Westmoreland County approves ballot curing process for November election

The Westmoreland County commissioners on Tuesday approved a process to allow voters this fall to correct mail-in ballots.

Republicans Sean Kertes and Doug Chew, who for the past five years have opposed efforts to allow what is known as ballot curing, said they were required to reverse course and implement the system following a ruling last month from the state Supreme Court.

Westmoreland voters will be notified if the envelopes that contain their mail-in ballots have visible errors including lack of signatures, incorrect or no dates, or missing secrecy envelopes.

Voters will be allowed to correct errors at the courthouse until polls close on Election Day or vote at precincts using a provisional ballot.

A study published last year found Westmoreland was the lone county in Southwestern Pennsylvania that did not allow ballot curing.

Kertes and Chew criticized a Democratic-leaning state Supreme Court and justices who next month are seeking to retain seats on the state’s highest court of using their positions to bolster their political beliefs and their efforts to be returned to the bench.

Kertes said he would not ignore a court order but continues to oppose ballot curing.

“I still have the same opinion,” Kertes said. “Obviously, at some point, the residents and the citizens have to take responsibility for actions and things in life. When we make decisions and sign documents, you are held accountable.

“I mean, there’s some point where we have to be adults.”

Chew said he opposes ballot curing because it wasn’t written in to the election code that allowed for no-excuse mail-in balloting.

“This court has always been active in usurping the power of the General Assembly, and they’ve again done it four or five weeks before Election Day,” Chew said. “We will follow the court order, and we will go above and beyond what the court order requests of us.”

Election Bureau Director Scott Ross said all mail-in ballots will be inspected upon arrival at the courthouse. Any potential errors will be flagged on the state’s election system, which will then notify voters by email.

Voters who cannot be notified by email will be contacted via a mailed letter or by phone in cases where ballots arrive at the courthouse seven days before the election.

Ross said no additional personnel will be needed to implement the ballot curing process.

Election officials said 425 mail-in ballots were set aside and disqualified for errors in the spring primary.

About 25,000 mail-in ballots are expected to be cast this fall in Westmoreland County.

Commissioner Ted Kopas, the lone Democrat on the board of commissioners, said it was time for Westmoreland County to embrace ballot curing.

“It should not have taken a Supreme Court decision for this county to do right by its voters, but I’m glad we’re here,” Kopas said. “It’s a good day for Westmoreland County and a good day for our democracy.”