To Improve Security at the Niagara County Board of Elections

WHEREAS, the Niagara County Board of Elections has been charged to faithfully execute and uphold the NYS election law in Niagara County, and to ensure that the electoral process is conducted fairly and efficiently in a bipartisan manner,

WHEREAS, the Niagara County Board of Elections is responsible for maintaining sensitive public records, as well as certifying all election results within their jurisdiction, and

WHEREAS, proper security is necessary to maintain the integrity of the election process in Niagara County and to prevent covert political operatives from interfering in our electoral process, and

WHEREAS, on September 18, 2015, while preparing for an official count of paper ballots as well as absentee ballots for the 2015 Niagara County Primary Elections, it was witnessed by elected officials and the general public that political operatives Henry Wojtaszek and Vincent Sandonato were entering through the gated front entrance to the Niagara County Board of Elections office without proper supervision or escort, as well as entering in and out of Board of Election offices prior to ballots being counted, and

WHEREAS, this kind of unsupervised entrance into an office area that houses sensitive election material, including official election ballots may call into question the integrity of the election process in Niagara County, now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that in order to maintain the integrity of the election process in

Niagara County, the Niagara County Legislature hereby prohibits all non Niagara County Board of Elections personnel from entering into the office area, past the gated entranceway without being escorted by an employee of the Niagara County Board of Elections, and, be it further

RESOLVED, that all non Board of Elections personnel must sign in to enter the office area, and that all doors leading into the office area have card reader access to ensure security and integrity

Legislators Virtuoso, Grozio, Zona, Steed