By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com

At least six Luzerne County Council members — a majority of the 11 — said Monday they will support the grant-funded purchase of a mail ballot sorting machine promised to significantly streamline Election Day operations and speed up reporting of unofficial election results.

The purchase is on Tuesday’s voting agenda.

The six council members — Vice Chairman John Lombardo, LeeAnn McDermott, Tim McGinley, Matthew Mitchell, Chris Perry and Chairwoman Kendra Radle — said the machine will improve mail ballot processing and be covered by a new state Election Integrity Grant.

“To me it’s pretty simple. If we’re using grant funding for a machine that will make it easier for our election bureau to function better, why not?” Perry said.

Perry said the decision has nothing to do with ongoing disagreements over no-excuse mail ballots because the county must provide that option under state law.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t like mail ballots, because we have them. Mail ballots are here and have been upheld by the court,” Perry said.

Mitchell said he’s heard many complaints from both Democrats and Republicans when unofficial results are not reported on election night due to delays processing mail ballots.

“If this machine is going to help us get results faster, for me this one is a no-brainer,” Mitchell said.

McDermott said everyone wants results as soon as possible, and mail ballot processing has slowed down the tallying.

“I want to go back to voting in person and having absentee voting, but we’re stuck with no-excuse mail ballots. We have to try to improve what we have,” McDermott said.

Without the machine, the county must continue relying on “an army of people” to process the ballots, McGinley said.

Lombardo said he supported the administration’s decision to seek the grant because it will allow enhancements to improve elections. Timely counting of all ballots is a top priority, he said.

The election bureau was informed it will be receiving $1.04 million from the new election integrity grant, said an agenda submission from Deputy Election Director Beth McBride. Based on the county’s voter registration, the bureau is expected to receive the same amount annually. Funds not spent during each calendar year must be returned to the state.

This grant funding is primarily designed to ensure counties across the state have their mail ballots counted by midnight on election night, it said. Purchase of a sorting system is “paramount” in ensuring the county meets this legal election night tally deadline set by the state legislature in this year’s Act 88, it said.

The proposed Agilis Mail Ballot Sorting System from Runbeck Election Solutions will allow the scanning of 18,000 ballots per hour, significantly speeding up work normally performed manually.

The system automatically prints the time and date on envelopes, scans voter bar codes, captures images of the envelopes, gives voters credit for submitting a ballot in the county voter database, generates reports, sorts envelopes by exceptions, and detects ballot thickness to determine if a ballot is missing a required inner secrecy envelope or is overfilled, McBride said.

Ballots that don’t meet specifications will be identified and separated for manual review.

The $490,500 purchase price includes $315,000 for the system and an annual $35,000 licensing and service agreement for five years.

Councilman Kevin Lescavage said Monday he plans to vote against the purchase because he believes the introduction of a new piece of equipment in elections first warrants detailed discussion at a council work session.

Lescavage also said he does not want to commit to a purchase before the funds are in hand.

Due to supply chain issues, the election bureau said prompt council approval is necessary to ensure the system is operational for the Nov. 8 general election. Integrity grant funds are set to arrive Sept. 1.

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