Last-minute voter signups an issue

Carbon County officials are a little frustrated by the state’s online voter registration.

On Thursday, Commissioner William O’Gurek aired his feelings on the system, which had a deadline of midnight on Tuesday.

The Carbon County Bureau of Elections closes at 4:30 p.m.

Because of the extended online deadline, O’Gurek said the county can’t certify the voter registration totals until next week because there were hundreds of registrations that were filed after the elections office closed, and the two-staff department was still working on the applications.

“I think (the online voter registration) should be cut off when the business office of the counties are closed,” he said, “because we find out that when they come in the next day and they’re hit with hundreds of applications, it creates a little bit of a problem for us. ... This stuff about getting on there a couple minutes before midnight and registering and leaving work for the people the next day, I don’t think is fair to the election bureau.”

Lisa Dart, election bureau director, said that there were approximately 40 still being processed from the Tuesday deadline; and added that there are probably 20 applications that aren’t fully registered because the department doesn’t have the person’s signature on file.

Letters to these residents will be sent out explaining their incomplete registration.

The board then tabled the action to certify the voter registration totals for the upcoming general election until next Thursday.

As of now, the eligible voters include 18,007 Democrats; 18,565 Republicans; 63 Green party; 251 Libertarians; and 6,242 other parties.

Absentee ballots

Dart also remind Carbon County voters who need an absentee ballot to request one as soon as possible and not to wait until the Oct. 30 deadline because the county still faces the mail deadlines.

Absentee ballot applications must be in by Oct. 30 and voted ballots must be at the county election bureau by 5 p.m. Nov. 2 to count for the election.

So far a little over 400 absentee ballot requests have been made, approximately 350 less than in past midterm elections.

Polling place changes

The election board also ratified the following polling place changes.

• Jim Thorpe District 17, which was at the Phoenix Fire Company will now be at the Marion Hose Company, 16 W. Broadway.

• Lehighton District 29, from the Lehighton Boys and Girls Band Hall to American Legion Post 314, 314 Veterans Avenue.

• Mahoning District 35, from Mahoning Township’s Municipal Building to the Orioles Community Center, 475 Orioles Drive.