Luzerne County certified its election results - two days after the deadline.
The county’s 2022 midterm election remains under scrutiny, and the board of elections faced calls to re-do the election entirely.
After more than an hour of public comment where many residents told the board not to certify the results, the Board of Elections voted 3-2 in favor of certification.
Democratic board member Daniel Schramm, who had abstained from a Monday vote to certify, said during Wednesday’s special meeting that he had changed his mind.
“I could find no reason that it should not be certified,” he said. “There was no close calls on the race.”
On election day, polling places across the county ran out of paper used to print ballots. The county district attorney is investigating that paper shortage.
A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State said the department is “monitoring the situation,” but that there’s no indication Luzerne County would face penalties for missing the Nov. 28 deadline to certify election results.
The board’s initial vote to certify on Monday ended in a tie when Schramm abstained. On Wednesday, Scrhamm voted yes along with Board of Elections Chair Denise Williams and board secretary Audrey Serniak.
Vice Chair James Mangan and member Alyssa Fusaro voted against certification.
U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, who won reelection in November, filed a lawsuit against the Board of Elections when they failed to certify the results.
Spokesperson Colleen Gerrity confirmed the campaign is withdrawing that suit after Wednesday's meeting.
