Tense meeting of Luzerne County Election Board leads to walkouts

The Luzerne County Election Board’s Nov. 5 general election adjudication wrapped up Monday with 2 board members walking out of the morning meeting in frustration, although one later returned. Board members strongly criticized the election bureau for failing to document counts on some mail ballots from drop boxes as required by the board’s chain-of-custody policy. Despite these issues, the day ended with all five board members unanimously voting to certify the general election results in a later, second meeting at the county courthouse. The outburst and walkout represented a rare glimpse into the simmering tensions that have been building up since the election board began its adjudication work on Nov. 8— which included sessions on Veterans Day and a Saturday — for election certification.