Due to a vote change by one Luzerne County Council member, Alyssa Fusaro received majority support Tuesday to fill a vacant Republican seat on the county election board.
Richard Nardone was seeking reappointment to the seat.
The five-citizen, volunteer board is a high-profile independent body because it oversees elections, makes determinations on flagged ballots and write-in votes and certifies election results.
In council’s last meeting on Feb. 22, the vote was 5-4, with Nardone in the lead. However, six votes are necessary for board appointments, and council was short two members at that time because Tim McGinley had been absent and newly appointed Councilman Carl Bienias III had not yet been sworn in.
On Tuesday, Bienias selected Fusaro, while McGinley picked Nardone.
But Fusaro ended up securing the nomination from six because Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo had previously supported Nardone but switched to Fusaro on Tuesday.
Lombardo said Tuesday night he based his initial support for Nardone on his belief that it would be best to reappoint someone with past experience for continuity.
However, he said council colleagues Brian Thornton and Kevin Lescavage subsequently offered compelling arguments in support of Fusaro. He also said a number of citizens also reached out and said they were concerned about Nardone’s support for mail ballot drop boxes.
“In decisions like these where I have a difficult time, I rely heavily on other council members I trust,” Lombardo said.
Lombardo also said Fusaro called him two or three times after the Feb. 22 meeting to discuss her concerns about election matters. He said he reached out to Nardone Tuesday but didn’t hear back from him until shortly before Tuesday’s meeting.
Following council’s inability to fill the seat Feb. 22, both Nardone and Fusaro filed court petitions asking county judges to appoint them because council did not select someone within 60 days — a recourse provided in the county’s home rule charter.
County judges could choose to dismiss the petitions on the argument the matter is now moot.
Fusaro had taken the unusual approach of personally urging council to appoint her during public comment before the Feb. 22 vote.
On Tuesday, both applicants appeared at the podium seeking the appointment.
Nardone, of Slocum Township, said he spent a significant amount of time during his nearly 10 months on the board last year reviewing the law and working with board colleagues to implement new protocols to improve elections and ensure continuity amid election bureau staff changes.
He also told council he has used experience from his 40-year consulting career to help the board hash out complicated election matters and build consensus to make decisions in the best interest of voters.
Fusaro, of Luzerne, a prior insurance company branch manager and current medical courier, highlighted her disagreement with mail ballot drop boxes, saying they are not in the county’s best interest and should not be offered by the county.
“I am asking for your vote because I want to bring election integrity back,” Fusaro said. “I want to be a part of this process.”
Nardone said after council’s decision that he believes the drop boxes are more secure than the regular postal system mail boxes because the county requires security camera recording of its drop boxes and regulated retrieval of the contents by county sheriff deputies or election bureau workers. Counties are permitted to provide drop boxes for the convenience of voters under state law, he said, noting that law could change.
Fusaro thanked council members for their faith in her.
“All voters deserve to feel as though their voice is heard when their ballot is cast,” Fusaro said. “I take that responsibility very seriously, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members to that end.”
In addition to Lombardo and Bienias, the council members supporting Fusaro were: Thornton, Lescavage, Stephen J. Urban and Gregory Wolovich Jr.
The five supporting Nardone, in addition to McGinley: LeeAnn McDermott, Chris Perry, Robert Schnee and Chairwoman Kendra Radle.
When voting, McGinley said he firmly supports Nardone because he “listens to everyone and analyzes things” before making decisions.
Council voted last month to appoint Danny Schramm to a Democratic vacancy on the election board on Feb. 22. The other members are Patrick Castellani, Audrey Serniak and Denise Williams, who serves as chair.