Munsee

WILKES-BARRE — The Luzerne County Board of Elections decided Friday it won’t count 1,301 mail-in ballots from the 119th state House District because the ballots were canceled and supposed to be segregated.

But an employee inadvertently opened the outer envelopes of those ballots, and 1,159 of those 1,301 voters in the 119th District submitted second ballots. Friday’s decision disenfranchises 142 voters from the Nov. 5 election.

“I think everyone in this room knows there is no good answer,” board Solicitor Gene Molino said. “The board is going to have to make a decision on what’s the least bad answer to this.”

If the board counted the 1,301 ballots, the board would have allowed 1,159 voters to vote twice. Election officials said they had no way to determine the identity of voters who cast them once the outer envelopes were opened.

In early October, the election bureau canceled about 6,700 mail ballots sent to voters in the 119th District because some of the ballots misspelled the name of state Rep. Alec Ryncavage as “Tyncavage.” The bureau sent a second batch of mail-in ballots to those 119th District voters with correct name spellings.

Ryncavage, a Republican seeking a second term, defeated Democrat Megan Kocher, and the unofficial vote count remains 17,382 to 9,789.

The board continued its review of provisional ballots on Friday and plans to resume its review Saturday morning. Attorneys for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat from Scranton, and Republican Dave McCormick were present Friday.

McCormick is leading the unofficial vote count against Casey 3,392,104 to 3,370,395, and 36,000 votes are uncounted, NBC News reported at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

In Luzerne County, the Senate campaigns have contested decisions on more than 1,000 provisional ballots, and a hearing on the challenges will be held Tuesday. Voters are allowed to cast provisional ballots if they received mail-in ballots or…

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WILKES-BARRE — The Luzerne County Board of Elections decided Friday it won’t count 1,301 mail-in ballots from the 119th state House District because the ballots were canceled and supposed to be segregated.

But an employee inadvertently opened the outer envelopes of those ballots, and 1,159 of those 1,301 voters in the 119th District submitted second ballots. Friday’s decision disenfranchises 142 voters from the Nov. 5 election.

“I think everyone in this room knows there is no good answer,” board Solicitor Gene Molino said. “The board is going to have to make a decision on what’s the least bad answer to this.”

If the board counted the 1,301 ballots, the board would have allowed 1,159 voters to vote twice. Election officials said they had no way to determine the identity of voters who cast them once the outer envelopes were opened.

In early October, the election bureau canceled about 6,700 mail ballots sent to voters in the 119th District because some of the ballots misspelled the name of state Rep. Alec Ryncavage as “Tyncavage.” The bureau sent a second batch of mail-in ballots to those 119th District voters with correct name spellings.

Ryncavage, a Republican seeking a second term, defeated Democrat Megan Kocher, and the unofficial vote count remains 17,382 to 9,789.

The board continued its review of provisional ballots on Friday and plans to resume its review Saturday morning. Attorneys for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat from Scranton, and Republican Dave McCormick were present Friday.

McCormick is leading the unofficial vote count against Casey 3,392,104 to 3,370,395, and 36,000 votes are uncounted, NBC News reported at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

In Luzerne County, the Senate campaigns have contested decisions on more than 1,000 provisional ballots, and a hearing on the challenges will be held Tuesday. Voters are allowed to cast provisional ballots if they received mail-in ballots or…

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Diabetes Awareness Month

DELMARVA – About 1.5 million people die from diabetes annually according to the World Health Organization, and those numbers continue to increase. While diabetes can be deadly, experts on Delmarva say one can successfully manage the disease with proper nutrition, education, and most importantly, determination.

Blindness, kidney disease, and stroke are just some of the things that can happen if diabetes goes unchecked. Certified Diabetes Specialist for Atlantic General Hospital, Dr. Nakita Cropper says Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune condition and can only be treated with insulin. On the other hand, Type 2 has more to do with genetics and lifestyle and can be treated with oral medication, injectables, and insulin.

Dr. Cropper says low-income individuals have a higher risk of being diagnosed, and that we have to address both the disease and the disparities. “Although it is often difficult receiving the diagnosis, that it is possible for individuals to successfully manage the condition and live long, healthy, fulfilled lives… We know that African Americans and Hispanics are most likely to be diagnosed with the condition. underserved groups are more likely to experience difficulty with accessing healthcare.”

Adults should get at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week according to Dr. Cropper, and she says there are a few risk factors to look out for. “Being overweight or obese. Having limited physical activity daily, smoking, as well as having a hormonal condition such as polycystic ovarian syndrome.”

Exercise isn’t the only way to manage this disease, there is also nutrition according to Kelly Williams, Nutritionist for the Worcester County Health Department. “I think the biggest challenge people face when managing diabetes is knowing how to combine foods. People who are diabetic can eat all foods. It’s just knowing the proper proportions,…

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