{"id":2343704,"date":"2024-09-20T05:03:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T09:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-county-ditches-drop-boxes-cites-security-concerns\/"},"modified":"2024-09-20T05:04:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T09:04:19","slug":"pennsylvania-county-ditches-drop-boxes-cites-security-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-county-ditches-drop-boxes-cites-security-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania County Ditches Drop Boxes, Cites Security Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpennsylvania-county-ditches-drop-boxes-cites-security-concerns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2343704&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, has\u200b decided not to use\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-zuckerberg-bans-president-trump-from-using-facebook-indefinitely\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Zuckerberg Bans President Trump from Using Facebook \u201cIndefinitely\u201d\">ballot drop boxes<\/a> during the upcoming election due\u200d to security\u2062 concerns. County Manager \u2064Romilda Crocamo announced that the county lacks the\u200b necessary resources to ensure \u2064the safety of the drop boxes, citing &#8220;illegal activities&#8221; as a primary concern. Although drop boxes can facilitate voting, Crocamo emphasized the importance of community safety and acknowledged that relying solely on video surveillance\u2063 does not guarantee compliance with voting laws. Voters will still be able to \u200ddrop off their ballots at the Bureau of Elections or submit them by mail.<\/p>\n<p>Other\u200b counties in Pennsylvania have implemented measures\u2063 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-governor-signs-into-law-sweeping-election-reform-bill-including-voter-id-for-absentee-ballots\/\" title=\"Georgia Governor Signs Into Law Sweeping Election Reform Bill, Including Voter ID for Absentee Ballots\">secure drop boxes<\/a>, such as \u200blocating them within government buildings and providing\u200c monitoring by officials and surveillance cameras. The decision comes\u2064 amid ongoing debates about the security of ballot drop boxes, highlighted by past incidents of suspected mail-in ballot\u200d fraud in other states. The article includes various\u2062 links for sharing and further reading about election security \u2062and related news. Brianna\u2062 Lyman,\u200d the \u2064author, is an elections correspondent for The Federalist.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Ballot_Drop_Box_%2831409335423%29.jpg\">  Paul Sableman \/ Wikimedia Commons <\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/20\/pennsylvania-county-ditches-drop-boxes-citing-security-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Pennsylvania%20County%20Ditches%20Drop%20Boxes,%20Citing%20Security%20Concerns&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/20\/pennsylvania-county-ditches-drop-boxes-citing-security-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Pennsylvania%20County%20Ditches%20Drop%20Boxes,%20Citing%20Security%20Concerns&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/20\/pennsylvania-county-ditches-drop-boxes-citing-security-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/20\/pennsylvania-county-ditches-drop-boxes-citing-security-concerns\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Pennsylvania%20County%20Ditches%20Drop%20Boxes,%20Citing%20Security%20Concerns&amp;body=%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/20\/pennsylvania-county-ditches-drop-boxes-citing-security-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, will reportedly not use drop boxes this election cycle citing concerns of &ldquo;illegal activities.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo sent a notice to county election officials on Wednesday saying the county lacked the &ldquo;capability&rdquo; to ensure the drop boxes were safe locations for voters to leave their ballots, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wnep.com\/article\/news\/local\/luzerne-county\/luzerne-county-election-2024-mail-in-ballot-drop-boxes\/523-d17ce3f8-2dc9-4888-8a3e-057e928ea20b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WNEP<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-96f553b37489e7847f50564471719ae4 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-96f553b37489e7847f50564471719ae4\"><\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Crocamo said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have the capability, we don&rsquo;t have the number of staff members to actually stand by the drop boxes to keep them safe, so I decided I&rsquo;m not going to deploy them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Crocamo reportedly expressed concern about &ldquo;illegal activities,&rdquo; and she noted that, while drop boxes are equipped with video surveillance, this alone is not a &ldquo;foolproof means of ensuring compliance with voting laws.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Mail-in Ballots come in from a dropbox,&rdquo; Crocamo reportedly said. &ldquo;We have to have two staff also do a chain of custody, so actually, it does drain a lot of our resources.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Voters can drop their ballots off at the Bureau of Elections or mail their ballots in, according to WNEP.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-080738d97749af019b8c8026e0b62cb5 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-080738d97749af019b8c8026e0b62cb5\"><\/div>\n<p>Other Pennsylvania counties concerned about the security of ballot drop boxes have implemented safeguards ahead of November. In Bucks County, &ldquo;each drop box is located within a government building,&rdquo; which means the &ldquo;boxes are only accessible during the hours the government building is open,&rdquo; as Texas Public Policy Foundation&rsquo;s Josh Findlay <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/12\/05\/if-one-pennsylvania-county-cleaned-up-its-messy-elections-so-can-the-rest-of-the-state\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explained<\/a> in these pages. In addition, &ldquo;drop boxes are monitored by both county observers and video surveillance.&rdquo; The drop boxes also contain clear signage that has instructions for voters.<\/p>\n<p>Ballot drop boxes are notoriously insecure, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/11\/02\/judge-overturns-bridgeport-mayoral-election-due-to-evidence-of-mail-ballot-fraud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">judge overturning<\/a> a race in Connecticut after alleged mail-in ballot fraud. During the September 2023 primary, Democrat Joe Ganim was losing to John Gomes by hundreds of votes after in-person voting but ended up winning after a flood of absentee votes came in. Surveillance footage appeared to show that two city employees (Democrats affiliated with Ganim) stuffed ballot drop boxes. Under state law, a voter &ldquo;must personally mail or personally return the ballot for it to be counted&rdquo; with limited exceptions. Ganim <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/26\/connecticut-elections-chief-reports-suspicious-activity-in-do-over-race-after-judge-overturned-primary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">later won<\/a> the do-over race as well.<\/p>\n<p>During the 2020 election, key swing states saw an influx of grants from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/megadonors-pour-record-amount-of-money-into-get-out-the-vote-effort-for-dems\/\" title=\"Megadonors Pour Record Amount of Money Into \u2018Get Out the Vote\u2019 Effort for Dems\">left-wing donors<\/a> and organizations. Some of that money went toward the installation of unsecured ballot drop boxes, like in <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/11\/wisconsin-gop-prepares-for-return-of-ballot-drop-boxes-in-novembers-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2024\/07\/05\/milwaukees-will-reopen-absentee-ballot-drop-boxes-what-to-know\/74310534007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/a> reported that &ldquo;Milwaukee installed 15 unstaffed ballot drop boxes&rdquo; in 2020 with money it received from the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/02\/14\/zuckbucks-2-0-recipients-turn-down-money-after-leftist-nonprofit-fails-transparency-test\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Center for Tech &amp; Civic Life<\/a> (CTCL). President Joe Biden narrowly won the state in 2020 by roughly 20,000 votes.<\/p>\n<p>Wisconsin saw a temporary reprieve when the state Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/08\/leftists-get-what-they-paid-for-in-wisconsin-supreme-court-flip-flop-allowing-ballot-drop-boxes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruled<\/a> in 2022 that the widespread use of unmanned absentee drop boxes violated state law. The court reversed the ruling this year after leftists flipped the bench, with the newly left-wing court endorsing the widespread use of unsecured ballot drop boxes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-8b2f87c6509fdececeb4e6800026e44c fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-8b2f87c6509fdececeb4e6800026e44c\"><\/div>\n<p><em>For more election news and updates, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/electionbriefing.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">electionbriefing.com<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-82692e99170b4140037c9bd986f99f28 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-82692e99170b4140037c9bd986f99f28\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Brianna Lyman<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/briannalyman2\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\" rel=\"noopener\">@briannalyman2<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/briannalyman\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/2024-presidential-election\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">2024 presidential election<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/absentee-ballot-drop-boxes\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">absentee ballot drop boxes<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/ballot-drop-boxes-2\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">ballot drop boxes<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/bucks-county\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Bucks County<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/election-integrity\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">election integrity<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/election-security\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">election security<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/elections\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Elections<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/luzerne-county\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Luzerne County<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/mail-in-voting\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">mail-in voting<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/pennsylvania\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Pennsylvania<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/wisconsin\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Wisconsin<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, has decided not to utilize drop boxes for the upcoming election due to worries about &#8220;illegal activities.&#8221; County Manager Romilda Crocamo informed election officials on Wednesday that the county does not have the resources necessary to ensure the safety of these drop-off locations for voters. She stated, \u201cWhile I understand that drop boxes can offer alternative options for casting ballots, I must prioritize our community&#8217;s safety and security in today&#8217;s political environment. We lack both the capability and sufficient staff to monitor these drop boxes effectively.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Crocamo expressed her concerns regarding potential illegal actions and mentioned that although video surveillance is installed at drop boxes, it is not a guaranteed method of ensuring adherence to voting regulations. She added that managing mail-in ballots from these locations requires two staff members for chain-of-custody procedures, which significantly strains their resources.<\/p>\n<p>Voters will still be able to submit their ballots either by delivering them directly to the Bureau of Elections or by mailing them in. Other counties in Pennsylvania are taking measures to enhance ballot drop box security ahead of November&#8217;s elections. For instance, Bucks County has placed each drop box inside government buildings where they are only accessible during operating hours and monitored by county observers as well as video surveillance.<\/p>\n<p>Ballot drop boxes have faced scrutiny over security issues; a judge recently overturned an election result in Connecticut due to alleged mail-in ballot fraud linked with unmonitored ballot drops. In a notable case during September 2023 primaries, Democrat Joe Ganim initially trailed but won after receiving numerous absentee votes amid allegations of improper handling involving city employees.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, several key swing states experienced an influx of funding from left-leaning donors aimed at installing unsecured ballot drop boxes\u2014Wisconsin being one such state where this occurred. The state Supreme Court ruled against unmanned absentee drop boxes in 2022 but later reversed its decision after a shift towards a more liberal bench endorsed their use again.<\/p>\n<p>For further updates on elections and related news, visit electionbriefing.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2343705,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Ballot_Drop_Box_31409335423-2-e1726776804781.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[41285,32644,5836,34722],"class_list":["post-2343704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-drop-boxes","tag-election-integrity","tag-pennsylvania","tag-security-concerns"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Ballot_Drop_Box_31409335423-2-e1726776804781.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2343704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2343704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2343705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2343704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2343704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2343704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}