Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, will reportedly not use drop boxes this election cycle citing concerns of "Illegal activities." Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo sent a notice to county election officials on Wednesday saying the county lacked the "Capability" to ensure the drop boxes were safe locations for voters to leave their ballots, according to WNEP. "While I recognize that drop boxes can provide alternative means for voters to cast their ballots, I must prioritize the safety and security of our community in the current political climate," Crocamo said.
"We don't have the capability, we don't have the number of staff members to actually stand by the drop boxes to keep them safe, so I decided I'm not going to deploy them." Crocamo reportedly expressed concern about "Illegal activities," and she noted that, while drop boxes are equipped with video surveillance, this alone is not a "Foolproof means of ensuring compliance with voting laws." "Mail-in Ballots come in from a dropbox," Crocamo reportedly said.
"We have to have two staff also do a chain of custody, so actually, it does drain a lot of our resources." Voters can drop their ballots off at the Bureau of Elections or mail their ballots in, according to WNEP. Other Pennsylvania counties concerned about the security of ballot drop boxes have implemented safeguards ahead of November.
"Drop boxes are monitored by both county observers and video surveillance." The drop boxes also contain clear signage that has instructions for voters.
Ballot drop boxes are notoriously insecure, with a judge overturning a race in Connecticut after alleged mail-in ballot fraud.
Surveillance footage appeared to show that two city employees stuffed ballot drop boxes.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that "Milwaukee installed 15 unstaffed ballot drop boxes" in 2020 with money it received from the Center for Tech & Civic Life.
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