Erie County elections office readies for May primary with new printers, ballot counts and timelines

Elections staff told the Erie County Board of Elections on Feb. 10 that preparations for the May 19 primary are underway, with staff sequencing training, equipment testing and ballot printing to ensure the county is ready.

Staff reported they mailed 46,791 annual/permanent notices and have processed 1,757 registration applications so far in the cycle (1,364 Democratic, 393 Republican). For planning, the office is preparing approximately 25,000 mail ballots for the primary and has ordered supplies including provisional ballot envelopes, alternate ballot kits for inaccessible polling places, and new printers for ballot-marking devices that will print full-size ballots for clearer voter review.

The office outlined key dates: the nomination petition circulation period runs Feb. 17–March 10; third-party nomination papers may start March 11; last day to file objections is March 17; poll worker training is the week of April 6; logic-and-accuracy testing for voting machines begins April 13, with voting-machine-related testing on April 20 for poll pads; a board meeting to approve the ballot is planned for April 16; the last day to register before the primary is May 4; the last day to apply for a mail ballot is May 12; and the primary is May 19.

Staff also described procedural safeguards: they maintain paper poll books at every precinct as a back-up and are preparing alternate ballot kits in case a polling location becomes inaccessible. The new printers for ballot-marking devices are expected to make printed ballots full-size instead of 8.5x11 half-pages, which officials said will improve readability and voter confidence.

The board took these operational reports for informational purposes and scheduled further review and approvals (including a ballot-approval meeting on April 16).