Berks County ballot drop box

The ballot drop box inside the Berks County Services Center in downtown Reading

READING, Pa. — The Berks County commissioners, during their election board meeting on Thursday, voted unanimously to revise the county policy on mail-in drop boxes to require a deputy sheriff to question voters about whether they are depositing their own ballot in a drop box.

Commissioner Christian Y. Leinbach said he recommended the revision to the policy to be consistent with what occurs at the election office.

"I continue to look and listen to concerns around the election integrity process, and I think we were doing everything with the mail-in drop boxes exactly the same as a person that would bring their ballot into the election office, with one exception," Leinbach explained. "When a person comes into the election office and they have a single ballot, they are asked 'Is this your ballot?' And if they say no, they're told that they have to get an affirmation form signed or have the individual that has that ballot bring that in. I became aware that our sheriff's deputies do not ask that question, and I believe they need to ask that question."

A sheriff deputy is posted at each drop box during the time voters have access to drop off ballots.

The revision of the policy also includes a clarification that the two election services officers who open and close the drop boxes each day must consist of one election services official and a deputy sheriff.

The commissioners said that has been the practice, but that the policy did not reflect the detail of one deputy sheriff.

Leinbach said one of the problems with mail-in drop boxes is that the state does not have any rules as to how they are managed.

"They are managed 67 different ways in 67 counties, and there are zero rules (from the state)," Leinbach said. "So, this is Berks County's addition."

During public comment, Brecknock Township resident Jane Beck questioned the commissioners about the status of the vacant election services director position.

"There are so many threats to election officials everywhere, at all levels," Beck said. "Who might be willing to even try to take on the job? Is there anyone in our office with the experience that would be stepping up?"

"It's frightening to be this close to an incredibly important election with that office being empty," she added.

Commissioner Kevin S. Barnhardt said the board has decided not to pursue hiring an election services director at this time because of the timeliness of the general election.

But Barnhardt said four managers within the election office are capable of running the election.

"We felt it was incumbent upon us not to create much more issue with bringing in somebody brand new to election services," Barnhardt said.

In early August, the commissioners announced in a brief statement that Paiger Riegner had resigned from the position of county elections director after just five months on the job.

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