Tompkins County staff told residents at a public design meeting that the Board of Elections will be relocated temporarily during construction of the proposed Center of Government and that county leaders are evaluating possible permanent locations within the city, notifying attendees that a temporary swing space may be outside the immediate downtown area.

A member of the public asked specifically whether the Board of Elections would remain downtown and visible. Meeting participants were told the Board of Elections would move only on a temporary basis for construction and that the county intends to return election functions to a convenient downtown location once construction is complete.

"The relocation of the Board of Elections is temporary just during construction. The plan is to bring it right back here, there or, you know, within a block," a staff member said during Q&A. The county also said it is evaluating existing county‑owned space — including human services facilities — and privately available sites in both the city and Lansing to identify an appropriate temporary and eventual permanent location.

Voting‑access concerns

Several public commenters asked that permanent election services remain prominent and easy to find downtown, saying newer voters and residents without cars rely on walkable access and on familiar downtown sites for registration, absentee ballots and other election services.

"Location that's within the city, ultimately, for the board of elections — it's incredibly important," said Nancy Skipper, who identified herself as a volunteer with voter registration and adult‑education groups. "A lot of our new voters don't have cars. I have often told people how to walk to the Board of Elections, and they look very, very happy."

County response and timeline

Officials said they have viewed more than two dozen potential swing spaces and were narrowing options; they expect to identify a temporary location in the coming weeks. The county also said equipment needs and ground‑floor access requirements were among the factors guiding whether the Board of Elections could be included in the new building: because certain equipment requires ground‑floor access, locating the Board of Elections in the new center proved infeasible within the current footprint and vertical floor plan without other tradeoffs.

The county did not announce a permanent location or a firm timeline for return in the meeting. Several speakers said they would like to see clearer, sooner commitments to downtown placement because easy, prominent access matters to the populations most likely to need in‑person election services.

Speakers at the meeting who discussed the Board of Elections included an online commenter named Michelle, county staff and multiple public volunteers and advocates for voter access.