July 30, 2026 Special Meeting of the Board of Elections

The Erie County Board of Elections held a special meeting on July 30, 2026, primarily to discuss the authorization of county funds to pay for return postage on absentee ballots. The board debated the merits of covering return postage to facilitate voter participation and maintain consistent election procedures, with some members emphasizing the importance of removing barriers to voting and others concerned about passing costs to taxpayers. The board voted 4 to 3 in favor of paying the return postage, establishing it as official policy to ensure consistency and tracking of mailed ballots. Additionally, the board discussed potential polling location changes and announced the upcoming visit of Secretary of State Al Schmidt to Erie County. No other procurement or contracting decisions were made during the meeting.