Luzerne County DA’s Office finds no wrongdoing in election complaint

Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce said his office has wrapped up an investigation of potential Nov. 8 general election voter fraud in Kingston and found no wrongdoing.

According to his release:

The DA’s Office received a complaint on Election Day and assigned the matter to Detective George Keifer, who contacted and spoke to the complainant, identified as voter 1. This woman did not want to be publicly identified.

When voter 1 appeared at the Kingston Recreation Center to cast her ballot, she provided her name to the poll worker and was informed she already voted. Voter 1 said the signature above her name in the poll book was not hers.

After contacting the election bureau, voter 1 was directed to return to the polling location to complete a paper provisional ballot, which she did.

Keifer met with election bureau officials on Nov. 11 to review documentation, and they found several voters with the same last names at the Kingston Recreation Center polling place. Multiple voting wards are housed at the center.

The detective found another female voter with an identical last name and similar first name in another ward housed at the center, and there was no signature by her name.

Keifer contacted this woman (voter 2) and confirmed she had cast a ballot at the recreation center. The detective met with voter 2 at her residence, and she confirmed it was her signature in the poll book block for voter 1.

Voter 2 said she requested assistance identifying her polling place inside the center, and she had been directed to ward seven and was instructed to sign in the poll book block.

The DA’s report said she had been inadvertently sent to the wrong ward and to sign in the block identifying voter 1.

Voter 2 said she was not requested to provide identification at any point, and she provided the voter number she was given upon checking in to vote.

As a result of the findings, the matter is considered closed without further action to be taken. The DA’s Office will contact voters 1 and 2 to relay the findings.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.