ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Lehigh County elections officials told commissioners Wednesday that despite a mail-in ballot error before the May primary election, they are confident every eligible voter who wanted to cast a ballot was able to do so.
Michael Paston, recently appointed chief clerk of elections for Lehigh County, provided commissioners with an overview of the county’s handling of the issue, which resulted in 4,175 voters receiving mail ballots generated from an outdated voter list.
Paston said he had been on the job for only six hours when election staff discovered the problem.
“We wanted every eligible voter who wanted to vote to be able to vote,” Paston said.
The error occurred when a 2025 voter list was mistakenly sent to the printer instead of the updated 2026 file. Paston described the issue as a case of human error, saying an employee selected the wrong file while preparing ballot materials.
As a result, some voters received ballots they did not request, including ballots sent to deceased individuals whose names remained on the outdated list. Other affected voters included residents who had changed party affiliations or moved since the previous election cycle.
A press release from Lehigh County said thanks to fail-safe procedures and the rapid response of the county and state, the error that led to problems with mail-in ballots was quickly recognized and rectified. Officials previously said voters can rest assured that all valid ballots were counted and invalid ones rejected.
“We’re very confident that all the votes were counted from anyone eligible to participate,” Paston said.
Commissioner Jon Irons asked what steps would be taken to prevent a similar problem in future elections.
Paston said files associated with closed elections will no longer be stored on employee desktops and instead will be archived in separate locations to reduce the likelihood of selecting the wrong file.
“It’s a simple solution,” Paston said. “It won’t happen again.”
Commissioner Sheila Alvarado questioned whether all eligible voters affected by the error had their votes counted and asked about the financial impact of sending replacement ballots and notification letters.
Paston estimated the mistake cost the county thousands of dollars, but said a precise figure was not immediately available.
Commissioners generally praised election staff for managing the situation.
Board of Commissioners Chair Geoff Brace said the board should continue evaluating election procedures and encouraged election officials to maintain regular communication with commissioners and the public.
Commissioner Ron Beitler noted that county officials first learned of the issue through media reports and said future communication should come directly from election administrators.
Human errors are inevitable, Beitler said, but additional safeguards are necessary to reduce the chances of a repeat occurrence.
The discussion also touched on broader election administration challenges, including the growing complexity of managing multiple election systems simultaneously.
Paston said election officials plan to conduct a comprehensive post-election review this summer to identify efficiencies and potential improvements.
“We have time to take a step back and take a macro view of the issues,” Paston said.
Public meeting materials
In other business, commissioners approved a transition to a new public meeting document platform.
Officials announced that beginning in July, meeting agendas and supporting materials will be available through Diligent Community, replacing the county’s current BoardDocs system.
Officials said the new platform will allow residents to view meeting materials, subscribe to notifications and access documents.
Affordable housing development
In other business, the commissioners unanimously approved extension of an agreement to sell a county-owned parking lot at 43-47 S. Seventh St. in Allentown to Urban Place Apartments LP for a planned affordable housing development.
The extension gives the developer additional time to secure financing through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, officials said.
Under the amended agreement, settlement on the property must occur by Dec. 31, 2028, instead of the original deadline.
Commissioner Sarah Fevig said the extension would help the developer navigate the tax credit process and continue work on a project aimed at expanding affordable housing opportunities in Lehigh County.
Commissioner Brace noted that multiple actions are often required before projects can move forward.
Other business
Commissioners also took action on other measures, including approving funding support for 911 system grant management and advancing a referendum proposal that would modify the county’s home rule charter regarding appointments to the county retirement board.
Also on Wednesday, a proposal to require certain elected county officials to resign before running for another public office did not gain support.