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Look Back: Jury deliberates three hours in 1957 fatal shooting

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ABC airing Mary Jo Kopechne program on Tuesday

<p>In addition to competing against each other for the Democratic Wilkes-Barre mayoral nomination, candidates Tony George and George Brown also are both seeking Republican write-in votes in the May 21 primary election.</p><p>The reason: no Republicans stepped up to run on the ballot in that race.</p><p>It&#8217;s not the only contest where write-ins are expected.</p><p>Luzerne County Democratic Party Chairman John Pekarovsky said his party is supporting write-in candidate Daniel Hunter, a local attorney, in the county district attorney&#8217;s race.</p><p>Incumbent District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis is unopposed on the Republican ballot in her quest for a third term.</p><p>Hunter appeared before party representatives to request backing, saying he decided to run too late to obtain nomination signatures required for his name to appear on the ballot, Pekarovsky said.</p><p>Write-ins also are expected in the county council race because six seats are up for grabs, and only four candidates are on the ballot on the Republicans side &#8212; Walter Griffith, Kendra Radle, Stephen J. Urban and Gregory Wolovich.</p><p>The same situation occurred in the May 2015 primary. Robert Schnee did not obtain his party&#8217;s Democratic nomination in the council race at that time, but he secured a winning Republican write-in nomination and ultimately won a seat in the November general.</p><p>Republican Eugene Kelleher received the other write-in nomination that year and also was elected in November.</p><p>County Election Director Marisa Crispell said she expects a flurry of write-in votes in multiple races, in part because she has received numerous inquiries from people interested in empty ballot slots.</p><p>While write-ins sometimes result in additional nominees entering a race, the process also can allow county candidates to lock in both party nominations, Crispell said.</p><p>The advantage of a dual nomination occurs in the general, when candidates on both party ballots automatically receive votes from those who cast across-the-board, straight party selections, Crispell said.</p><p>Primary election write-in winners won&#8217;t be known on election night because write-ins are tallied during the official count, which occurs the Friday after the election, Crispell said.</p><p>Depending on the volume of write-in votes, the count may continue into the following week.</p><p>Write-in candidates are advised to send written notification to the election office before the official count indicating the office they are seeking and the variations of their name that they believe should be accepted, which is known as &#8220;cumulation,&#8221; Crispell said.</p><p>Without a such a written request, the election code requires the office to count only the name of a voter as it appears on his or her voter registration, she said.</p><p>Write-in candidates who raise and spend money for their campaigns also must comply with campaign finance requirements, she said.</p><p>&#8220;All the rules apply, whether you&#8217;re on the ballot or not,&#8221; Crispell said.</p><p>In the Wilkes-Barre mayor race, incumbent George has at least one billboard urging Republicans to write in his name.</p><p>Challenger Brown said his supporters are &#8220;aggressively working on a campaign to get Republican write-in votes.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Crispell </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Crispell.jpeg.jpg</photo0><caption0>Crispell </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Flurry of write-in votes expected in Luzerne County primary