JOHNSTOWN — The Fulton County Board of Elections is entering into a voting machine user agreement with four of the county’s school districts for their 2018 school elections.
The Board of Supervisors’ Finance Committee on Thursday at the County Office Building approved a new agreement between the county and participating school districts. The full board votes March 12 on the final resolution.
“We’ve got to do this every year,” said board Republican Election Commissioner Lee Hollenbeck.
He said the Greater Johnstown School District and the Wheelerville Union Free School District have “elected” to go to paper ballots this year. School district elections are May 15.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, school districts were no longer allowed to use level pull-type voting machines. Most of the districts have opted to use the county’s optical scan electronic ballot marker machines. School districts are also allowed to use paper ballots.
Other school districts using the county’s election machines are: Gloversville Enlarged School District, Northville Central School District, Mayfield Central School District, and Broadalbin-Perth Central School District.
Hollenbeck said the Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Central School District is using Montgomery County’s voting machines.
According to Hollenbeck and Fulton County Democratic Election Commissioner John Zawadzki, the county’s voting machine user agreement puts in writing what their office does on school election night, and the participating school districts’ responsibilities. It also protects the voting machines and the elections office from certain liabilities, officials said.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at [email protected]
