Westmoreland OKs courthouse drop box for mail-in ballots
Apr. 21—Westmoreland County's elections board Thursday authorized the installation of a drop box for mail-in ballots at the courthouse for the two-week period before the May 16 primary.
The board, which consists of two Common Pleas judges and Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher, voted 2-1 to install a single drop box near the door of the courthouse's rear Pennsylvania Avenue entrance.
"I am always in favor of making it easier and more convenient to be able to vote. I have always voted for drop boxes. This year, our courtyard and parking garages are still under construction. Having a drop box makes it easier for individuals to quickly drop off their ballot without worrying about parking," Thrasher said.
Republican Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew halted the use of all drop boxes last fall, saying it was an underused and expensive convenience and, as a result, mail-in voters were limited to submitting their completed ballots by mail or by taking them to the elections office on the first floor of the courthouse on Main Street in Greensburg.
The county for several years placed a drop box near the front entrance of the courthouse. An ongoing project to rebuild a two-level underground parking garage resulted in the courthouse's primary entrance being closed since March 2022. It is not slated to reopen until June.
In 2020 and 2021, commissioners, acting as the elections board, authorized limited use of regional drop boxes at a handful of locations.
Because Kertes and Chew are seeking reelection and will appear as candidates on this year's ballot, they were recused from the elections board. Common Pleas President Judge Christopher Feliciani appointed judges Tim Krieger and Mike Stewart to replace the Republican incumbent commissioners on the board. Thrasher is not seeking reelection and remains on the board.
The drop box vote was along partisan lines, with Democrats Thrasher and Stewart voting in favor of it. Krieger, a former Republican state lawmaker, opposed the drop box.
"The elections bureau recently was remodeled to make it more efficient to come in and vote. Drop boxes were an accommodation to the pandemic and the pandemic emergency has been declared over. There's no need to do drop boxes," Krieger said.
County elections staffers will monitor the drop box from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays starting May 2 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. most weekend days.
A potential expansion of drop boxes could be considered in advance of the fall general election, Thrasher said.
"I would be in favor of it to make it easier for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. However, we don't have the manpower to pull election bureau employees away from the office to travel to drop box locations. So we will weigh our decision on that in the fall," Thrasher said.
The board also directed the elections bureau to operate with extended hours beginning May 2, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The office and drop box site will be closed May 14 for Mother's Day.
Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .
