Al Schmidt, who is Pennsylvania's Secretary of the Commonwealth, visited Luzerne County’s Election Bureau and voting equipment warehouse in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday as part of a statewide tour of all 67 county election operations.
Speaking to county officials at the warehouse, Schmidt mentioned that he oversaw elections in Philadelphia County for ten years and is now keen on understanding experiences in all counties to improve the state's support.
Schmidt highlighted the state's initiative to provide new training for election directors in response to significant turnover, which is a national issue.
The Pennsylvania Department of State formed a team led by an experienced election director to develop training that covers all stages of election preparation leading up to Election Day. Schmidt mentioned that participation in these sessions has been excellent, with recordings available for those unable to attend.
County Acting Election Director Emily Cook stated that she participated in all available state training sessions.
Schmidt received positive feedback about Cook’s performance in the oversight role during the visit.
He described election administration as a challenging and stressful job.
County Manager Romilda Crocamo expressed gratitude to Schmidt for his visit and appreciated the administration’s willingness to address concerns and assist in solving election issues.
Crocamo commended Schmidt's leadership and expressed confidence in achieving free, fair, and transparent elections in Luzerne County and Pennsylvania.
Schmidt emphasized the importance of listening to counties, emphasizing that they are ultimately responsible for running the election.
He explained that while the state provides oversight, guidance, and issues directives, the responsibility for ensuring a smooth Election Day lies with each county, election director, and their teams.
According to Schmidt, all counties have an interest in helping others succeed because any issues in one county affect all.
Schmidt mentioned that Gov. Josh Shapiro is dedicated to ensuring every vote is counted, protecting voting rights, and countering misinformation.
Schmidt acknowledged the significant changes in elections in recent years, prompting many questions from the public.
Those involved in elections are obligated to investigate irregularities, address questions, and always tell the truth, according to Schmidt.
He emphasized the importance of sincerity in seeking answers rather than undermining confidence in election results when asking questions.
Schmidt reassured the group that recent changes and challenges have led to the safest and fairest elections in the Commonwealth's history.
Now, each vote has a paper record that can be verified by the voter, and two audits are conducted after each election to ensure the accuracy of the results, according to him.
Walter Griffith, the County Controller, expressed gratitude to state officials and lawmakers for providing over $1 million in Election Integrity Grants to the county every year to assist with election expenses, such as equipment. He mentioned that a portion of this funding will be used to buy new electronic poll books for voter sign-in at polling places, reducing reliance on paper poll books.
The Council Chairman, John Lombardo, mentioned the county's efforts to enhance election transparency and asked for any recommendations.
Schmidt mentioned that Philadelphia streamed the process of handling mail-in ballots.
Lombardo and Crocamo mentioned that the county is exploring the possibility of implementing that.
Members of the County Council, Jimmy Sabatino, Harry Haas, and Joanna Bryn Smith, also joined Thursday's visit, along with County Election Board Chairwoman Denise Williams, Vice Chairwoman Alyssa Fusaro, and board members Albert Schlosser and Daniel Schramm.
