Lackawanna County election board appoints chair, approves poll-worker assignments and relocates four polling places

The Lackawanna County Board of Elections on an advertised meeting approved several administrative measures: appointing Judge Nelan as chair, allowing poll workers to serve outside their voting districts for the upcoming primary, permanently relocating two polling places and temporarily relocating two others.

The actions affect staffing and polling locations ahead of the next election cycle and include voter-notification requirements for permanent changes.

Board members first moved to approve the minutes from the Nov. 26, 2024 meeting and then voted to appoint Judge Nelan as chair of the Board of Elections. One member announced an abstention during the chair appointment discussion before the motion passed. The board next approved a motion to permit poll workers to serve outside their voting district when precinct-registered workers are unavailable; Director Elizabeth Hopkins explained the need arises when a precinct lacks a registered judge, inspector or clerk and the department draws from a county bench of willing registered voters.

The board considered three polling-place relocations. Director Hopkins said Scranton 61 had been temporarily moved to Jackson Heights after a 2020 fire at the Riverside housing project and the county now seeks to make that move permanent because the Riverside community room has not been rebuilt. Hopkins told the board the permanent location at Jackson Heights met Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and Department of Justice standards and that affected voters would receive written notice of the permanent change.

South Abington 32 was moved permanently after the Chinchilla United Methodist Church closed and the building was placed for sale; the board approved moving that precinct to the South Abington firehouse at 104 Shady Lane, which the county determined met spacing and accessibility requirements. Hopkins said those voters would also be notified in writing.

The board approved a temporary relocation for Musick 2 and Musick 4 from Greenwood Hose Company No. 1 (under ongoing renovation) to the Musick Youth Center at 606 Main Street; Hopkins said the youth center had been used during the 2024 general election and would again serve as the temporary site.

All motions on the agenda were approved by voice vote as recorded in the meeting; no roll-call vote tallies are included in the meeting record. The board recorded mover and seconder remarks in the transcript where indicated.

Voters affected by permanent relocations will receive letters from the Board of Elections with the new polling-location information; temporary relocations will be used for the upcoming election cycle and can be revisited in future cycles.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of Nov. 26, 2024 minutes — motion moved and seconded in meeting transcript; voice vote recorded as "aye," motion passed. - Motion 25-2006: appoint Judge Nelan as chairman of the Board of Elections — motion passed (one member announced an abstention in the transcript). - Motion 25-2001: assign poll workers to work outside their voting districts for the primary — motion passed. - Motion 25-2002: permanently relocate Scranton 61 from Riverside Housing (200 Emmett St.) to Jackson Heights (1001 Jackson St.) — motion passed; director said location met ADA and DOJ requirements and voters will be notified. - Motion 25-2003: permanently relocate South Abington 32 from Chinchilla United Methodist Church (411 Layton Rd.) to South Abington firehouse (104 Shady Lane) — motion passed; voters will be notified. - Motion 25-2004: temporarily relocate Musick 2 and Musick 4 from Greenwood Hose Company No. 1 (3729 Boerne Ave.) to Musick Youth Center (606 Main St.) for the upcoming election — motion passed.

All permanent-relocation motions include a staff commitment in the meeting record that affected voters will be notified in writing and that locations were chosen after accessibility and proximity assessments.