Republican Luzerne County Election Board member resigns

Republican Patrick Castellani has resigned from Luzerne County’s Election Board, citing concerns about mail ballot voting and drop boxes.

Council had appointed Castellani, of Butler Township, to one of the board’s two Republican seats in October. The volunteer citizen board oversees elections, makes determinations on flagged ballots and write-in votes and certifies election results.

According to Castellani’s resignation letter, which was submitted Saturday and effective immediately, he said he has “taken the time to reflect on the issues and actions taken” at the board’s most recent meeting March 23.

“I cannot, in good conscience, certify an election that has inherent process flaws related to the use of mail-in and drop boxes,” Castellani wrote.

Most of the four-hour March 23 meeting focused on mail ballot drop boxes.

With voting along party lines, the board’s three Democrats — Denise Williams, Audrey Serniak and Danny Schramm — authorized drop boxes inside five buildings in the May 17 primary election and going forward. Castellani and fellow Republican board member Alyssa Fusaro voted against the drop boxes.

Williams, the board chairwoman, said Monday that Castellani’s departure was unexpected.

“I was very surprised that Mr. Castellani’s reason for resigning was that he wouldn’t be able to certify another election due to his position against mail in ballots and ballot drop boxes,” Williams said. “Mr. Castellani voted to certify the 2021 general election without any concerns expressed and also recently voted in favor of ballot drop boxes for the special election.”

In the upcoming April 5 special election for the 116th Legislative District, the board had voted last month to provide drop boxes in Hazleton City Hall and the county’s Penn Place Building in downtown Wilkes-Barre. The board had decided against adding a third box in the special election, largely due to Castellani’s argument voters would be confused in future regular elections when the additional box was no longer available.

In his resignation letter, Castellani said he is not arguing or disputing a PA Supreme Court ruling that allows drop boxes at the discretion of each county.

However, he maintained allowing mail ballot voting and drop boxes “removes the election control process” from those in an election oversight role.

“By voting in person at a polling site the process is one person, one election book signature, one vote and out the door,” Castellani said.

In-person voting has a “complete process” controlled by election rules and verified by poll workers and election judges, which means the results can be certified with confidence by the board, he said.

“Certifying thousands of votes that begin uncontrolled outside of the election bureau’s control has inherent risks. It’s hard to believe we’re accepting the election results on moral integrity versus sound processes that would eliminate most election challenges,” he wrote.

Castellani said he finds it “strange” that the board has been pushing for sound standard operating procedures in the election bureau but not in the “election process.”

”After going through one election cycle and evaluating the process, I find it impossible to certify another election due to the lack of ballot control inherent within the mail-in and drop box system,” he wrote. “In light of the above, I do not wish to waste the election bureau’s time, nor my time, when I know I will not certify another election due to the use of mail-in and drop boxes.”

Fusaro, who attended her first meeting as a board member March 23, cited drop boxes as a top issue that must be addressed when she sought council’s appointment. She expressed concerns about voters dropping off multiple ballots and argued the county should be performing its own surveillance of the boxes instead of relying on video recording by the drop box location hosts.

She said Monday the county should not be offering drop boxes without “heightened security.”

The election board members supporting drop boxes argued they have been provided in the county since the November 2020 election and are more secure than mail boxes because they are inside public buildings and under surveillance.

Williams said 5,400 county voters of all political affiliations preferred to use drop boxes in the 2021 general election for reasons that include convenience, lack of trust in the postal service, a fear the ballots won’t reach the election bureau in time and protection of the signature on outer mailing envelopes.

Box locations

In the May primary, four drop boxes will be in the same locations used in the Nov. 2 general election: Penn Place, the Pittston Memorial Library in Pittston, Hazleton City Hall, and the Wright Township Volunteer Fire Department in Mountain Top.

The board also added a fifth Back Mountain drop box location at Misericordia University pending an agreement with the institution.

A counter-top box is used at Penn Place, and mailbox-style boxes will be placed in the other four locations because they are too heavy and bulky to steal.

Officials said the boxes contain visible signs informing voters they are under surveillance and prohibited from delivering someone else’s ballot unless they are rendering assistance to a disabled or emergency absentee voter. Such third-party deliveries require a declaration signed by both the voter and person providing assistance.

Filling vacancy

Castellani, who had been unanimously named board vice chair at the March 23 meeting, had been appointed to serve through 2023.

Council will have 60 days to fill the seat after it formally declares the seat vacant.

Only two Republicans have submitted applications and completed public interviews required to be considered for appointment at this time: Candice Chilek and Richard Nardone.

Nardone previously served on the board, but a council majority recently chose to appoint Fusaro instead.

During her interview a year ago, Chilek, of West Pittston, said she was a homemaker who also has worked in administrative support, as a teacher at a private school and as a restaurant owner/operator.

Nardone, of Slocum Township, is a consulting business operator and also a private pilot assisting with animal rescue missions.

When Fusaro raised the issue of drop boxes before council’s recent appointment, Nardone said he believes the drop boxes are more secure than the regular postal system mail boxes because the county requires security camera recording of its drop boxes and regulated retrieval of the contents by county sheriff deputies or election bureau workers. Counties are permitted to provide drop boxes for the convenience of voters under state law, he had said, noting that law could change.

DA investigation

In a related matter, the county District Attorney’s Office is wrapping up its investigation of a drop box complaint stemming from the November 2021 general election.

Officials had said the incident involved a nursing home representative dropping off or attempting to drop off multiple general election mail ballots without producing forms from each voter authorizing delivery on their behalf.

The county election bureau also has said it is notifying nursing and personal care homes and assisted living facilities of the state ban on dropping off someone else’s mail ballot without an official authorization form.