WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Deputy Director of Elections Eryn Harvey says the elections staff in Luzerne County is hard at work preparing for next month's election.
"We're really trying to improve how things are going to go when you go to the polling locations," explained Harvey. "This time we are proofing the ballot, really proofing the ballot a lot of times to make sure that there's no mistakes on them."
At some point next week, voting machines that you can expect to see at the polling places next month will be available to try out at the Luzerne County Courthouse so voters get familiar with how the process works.
If you go to the polls in November, voters in Luzerne County should remember that it is a two-step process. You cast all your votes on the screen, and then something prints out. This is not a receipt; this is your ballot and it needs to be put into the tabulator in order for your vote to count.
"We're trying to put different signs up on the actual ballot marking devices so people don't walk out with their ballots, because we've seen that happen multiple times because you have to bend down to pick up your ballot and put it into the scanner," said Harvey.
Remember, if you don't want to use one of these machines to vote, there is another option.
"Voters do have the option to vote by mail if they're uncomfortable going to the polls, and they can just call our office and get an application, send it back to us, and they will get a ballot by mail," said Harvey.
Mail-in ballot applications must be received in the Election Bureau by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26. You can also apply for a mail-in ballot online by clicking here.
"If you decide to vote by mail, and you don't want to, you know, you're nervous that your ballot won't get to us in time because it has to get to the office by 8 p.m. election day, or it won't count. So we're going to have drop boxes in Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton, Mountain Top, and Dallas, so there's going to be five locations for you to drop your ballots off at," said Harvey.
More details about how to vote can be found on the county's website here.