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Thread: EC Board of Elections - Scandal

  1. #1
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    EC Board of Elections - Scandal

    Not funding the manditory electoral process IMO is criminal!

    Joel can take away as much as he wants from the board of elections. They have the right to go over his head.

    EC Adminastrative Code
    Section 16.01 Board of elections.

    a. The board of elections shall have and exercise all the powers and duties conferred or imposed upon it by the election law or any other applicable law.

    and

    d. The board of elections shall have the power, without public advertisement for bids, to make all purchases of and contracts for all primary or election supplies and services necessary for the operation of its office and the performance of its duties.
    NEW subsection d. Added by Local Law No. 9-1973. Former subsection d. REPEALED by Local Law No. 9-1973.

    August 4th 2005
    Erie County Legislature Chairman George Holt says the board of elections wants 20 of its positions restored. Those jobs were slashed because of the Erie County budget crisis.
    “We have the need to set up machines. We've got less than six weeks to the primary elections. We have to program the machines,” said Commissioner Dennis Ward, board of election.

    “It looks like it would amount to about $477,000 for the balance of the year would be the reallocation of funds to call back the employees,” said Commissioner Dennis Ward, board of election.

    The positions the board of elections is asking for are "exempt positions", not civil service jobs. That means they're appointed by the election board commissioners.
    http://www.wkbw.com/budget/default.a...&NStoryID=5223

    August 8th 2005
    The Erie County elections board says, because of the budget crisis, it doesn't have the staff to send out 1,400 absentee ballots by Friday's deadline.

    Months ago, a judge had confirmed the power of the elections board to hire part-time employees as needed.

    May I interject here? Why haven't they! They already have the authority to do so with out Judicial review

    d. The board of elections shall have the power, without public advertisement for bids, to make all purchases of and contracts for all primary or election supplies and services necessary for the operation of its office and the performance of its duties.
    NEW subsection d. Added by Local Law No. 9-1973. Former subsection d. REPEALED by Local Law No. 9-1973.

    Last week in the Erie County legislature, there weren't enough votes to restore staff to the elections board

    OK WHO DIDN"T VOTE YES?

    The U.S. Justice Department could become involved in Erie County elections if military absentee ballots are not sent out in time.

    Elections commissioner Mohr told me the elections process in Erie County is unfortunately "breaking down."
    http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp...2&nav=0Rapd5yK

    August 12 2005

    The Board has now missed the deadline for sending out absentee ballots to the military.
    Many voting machines may not be prepped in time for the primary, and half the districts may have to vote with paper ballots, but the County Executive says to deal with existing resources.

    Erie County Executive Joel Giambra said, "Everybody's going to have to live with less. We're doing it. The legislature's doing it. Everyone in my departments is doing it. The Board of Elections needs to do it also."

    The Erie County legislature is expected to meet next week, and chairman George Holt has gone on the record saying the elections board needs help.
    http://<br /> <a href="http://www....?S=3717077</a>

    August 15 2005

    Boards of Elections workers were more than cut in half, from 68-to-32.

    Those remaining workers will only be able to put 530 out of 1,200 voting machines in service for the September primary. That means many of you will be using a pencil to cast your ballot.

    More than half of all voters in Erie County will not be pulling a lever in a voting booth for the September primary.

    Instead, many communities will be forced to use paper ballots. There aren't enough Board of Elections workers to get most machines ready.

    "There is precedent for primary elections to be redone. And hopefully that's what we're attempting to avoid," said Republican Erie County Board of Elections Commissioner Ralph Mohr.

    Democratic Erie County Board of Elections Commissioner Dennis Ward: "I'm unaware of anything like this occurring anywhere in the State of New York in recent memory."
    Board of elections commissioners spent the day figuring out which towns will have to use paper ballots. At least 14 towns will not be getting voting booths
    "People would expect to have an opportunity to vote, it will just be on paper ballots. The vote is still just as good," added Ward.
    Making matters worse, the Board of Elections now has to send out more than ten-thousand letters to some voters in the City of Buffalo, letting people know the location of their polling place changed. Some schools are still being fixed up. And won't be ready by the September Primary.
    As far as the primary is concerned, don't expect results for weeks. That's because the staff that's left has to collect all of those paper ballots, and count them one by one.

    "And they'll be coming back to the Board of Elections, which means we'll have to manually count all of those votes, which will delay results on Election Night," said Mohr.

    "The problem that everyone will have with it is, the tallying of the votes will be much slower. It will not be the instantaneous reporting of results that everyone is used to on Primary Election Night. The shortage of workers will just mean it will take longer to count them," added Ward.
    http://<br /> <a href="http://www.w...ryid=30696</a>

    This EC story has been picked up by MSNBC NEWS!
    Good Job WNY!
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8830847/

    Now if I can figure out that the primaries can go through, no matter what anyone in the EC Gov't has to say about it. Who do we have running the board of elections that they don't know this as well. Oh ya! Appointed party officials! Uhmmmmm?
    Why would they mess with the primaries. Could it be because they are afriad?

    Also if this doesn't wreak of voter fraud and scandal. It will make a great bedtime story!
    Last edited by LHardy; August 16th, 2005 at 12:23 AM.

  2. #2
    Member steven's Avatar
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    ECC isnt funded buy the county as much as its supposede to be by NY state law. This has been going on a long time now but know one ever says boo

  3. #3
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    Not funding the college as much as you would like, has nothing to do with the constitutional right to vote. Two completely different issues.

  4. #4
    Gold Member Night Owl's Avatar
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    IMO, the BOE employees are dragging their heals to create the demand for lay-offs to come back.

    Why not hire some college interns to help prepare for the primaries; they will have enough workers to get by at no additional cost to the County.

  5. #5
    Member dtwarren's Avatar
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    What was left out is Election Law 3-300 which states:

    Every board of elections shall
    appoint, and at its pleasure remove, clerks, voting machine technicians,
    custodians and other employees, fix their number, prescribe their
    duties, fix their titles and rank and establish their salaries within
    the amounts appropriated therefor by the local legislative body and
    shall secure in the appointment of employees of the board of elections
    equal representation of the major political parties. Every commissioner
    in each board of elections except for commissioners of the board of
    elections of the city of New York, may approve and at pleasure remove a
    deputy, establish his title and prescribe his duties. In the city of New
    York, the board of elections shall appoint an executive director and a
    deputy executive director whose duties it shall be to supervise the
    operations of the board of elections under the supervision of such
    board.

    They can take pay cuts and hire more people or even ask for volunteers.
    “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” ― Thomas Jefferson

  6. #6
    Member steven's Avatar
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    Originally posted by LHardy
    Not funding the college as much as you would like, has nothing to do with the constitutional right to vote. Two completely different issues.
    You where talking about county funding. I mentioned that ECC is not funded to its state mandate by the county. I have no clue what you mean by "as much as I like". Its by NY state law. The Community College is supposed to, By NY state law receive 14% of its funding by the county. Erie County gives ECC less Than 8%.

    I was, in my own way, agreeing with you. The county falls short on much of its mandated funding.

    On the flips side DT is makes a valid point. What has the boe done to adress this issue? Last election when I voted there where a lot of people just sitting around (4 of them where playing cards). Cant the boe learn to to operate with less?

  7. #7
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    BOE and Volunteers

    Hi DTW, I was wondering if this is an available option earlier today. Would you think it is true even if the BOE is under a public collective bargaining agreement? Can volunteers be conscribed to do "work" included under CBA's where funding layoffs have eliminated postions?? It would be interesting to see that play out.

    Cindy

  8. #8
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Originally posted by Night Owl
    IMO, the BOE employees are dragging their heals to create the demand for lay-offs to come back.

    Why not hire some college interns to help prepare for the primaries; they will have enough workers to get by at no additional cost to the County.
    Good idea night owl.. Some part timers without benefits/county salararies.

  9. #9
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    Steven:
    I was not refering to you specifically. I was writting in general terms. My peave at this moment is not the college but the right to vote and having procedures of the electoral process followed through.
    There are many things the county can not afford because of unfunded state mandates. The electoral process is not and can not be one of them.
    What has the boe done to adress this issue?
    Exactly! What have they done? Nothing in the right fashion, for they are party hacks. These guys are holding patronage jobs and are lax in their duty to the electorate.

    Cant the boe learn to to operate with less?
    Absolutely they can. they just need to be innovative. Just like the campaigns the parties put together.

  10. #10
    Gold Member Night Owl's Avatar
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    They can take pay cuts and hire more people or even ask for volunteers.

    So then College interns/volunteer are not out of the question?

    It isn't like the BOE needs people 24/7 365/year.

    All they would really need added volunteers for the week of the Dem & Repub Primaries and the week of the General Election.

    Why have so many on the payroll year-round?

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