SCRANTON — The Lackawanna County Board of Elections on Friday certified the results of the 2025 general election held Nov. 4.
Composed of Lackawanna County Court Judges Terrence Nealon, Margaret Moyle and Frank Ruggiero, the board unanimously approved a motion to certify the election results during a public meeting at the county courthouse.
Susanne Preambo Green, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran in the election for county clerk of judicial records, requested that the board delay certifying the results until a countywide recount could be conducted, based on separate concerns and issues she raised involving how elections were handled in Old Forge and in one precinct in West Scranton that led to two poll workers there being criminally charged.
The Board of Election judges discussed with Green all of her concerns and determined that the election outcomes were not compromised in any way. The judges also said the time frame for formally challenging election results and seeking a recount had already expired, and such an appeal also would have had to have been done via a formal petition filed in court; Green did not file such a formal petition.
The Scranton incident involved a mother and son charged with felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from an investigation into ballot tampering at a West Scranton polling place. The Lackawanna County district attorney’s office charged Kathie Sico, 67, and Michael Sico, 46, both of 305 Chestnut St., Dunmore, with fraud by election officers and interference with primaries/elections, respectively, as well as related misdemeanor counts. The probe began after the county Bureau of Elections received a report from a voter who alleged they were handed a ballot with Kathie Sico’s name already written in for judge of election for Scranton Ward 6 Precinct 1. The election bureau referred the complaint about the incident, which occurred at the Jackson Heights polling place, to the DA’s office.
Regarding the two workers being charged, “I think the system and what occurred is exactly what should have occurred,” Ruggiero said. “I don’t believe this impinges upon or in any way places any shadow of doubt on this election.”
Meanwhile, with 65,662 ballots cast in the county, the election had a 44.34% turnout, “which is very high (turnout) for a municipal cycle,” said county Elections Director Beth Hopkins.
Volunteer poll workers Linda Bonczkiewicz of Benton Twp. and Teresa Ripley of Scranton also spoke and raised various questions and concerns.