They claimed security risks, and that the dropbox in a Mountain Top, Pennsylvania assisted living old folks home “lacks oversight”? Well then somebody better check in on the senior citizens living there?? What place could have better oversight to begin with than a facility with 24 hour staff on duty and probably already existing video surveillance?
Those of us who live in northeastern Pennsylvania could easily guess this is probably about Hazleton.
Hazleton is infamous for an anti-immigrant ordinance under Mayor Lou Barletta, who went on to serve in the U.S. Congress representing parts of Luzerne and Lackawanna County, and has run for the U.S. Senate unsuccessfully. As of a decade ago NPR reported that “Hazleton is 40 percent Latino, among the highest in Pennsylvania.” Yet Luzerne County is pretty MAGA-pilled, which is why Trump has rallies in Wilkes-Barre.
I am concerned that anti-immigrant racism and election denial disinformation and fraud conspiracy fictions are driving voter suppression of the disabled and elderly in the outskirts of Luzerne County.
WVIA – Luzerne County will not provide drop boxes for mail-in ballots By Sarah Scinto | WVIA News Published September 19, 2024 Crocamo said all of the locations had security issues, such as “lack of oversight.” “I am particularly concerned about the potential for illegal activities,” she said.
I’m pretty sure this is about election denial conspiracies. It doesn’t really make sense for voter intimidation at mail ballot dropboxes considering that conservatives have been for many months running ads here in northeastern Pennsylvania, targeting Trump fans, including in attack ads bashing then Biden and now Harris, telling people to vote for Trump by mail. It’s been constant and relentless on Youtube for example. Republicans embraced mail in ballots again in Pennsylvania, as they had been supportive prior to 2020 also. Trump has only recently reversed and started fear mongering again about mail ballots, because after all, he flip flops on a lot of things. Therefore any voter intimidation at mail ballot dropboxes would be likely to target some conservative Trump voters – so it doesn’t make sense.
But the reporters covering this should’ve certainly asked Romilda Crocamo if she’s admitting that she has concerns about conservatives getting violent and trying to harm voters using the ballot dropboxes. It should be determined exactly what security matters in this “political climate” are of concern. And then deal with those concerns if they’re valid. Voter suppression of elderly & disabled citizens, or exposing the high risk to crowded polling locations, is not the answer.