Eastport South Manor board members spent the bulk of their Oct. 29 meeting discussing a notice from the Suffolk County Board of Elections that the county's voting machines will not be available for district use.

"The machines we use for our budget vote every year are no longer available," said Mr. Laube, a district staff member, who briefed the board. He said the county bought new equipment for itself and is not allowing districts to continue using the county's machines.

The board discussed three options laid out by administration: use paper ballots and count them locally, accept older machines that the county will offer for free but would require a maintenance contract, or buy new machines and pay for both hardware and service. "If it does fall back on us, we would have to make one of those three choices," Laube said.

Board members and staff cited prepared cost estimates during the discussion. Ms. Reyes, the district clerk, and other staffors noted that a maintenance contract the district reviewed ran about $10,000 a year for service on the equipment, and a quote that staff shared put new-machine costs at roughly $10,000 to $12,000 per scanner. "We counted all day... Last year, we had about 800 votes," a board member said, noting that a paper-ballot option would increase counting time but could be manageable for the district's typical turnout.

Board members also asked whether county election workers and other election-day supports would still be available if the district changed its voting method. Laube said some county support could change and that if the district hired people to count, they would be district employees rather than official board-of-elections workers.

The board did not take a formal vote on a purchase. Instead, administration was directed to prepare a cost breakdown and pros-and-cons analysis for all three options and return the information before the Nov. 19 meeting. "We'll get the calculations for all three options," Laube said. "I do believe after November ... we might see a change at the county level" based on countywide advocacy, he added.

Why this matters: The district's annual budget vote is typically held in May and requires functioning voting equipment and staffing. If the county-level change stands, the school will need to budget for maintenance or new hardware, a change that could increase district expenditures and require policy updates.

Next steps: Administration will deliver a detailed cost comparison and recommendation by the Nov. 19 board meeting; the board asked the business office to include pros and cons and to consult nearby municipal partners about shared solutions.