Days before starting his job, Lebanon County’s new elections chief withdraws

It’s just six weeks until the municipal election, and Lebanon County’s Bureau of Elections and Voter Registration is still without someone at the helm.

According to an article Monday in the Lebanon Daily News, Jason Todd — the candidate hired by County Commissioners to take the job — withdrew from the position a few days before he was expected to begin.

Todd, who was scheduled to start work on Monday, has taken another job.

“There was nothing I saw with the personnel, supervisors or the election process that sent a bad message,” Todd wrote in a resignation letter on Friday, county administrator Jamie Wolgemuth told the Lebanon Daily News. “I was very motivated. I think your workplace would have been a great place to grow and be happy, but I can’t turn down this opportunity.”

Michael Anderson, the election bureau’s chief clerk, was promoted to director of domestic relations effective Sept. 20. Jo-Ellen Reilly, the department’s deputy director of elections, retired in August after 25 years with the county.

Read more: Elections bureau loses top two officials

Todd, a U.S. Army veteran and former New Cumberland borough manager, was one of nine candidates who applied to fill Anderson’s seat. Wolgemuth told the Daily News that commissioners will reconsider the other candidates for the position.

The next municipal election is on Nov 2. Deadline to register to vote in that election is Oct. 18.

Anderson told commissioners there are 90,200 registered voters in Lebanon County as of Thursday, and “just under 7,000 approved applications” for mail-in and absentee ballots.