Election Inspectors Oversee Voting in Lansing

: By Dan Veaner; Around Town; | Nov 10, 2005 |

Last Tuesday there were at least 33 people in Lansing who probably had a longer day than you did. They are the election inspectors who man the polling places plus Town Clerk Bonny Boles. They worked diligently to make sure your voting went smoothly and fairly, while worrying about their own future in the elections system.

Election inspectors arrive at 5:30am and must stay at their polling places all day. While they cover for each other for bathroom and meal breaks, they may not work in shifts. Their day doesn't end until after the polls close at 9pm, when they print the results from their voting machine, sign the papers and call in their results to the Election Commission.

District 1, Central Fire Station
(left to right) Dot Buckley, Mary Helen Cathless, Nina McAndrews, Michelle Brophy

In Lansing the first to vote is an inspector. This insures the machine is working properly before the general public begins using it. Before voting they zero out the votes in the machine to make sure the count will be accurate. Each polling place has two Republicans and two Democrats signing in voters, working the machine and overseeing the process.

Ms. Boles had an integral role in the process, administering their oath, arranging to pay them, making sure they fill out their vouchers, and delivering the poll bags in the morning and, collect them at night. But this will change next year as Tompkins County complies with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 that will centralize control of the election process with the Tompkins County Board of Elections (BOE). Neither Ms. Boles nor the election inspectors could say what their future in the system will be after this election.

District 2, North Lansing Fire Hall
(left to right) Geraldine Hatfield, Maureen Reynolds, Elsa Ross, Kelly Doss

"Town clerks, historically, have worked very closely with us," says Tompkins County Democratic Election Commissioner Stephen M. DeWitt "Now with the consolidation Tompkins County will be paying the inspectors. The clerk's role is probably going to be diminished with the consolidation, but we still feel they will play a part in the election process."

There will continue to be a role for the election inspectors as well. "They're a very important cog in the whole process, and certainly those who want to stay on, we would welcome them to," says Commissioner DeWitt. They would be required to attend training sessions with new voting machines, which Mr. DeWitt says should be easier to operate than the current ones.

Distric 3, Lansing Town Hall
(left to right) Molly Colt, Evelyn Stevens (standing), Joanne Snyder, Victoria Elliot (not pictured)

In fact it is likely that the BOE will want current inspectors to stay on, because it has been difficult for the two commissioners to recruit enough to man all the polling places. "Certainly getting election inspectors to staff the sites is a perennial problem," says Mr. DeWitt. "The Republican Commissioner and myself probably spent much of the last two or three days making sure there were enough inspectors to staff all the locations."

When that happens the County will pay all inspectors the same amount, rather than each municipality setting their pay. The County will pay $160 for the day of a general election, and $100 for a primary. They will also get $25 for attending training sessions.

District 4, Lansingville Fire Hall
(left to right) Sonia Smith, Anne Drake Not Pictured: Janice Davis and Roberta Malley

The old machines may still be used in elections that the BOE does not administer, such as Fire and School District votes. He says the new machines may be available for such votes but if municipalities choose to use them that the BOE will probably take command of those elections as a condition of using them.

The bottom line for the future is that the bottom line hasn't been entirely decided. Mr. DeWitt says the State is behind in certifying electronic voting machines. While the prototypes he has seen look good and easy to operate, he is unsure whether the State will meet its own deadline for certifying one model. The future looks more certain for election inspectors than for town clerks, though it appears the latter will also continue to have a role in the process.

District 5, C.F.R. Building, T.C. Airport
(left to right) Catherine McGrath, Bea Davis, Elizabeth R. Ellis, Juan Rojas (not pictured)

What is certain is that responsibility for elections will be more centralized, with the County Board of Elections having more power and control. This may not be a bad thing. The Tompkins County BOE seems to be doing a good job in an open and accessible fashion.