're in a position where the commission is becoming fully informed, and we'll have those conversations and figure it out," Ritsick said. "I can't emphasize enough that we are really trying to get all the information needed," he added. "Our goal is to fix the election board, and at the end of the day, that will require us to have due diligence presented to us that we'll see over the next couple of meetings." Ritsick said commission solicitor Joseph J. Khan, of Curtin & Heefner LLP, will present a legal overview on the subject on Thursday. Prior to home rule's January 2012 implementation, the county's three elected commissioners served as the election board, with the court appointing substitutes during periods when sitting commissioners appeared on the ballot. The charter created an election board of five citizens. County council appoints four of the five — two Democrats and two Republicans. Those four council-appointed members then select someone of any affiliation, or no affiliation, to fill the fifth seat and also serve as chair. Beth Gilbert, of In This Together NEPA, issued a release Wednesday stating its recent survey revealed "overwhelming support for preserving the independence and bipartisan structure of the county's Board of Elections." Describing the five-citizen structure as a critical safeguard, the release said 90.2% of the 1,282 survey respondents said it is very important the election board remains independent and bipartisan. "Any attempt to place control of elections back into the hands of partisan political actors is a step backwards. The independent Board of Elections was created to prevent precisely that — to ensure that no political party or elected body could interfere in the administration or certification of our elections," it said. The organization urged the commission to "listen to the will of Luzerne County voters and leave the independent, bipartisan Election Board intact in the proposed charter." "Our democracy works best when it is protected from political influence. Our voters have made it clear they expect nothing less," it said. Thursday's commission meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. A link to attend the meeting remotely will be posted under council's online meeting section (scroll down) at Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
