Residents, some commissioners urge special election to fill vacancy on County Commission

Several speakers at the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners meeting on Sept. 3 urged the board to call a special election to fill a vacant county-commissioner seat rather than allow party processes or court appointments to determine the replacement.

Mike Janetta of Scott Township asked the commissioners to schedule a special election immediately so county voters can decide who will fill the remaining two years of the term. He said residents oppose backroom appointments and want the issue decided by voters.

Michelle Tierney of Glenburn Township said “We The People have waited long enough,” and joined calls for an immediate special election. County Director of Elections Beth Hopkins explained the nomination process for special elections: major political parties use a nomination certificate to place candidates on the ballot; independent or unaffiliated candidates must submit nomination petitions with 863 signatures (2% of the highest municipal vote in the referenced election) from registered county voters. Hopkins said the filing deadline for the paperwork is 4 p.m. on Sept. 15 and urged interested candidates to contact the county elections office for forms and guidance.

Commissioner Cermak (identified by name during commissioner remarks) said he supports a special election, describing elections as a fundamental democratic right and saying he had voted with a judge to call a special election in a previous proceeding. Commissioners said they planned to address the issue at the county election board meeting later in the day.