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Tuesday morning’s voting in West Hazleton was slow after a judge of election discovered that they had the wrong machines.

It was one of several problems at Greater Hazleton polling sites — and those were separate of the approximately three dozen polling sites throughout Luzerne County that ran out of ballot printing paper.

Jim Capparell, Ward 2’s supervisor, said that he noticed the error at 6 a.m. He was using City of Hazleton equipment, not his own.

The same was true across the West Hazleton Elementary/Middle School gym in West Hazleton’s Ward 1, he said.

He said that the machines for Ward 1 in the city and borough were delivered to the wrong Wards 1 & 2.

“From the beginning, tabulators from Hazleton were delivered to West Hazleton, and the tabulators from West Hazleton were delivered to Hazleton,” he said.

Capparell called the Election Bureau immediately he realized he was missing the correct machines. They delivered the correct ones. He said that it took some time.

“We could not open the poll because we have no place to put the emergency ballots until the tabulators arrived,” Capparell said.

He provided three emergency ballots to voters.

“The tabulator arrived about eight o’clock and that’s when we started voting with emergency ballots, because the ballot printers were also not working,” he said. Voting begins at 7 AM.

He said that some early voters did leave but they returned, and that he knows the people who live in his precinct. He took a moment to acknowledge West Hazleton Mayor John Chura who had come to cast his ballot.

Karen Kaschak, judge for election in Ward 1, said that it was a difficult start to the day due to the machine mixup. She wasn’t sure if voters were turned away outside of the polling place.

Frank Schmidt, a former West Hazleton Mayor, distributed voting material to Jim Bognet, 8th Congressional District Republican Candidate. He said people weren’t happy about the delay or having to use a paper ballot initially.

“They couldn’t use the machine. Everyone was complaining,” he said.

Schmidt said that they fixed the machines and were voting normal times by 8:15 AM.

Schmidt felt sorry for people who were turned down earlier and those who returned later had to battle school traffic on a congested North Street.

He said he hopes the polling location is eventually moved to the Community Center, where voters don’t have to fight school traffic.

“They have school buses, kids running in between, traffic jams and everything,” he said.

Over in Hazleton in Wards 1 and 2, balloting wasn’t delayed as long.

Ward 2 Judge Zorangel SOSA stated that she received new machines in the county approximately five or ten minutes after seven o’clock in the morning and was able to get them up and running quickly.

“We were lucky to get back up really fast,” she said.

She said that some older voters who prefer to be out early may have to wait or return.

Across the vestibule of the Traders Bank Building in the city’s Ward 1, Judge Jerry Kufovich said his tabulator machines didn’t work initially.

Although his precinct was able to get up and running in time for the morning, he still had one printer on his desk at 9 AM. He stated that three of the four machines from Ward 1 were operational and people were able, with no issues, to vote.

Kufovich stated that mail-in ballots were another problem.

Voters were arriving to submit their mail-in ballots. He had to send some home as they must return the ballot with both of the envelopes. Not everyone had them. He stated that some voters were required to vote by provisional ballot.

“It’s a shame,” Kufovich said.

Luzerne County was one of 64 jurisdictions nationwide that the U.S. Justice Department was scheduled to monitor for compliance with voting rights laws during Tuesday’s general election, as announced Monday. Greater Hazleton’s election officials and voters did not report that they were aware of monitors at polling sites.

Printer problems in Hazleton

There were issues with printers at Hazleton City Hall that caused early problems for voters in wards 8, and 10, said Jim Ferry who is judge of elections in the 10th Ward.

“In the first 15 minutes, we had troubles getting the printers on,” Ferry said.

Ferry said that poll workers turned the printers on & off repeatedly until they started functioning properly.

He said that no voters were turned away but that emergency paper ballots were given to one or two voters.

“Everything else was up and going but you need the printer to get (the system) up and going,” he said.

Bognet, Rodriguez comment

Bognet was at Hazle Twp’s polling station. Tuesday morning, Commons Building

“It feels good. I’ve been to five polling locations,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm.”

He said that he heard some Democrats tell him that they were voting Republican for the same reason: they believe things must change.

Discussing the early polling problems, before the news of paper shortages, he said, “We’ve got to be able to get the polls right. We have to reform our voting.”

Yesenia Rodriguez voted at Lackawanna Community College Hazleton. She also visited Harwood in Hazle Twp. The Democratic candidate in the 116th Legislative Dist said that 15 people were sent to West Hazleton Elementary/Middle School, because the machines were down an hour.

“I hope these 15 people are coming back,” she said, noting that people sometimes come out early to vote before work.

Drums: Strong start

Around 8 a.m., a steady flow of voters filled the polling stations at the Butler Twp. Drums Municipal Building

Logan Buglio, judge of elections fior Butler’s second, third and fourth voting districts, said the morning rush was larger than in years past.

He said that no issues were reported because about 80 people voted in the township garage before nine o’clock. A township official stated that every space in the municipal building’s parking lot was occupied by 7:15 AM. Some vehicles were also lined up in the driveway.

The Hazle Twp. opened at 9:30 a.m. When Bognet turned up to vote, the Commons Building buzzed as local and national media joined together.

Shannon Tobias, judge of elections for Hazle Twp.’s second district, reported shortly before 10 a.m. that 129 people voted.

“That is really good for us,” she said of the turnout.

Busy at McAdoo, Kline Sites

Even while in the military, Don Stefanisko never missed a vote. When he cast his vote in McAdoo Tuesday morning he had many things on his mind, including the economy or inflation.

Aaron Bruno was also concerned about the economy and education.

Growing up in McAdoo, he said that he was familiarized with Dane Watro but, more importantly he liked his talking points when he was the Republican in the race for the 116th.

Stefan Holly, a former McAdoo mayor said he was going to vote Republican because he believes these candidates can fix the economy.

“Who’s really for the people?” Holly said before walking into the polling place at The Strand.

Michael Bodnar, without saying who he voted for, said party never matters to him; it’s what the person stands for.

Bodnar was McAdoo’s 47th voter around 9:45 a.m.

Ninety three people voted in Kline Township. By 8:40 a.m. Emily Sutch was among them. She said she voted while thinking of everyone’s rights.

Sybil Katona was the judge of elections and she expected a higher than average turnout based upon the morning rush.

“It’s sizable,” she said.

Mike Koshmieder was handing out handbills to Watro and Roselia Encarnacion was doing the same thing for Rodriguez. They said that they expected a good turnout based upon the morning crowd.

“It’s admirable,” he said.

‘Special one’ in Shenandoah

Joseph Gawrylik said this election is a “special one.”

“We definitely need a change in government and policy,” he said outside the second precinct in Shenandoah, where 37 people voted by 10 a.m.

He stated that change is needed in the country and in the commonwealth.

The economy, the border and Democrats were on Bernie Morris’ mind as he voted at the second precinct.

“We need a change. We can’t be living like this,” he said, voicing support for Republicans.

Elaine Mayersky stated that her options for voting for the 116th state representative were great, but that she would prefer to vote in the 123rd for incumbent Republican Tim Twardzik. All of Shenandoah was moved into the 116th district by redistricting.

Campaign signs for Watro, Rodriguez were seen in Hazleton West Hazleton and Hazle Township. In the Schuylkill County boroughs Mahanoy City and McAdoo Ringtown and Shenandoah, East Union, Kline and Mahanoy, North Union, and Union townships.

“It was a shame they changed it,” Mayersky said after voting at the Shenandoah Historical Fire Museum on South Jardin Street.

Marlene Rudisill said she didn’t give much thought to the change, though she was more familiar with Twardzik. John Rudisill, her husband, voted at the museum at 11:30 a.m. John Rudisill stated that he watched the 9th congressional battle between Democrat Amanda R. Waldman, and Republican Dan Meuser, and then read newspaper articles before he cast his votes.

The couple is concerned about inflation, and crime.

“We need them to do something with the economy; people can’t keep suffering like this,” Marlene Rudisill said.

Regardless of the issues, the couple said they always vote because it’s what Americans do. John Rudisill noted his first time voting was while he served in the military in 1967, and he hasn’t missed an election since.