Pennsylvania County That Ran Out of Ballots Must Face Disenfranchised Voters, Court Rules

Voters ask court to ensure the county’s election process is run properly before the next election.

County officials recount ballots in Pennsylvania in a 2022 file photograph. Mark Makela/Getty Images

In the 2022 general election, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, ran out of paper ballots in some precincts on election day. Now the county is being sued by voters who say they were disenfranchised when they were told to come back and vote later, and after several return trips to polling places, they missed their chance to vote.

On the ballot for the Nov. 8, 2022, election was an open governor’s race between Democrat Josh Shapiro and Republican Doug Mastriano and an open U.S. Senate seat sought by Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. Both Democratic candidates won.