Westmoreland County Election Bureau being overhauled

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — Changes are being made to the Westmoreland County Election Bureau in response to issues during previous elections, Channel 11′s news exchange partners at TribLIVE reported.

The overhaul of the bureau was approved by the Westmoreland commissioners and includes adding a layer of management, increased pay for staff and a potential change in leadership.

According to TribLIVE, three new middle-management jobs were created. They are a quality assurance manager, a voting system coordinator and an office manager.

Issues leading up to the restructuring included races being left off ballots during the May primary.

Director JoAnn Sebastiani had been overseeing the election bureau, but commissioners told TribLIVE that she’s off the job and suspended with pay. They didn’t say why.

Commissioners said the county is potentially looking to hire a new director, TribLIVE reported. The position wouldn’t be posted until everything is finalized.

Improvements expected for the November election include better customer service, upgrades to the election website and expanded hours at the election bureau office prior to and after Election Day, according to TribLIVE.

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