Boston councilors press elections officials after state names designee to assist department

Boston City Council members questioned city and elections officials on May 2 about operational failures during last November's election and about oversight after the secretary of the Commonwealth appointed a designee to assist the Boston Elections Department.

The hearing, convened by Council President Rita Loujian and held as docket 0585, drew council sponsors Councilor Aaron Murphy and Councilor Edward Flynn and a panel that included Adam Seidebaum, corporation counsel; Anita Tavares, commissioner of the Boston Elections Department; Sabino Pamanti, head assistant registrar of voters; and Paul Chung, commissioner of city records and head of the People Operations Cabinet.

"The city is committed to running free, fair, and efficient elections," Commissioner Anita Tavares told the council. She and other officials described several immediate priorities: improving communications with polling locations, expanding training and contingency planning for poll workers, testing proposed technology and phone systems ahead of the municipal cycle, and working with a state designee identified by Secretary William Galvin.

Why it matters: Council members said the November problems — long lines, ballot shortages and unanswered phone calls — undermined public confidence and disproportionately affected…