WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Thousands of voters in Luzerne County will soon be receiving new mail-in ballots. This was after the name of one of the candidates in a State House Race was spelled incorrectly.
28/22 News first reported word of the problem last Friday, and on Monday, efforts are being ramped up to fix the problem.
This ballot error involves the race for the 119th State House seat, which includes the Nanticoke-Plymouth areas and parts of Mountain Top.
28/22 News spoke with the director of the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections. She insists that corrective measures are being taken.
The initial mail-in ballot was sent to some 6,700 voters in the 119th State House District of Luzerne County.
The last name of Republican Incumbent Alec Ryncavage is incorrectly spelled with the letter T instead of an R.
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The error was discovered Friday morning when voters reached out to Ryncavage and the Bureau of Elections.
Ryncavage issued the following statement to 28/22 news:
"If you or someone you know received a mail-in ballot, please note that the ballot is canceled and a new ballot is on its way. If you have already mailed in your ballot you will still receive a corrected mail-in ballot that must be completed and returned."
Representative Alec Ryncavage (R)
The company hired by Luzerne County to help process ballots has taken responsibility for the mistake and blames it on human error. They are now working with the election bureau to rectify the problem.
Megan Kocher, who is running against Alec Ryncavage, believes it was an honest mistake.
This seems to be an honest mistake, but I definitely wouldn’t want it to impact the outcome of this election. I'm happy to hear that the board of elections has taken quick action to address the issue and inform impacted voters. Right now, my team and I are doing everything we can to make sure voters are informed and know their next steps. If you’re voting by mail, please be sure to keep an eye out for your second ballot and fill it out right away. I strongly believe in our right to vote and make our voices heard, so I’m grateful that so many people are on the ground working to ensure that this misprint doesn’t prevent that.
119th District Democratic Candidate Megan Kocher (D)
Emily Cook is the director of the Luzerne County Election Bureau.
"So voters who are in the 119th can discard their current ballot and wait for the ballot that says 'updated 10-11-2024,'" Cook explained.
28/22 News asked Cook what happens if voters have already returned the first mail-in ballot they received with the spelling error.
Dominion takes responsibility for Luzerne County spelling error
"So they will be flagged in our system and segregated ahead of time to ensure that there is no opportunity for doubt voting and that everybody's vote gets counted," Cook stated.
Cook says in the event voters do not send in a new ballot, a selection for "Tyncavage" would be counted toward Ryncavage's total as long as the ballot is filled out correctly.
A tracking system will prevent the chances of double voting.
Dominion also issued the following statement in regard to this incident.
Since the reporting of a misspelled candidate name on mailed ballots in the 119th Legislative District, we have been working around the clock to assist the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections in their efforts to ensure all impacted voters receive correct ballots. We apologize for the inconvenience and take full responsibility for the misspelling. This situation was due to human error and is now resolved.
Dominion
