Luzerne County polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today for the primary election.
Voters can view a list of all polling places under the election bureau’s primary election link at luzernecounty.org.
Primary voters will hand-mark their selections on paper ballots instead of the electronic ballot marking devices, although a device must still be set up in each precinct for those with disabilities.
Voters will still be required to feed the hand-marked ballots into scanners to be cast, as they did with the ballot marking device printouts.
After signing in on the electronic poll books, voters will receive a paper Democratic or Republican ballot based on their registration. As an added check, the county election bureau urges voters to make sure they are receiving the correct party ballot and immediately alert poll workers if they have any issues.
Voters also will receive a pen and be directed to a privacy booth to make selections.
Any voters concerned about others seeing their ballot can request a folder for use when they carry the ballot to the scanner.
Some reminders for those casting paper ballots at the polls:
• Fully shade in the ovals on the ballot and don’t mark choices with an X or slash.
• Be careful not to select more than the specified number of candidates.
• To cast a write-in vote for a person whose name is not on the ballot, voters must both legibly write the name and blacken the oval beside that line on their ballot.
For mail voters, ballots must be physically in the county election bureau by 8 p.m. on election night, and postmarks do not count.
The only drop box location available on Election Day is the county’s Penn Place building, 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Mail voters who did not return their ballots also can bring the ballot package that had been sent to them — the ballot and both envelopes — to their polling place so it can be voided, allowing them to cast a ballot at the polling place.
Voters who requested but never received a mail ballot can cast a paper provisional ballot at the polls.
Provisional ballots are marked by hand and reviewed last so the county can verify a mail ballot was not also received from that voter. The details are important for provisional ballots. They must be placed in a secrecy envelope, which is then inserted in an outer envelope. Three signatures — two from the voter and one from the judge of elections — are required on the outer envelope for the vote to count.
As usual, results will be posted and updated at luzernecounty.org after the polls close.
Voters may call 570-825-1715 or email elections@luzernecounty.org for assistance or to report any issues.