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Board of Elections to gain training space; committee defers federal voter‑data question to Laws & Rules

Ulster County Public Works and Capital Projects Committee · April 15, 2026

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Summary

The committee approved a one‑year lease extension adding about 1,600 sq ft for Board of Elections training and staging; Commissioner Torres said the extra space will allow classes of 30–40 and better election preparation. A separate question about a federal request for voter information was referred to the Laws & Rules committee.

The Ulster County Public Works and Capital Projects Committee on March 9 approved Resolution 148 authorizing a lease extension with Higginsville Station LLC to add roughly 1,600 square feet for Board of Elections (BOE) training and operations.

Commissioner Torres told members the BOE currently trains roughly 650 part‑time election inspectors each cycle but can only seat about 15–16 trainees per session. "If we're granted the extension we can at minimum double the capacity for training ... and have classes that are anywhere from 30 to 40 people at a time," the commissioner said. The extra space, adjacent to the BOE warehouse, will also allow more hands‑on equipment practice, staging of voting systems and space for hand counts or recounts when needed.

Legislators asked operational questions about training formats, class length and whether the BOE has plans for longer lease terms; Commissioner Torres said discussions about multi‑year arrangements are separate from the current resolution but are underway. The committee moved and unanimously passed the lease extension.

Separately, a legislator raised a question about a federal request for voter information. Members recommended addressing that request at the Laws & Rules committee meeting, possibly in executive session; the BOE commissioners agreed to attend that forum. Chair Nolan said the item would be deferred to Laws & Rules rather than handled in the capital projects meeting.

Ending: The lease extension passed unanimously and is intended to increase training throughput and operational efficiency ahead of upcoming elections; the federal request for voter data will be handled in Laws & Rules.