grim-95 army
if?) HERKIMERCOUNTYBOARD OF ELECTIONS
109MARYST. SUITE 1306

. -

thaws?? HERKIMER NY 13350 2920

 

Telephone: (315)-867-1102 Fax: (315)-867-1106

Kim S. Tranrer Anthony C. umarola
Republican Commissioner Democratic Commissioner
(315) 867-1104 (315) 867-1103

A STATEMENT FROM THE HERKIMER COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
JULY 13, 2020

On WednesdayJuly 8th 2020 our Board concluded scanning absentee ballots and affidavit ballots for
the June 23? Primary Elections. This resulted in a tie in the County Family Court Judge race with each
candidate receiving 2,291 votes. The numbers were reported at that point, even though the election
was not officially certified.

On FridayJuly 10th the board was completing the final steps in the process necessary to certify. it
was discovered at this time that no absentee ballots had been cast for one ofthe towns. The
Democratic and Republican Deputy Commissioners went to the secure room where the ballots were
stored under a dual control lock system. The Deputies noticed all envelopes in the tray that had
already been cast were empty. The uncast ballots were still in their enveIOpes in the tray. These
absentee ballot envelopes that had been cut open, but the ballots themselves had not been removed
from the envelopes and counted. The ballots were never out of the Board?s possession. They simply
had not been pooled with the other ballots during the recanvass. All other ballots canvassed on July
8th had been removed from their envelopes and either scanned through the machine or hand
counted and then locked in the voting machine. The empty ballot envelopes had been returned to
the tray. Deputies immediately put the envelopes back in the tray where they were located, the room
was locked, and re-sealed as is the standard procedure.

We immediately took corrective action. Our Board contacted the State Board of Elections, County
Administrator James Wallace, and County Attorney Lorraine Lewandrowski. We then contacted both
candidates who expressed the desire to conduct the counting ofthose ballots later Friday afternoon,
rather than wait until after the weekend. The final results are being compiled and a full certification is
forthcoming.

The systems at the Board of Elections consist of several checks and balances. This is what allowed us
to notice the discrepancy and corrective steps were taken. The systems worked.

Thank you,
Kim S. Tranter Anthony C. Fumarolo

Republican Commissioner Democratic Commissioner