WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Last week, Luzerne County made the decision to drop ballot drop boxes, due to safety and security concerns, but some voters don't agree with the move.
While some argue ballot drop boxes should be brought back, others say they have no place in Luzerne County.
On Tuesday, local voting rights group members from In This Together NEPA, lawmakers, and voters gathered together outside of the County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre for a news conference on ballot drop boxes being removed from the county.
They believe getting rid of the drop box option was the wrong call.
"There are thousands of voters that utilize drop boxes every election, and we wanna make sure that they have the right to exercise their vote, and vote by whichever means that they feel most comfortable with," said In This Together NEPA Voting and Elections Manager Beth Gilbert.
Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo made the decision last week citing safety and security concerns.
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Some argue the decision instead should have been made by the county's board of elections.
"Right now, in Luzerne County during the election of 2024, I cannot guarantee their safety," said Crocamo.
Crocamo says even with surveillance cameras, the risk is just too high.
"It's not an indictment or a condemnation of drop boxes, it's my assessment based on all the information that's before me that I cannot safeguard the dropboxes or anybody else that deals with the drop box, predominately my staff," Crocamo added.
But advocates for the drop boxes say there's a great need.
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Jenny Wilczak is a Luzerne County voter. This year, she planned on using one of the boxes because she will undergo back surgery ahead of election day and doesn't know if she'll be able to vote in person.
"I really need these drop boxes so I can vote by mail and know that it's secure and getting to where it needs to go, instead of just dropping it in the mail where it could get lost," said Wilczak.
Some showed up to Tuesday's conference to argue otherwise.
Voicing concerns over depositing multiple ballots into boxes, and other issues.
"There has been issues and there has been documentation even though it's not been prosecuted, it doesn't change the fact that there has been problems and there has been video evidence of them being abused," said Luzerne County Republican Chairman Theodore Fitzgerald.
You can still mail in your ballots in Luzerne County, you can also drop off your ballot at the election bureau, and you can of course go to the polls.
