Free-photos/Pixabay
Free-photos/Pixabay
Unbelievably, despite several return visits that day, Mr. French and Ms. Reese never did get to cast their votes: election officials were unable to obtain additional ballots until late in the evening, when it was simply impossible for French and Reese to return to the polling location.
Mr. French could not do so due to his disability: he has a severely injured leg which has undergone numerous surgeries. Walking at night on the deteriorated and destroyed sidewalks – even with a cane – would have put him at risk of falling and injuring himself.
After three unsuccessful visits to cast her vote, Ms. Reese was contacted at home at 9:15 p.m. by an election official, who told her that ballots were finally available. However, it was impossible for her to do so because her medically fragile husband had already taken his sleep medication for the night and she could not leave him unattended.
There is no doubt many share similar stories. While it is hard to ascertain how many Luzerne County voters suffered a similar fate, it is clear that the debacle arose because of the deliberate decisions and indifference of Luzerne County officials, resulting in a catastrophic systemic breakdown, which could have been avoided.
Despite referring the matter to the district attorney for investigation as the result of a huge public outcry, where it is still pending, the Board of Elections voted to certify the results of the election.
What explanation has the county provided? None. What county officials have been held accountable? None.
That is why Mr. French and Ms. Reese have sued Luzerne County. They want vindication that they were denied the right to vote. They want to ensure that this does not happen to them or to any other Luzerne County voters ever again.
Now that they have been sued, how did the county respond? It ignored the lawsuit. The county failed to meet last week’s deadline to respond to the lawsuit in court, allowing Mr. French and Ms. Reese to request under the procedural rules that the court grant everything they had requested. Then the county finally woke up.
In November 2022, Luzerne County failed to supply polling places with an adequate number of paper ballots; they failed to have a back-up plan to correct any paper ballot shortages; and they failed to hire a qualified director or to provide adequate training to election workers. This should never happen again.
Lisa Dixon is Executive Director of Lawyers Democracy Fund, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that promotes the role of ethics, integrity, and legal professionalism in the electoral process.
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