Runback Dropbox Machine Tested; Council and Public Raise Funding and Security Questions

Luzerne County Bureau of Elections staff demonstrated a runback-style dropbox that photographs the front and back of ballot envelopes and records video of the person dropping the envelope. The demonstration company offered the county a trial for $12,000; if the county declined the trial equipment, there would be no charge.

Director Cook and staff explained that the machine photographs the outer ballot envelope (not the ballot) and produces a secure container that staff later empty and process; the machine would be placed near the sheriff's station and covered by existing building video cameras. Staff said the board will ultimately decide whether to purchase or use the model and that the runback device is intended to add security layers such as photographic logs of drops.

Councilmembers and the public raised concerns about funding, maintenance and tampering. Councilmember Haas asked for an overview of the procurement process; Councilmember Sabatino and others described physical issues observed during the demonstration (small slot, occasional jamming when the envelope is not aligned). Public commenter Griffin questioned whether the $12,000 came from the election integrity grant and whether council authorization was required. County staff later clarified the funds for the machine would come from the general fund (not the election integrity grant), per the manager.

Griffin also demonstrated that a camera could be covered or blocked and argued that the physical metal drop boxes the county previously purchased provided similar security at lower cost. Staff said the runback model has fault detection and video logs; if a drop is blocked it will not be recorded as accepted and staff will notice the fault during review. No final procurement decision was made; the election board will vote on whether to adopt this model at a future meeting.