Move Date to Geauga County Office Building Uncertain
Due to Security Camera Issues and Data Center Preparation
Geauga County Board of Elections (BOE) - Special Meeting 05/22/2025
Meeting Info - Special Meeting on May 22, 2025, at 9:00 am in BOE Conference Room at 470 Center St, Bldg 6A, Chardon, OH, 44024. Attendance options were both in-person and virtual, via Microsoft (MS) Teams. An agenda was provided in advance.
Public Comment Policy - The Board of Elections typically responds to questions about agenda items throughout the course of their meetings. Those exchanges are documented below as they occur.
Attendance: Present were:
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Board Chair - Dennis Pavella
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Board Member - Janet Carson
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Board Member - Richard Piraino
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Board Member - Joan Windnagel
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Director - Michelle Lane
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Deputy Director - Nora McGinnis
County Representatives - In person, Frank Antenucci, Chief Deputy Administrator, Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
Others - This LWVG Observer and two other individuals attended virtually. Ohio Secretary of State Liaison Fiona Ruminski arrived at the meeting at 10:05 am.
Call to Order - The meeting was called to order at 9:09 am.
Minutes - The May 6, 2025 Board Minutes were approved 4-0 without comment or edit. Minutes when published can be found here.
Payment of Bills - Invoices totaling $2,696.67 were reviewed and approved for payment and included:
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$758.80 for staff mileage
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$652.00 to ES&S for BOD (on demand) election setup
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$270.42 for office supplies
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$203.87 to Verizon Wireless for emergency cell phones - monthly
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$175.00 to Auburn Township for cleaning fee
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$125.00 to Munson Township for cleaning fee
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$79.39 to Chardon Oil for equipment delivery fuel
Report from ADP/Auditor’s Office - Mr. Antenucci shared this information:
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Maintenance Director Glen Vernick discovered a change order for $6,000 dated March/April 2021 to add cabling for the BOE elevator security cameras in the Geauga County Office Building (GCOB). The change order was approved by 2 Commissioners (one was absent) and signed off by the County Administrator at the time, Gerry Morgan. The work order was paid to Schindler Elevator, but ADP does not know if the work was done. Schindler claimed eight months ago that there was no cabling for the cameras. Maintenance does not want the liability of dismantling the elevator to check on the cabling. Mr. Vernick has contacted Schindler to come out and inspect the elevator for the cabling. If the cabling is not there, the Prosecutor’s Office will be contacted to send them a demand letter. The Board urged Mr. Antenucci to contact the Prosecutor that day to minimize any delays from Schindler. Observer Note: Security cameras inside the elevator are mandated by the Secretary of State in order to ensure chain of custody of ballots. Timely completion of this project is critical, as there is a narrow window between election cycles when BOE is permitted to move.
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ADP noted that Schindler’s two cabling work orders showed two different types of cabling. The 2021 order listed 18-gauge; the current order lists 5 gauge. If the 18-gauge was installed, ADP will need to add “step down” cabling to make it compatible with the cameras. This modification will not affect the ability to use the new security cameras ADP purchased for the elevator.
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The BOE data center in the GCOB has a water fire suppression system that ADP recommends be capped. ADP has asked the Secretary of State’s (SoS) office for permission to move the server into a room without any fire suppression and is waiting for a response. Approvals from the Building Department and State Fire Marshall will also be required to perform the work. ADP is confident the Maintenance Department can easily cap the water. Mr Antenucci noted that Schindler could be at the GCOB as early as the following Tuesday.
There was discussion about the State’s responsiveness to these types of issues. Mrs. Lane said she was asked by the County Fire Marshall for a statement from the BOE saying that the Board does not want water in their data center and would like permission to cap the water source. Mr. Antenucci said ADP is comfortable with capping the water and can investigate an alternate fire suppression system down the line. Once approved, ADP does not anticipate the water capping to significantly delay the BOE move to the GCOB since Maintenance can perform it quickly and the State Fire Marshall's approval should be prompt since he is empowered locally. He said ADP is targeting July 8 as the BOE moving date.
The Board unanimously approved a motion to cap the water system in the server room per the recommendation from the SoS.
Mr. Antenucci departed the meeting at 9:37 am.
Potential Move Date - Given the uncertain timing of the elevator cable installation and water capping approval, the Board decided to table a decision on setting a move date.
Rule on Indeterminate Postmarks for 4-day Ballots and 11s Forms
The Board reviewed 4 Day Absentee Ballots, which must be received during the 4 days following Election Day, on May 7-10. They must be postmarked no later than May 5, the day before Election Day.
Review Insufficient Absentee Ballot Envelopes - See discussion under Consideration of Provisional Ballots below
Determine which Ballots may be Remade and Review Overvotes, Blank Ballots, and Determine Voter Intent if Necessary - Later in the meeting, the Board voted to accept termination of voter intent for a single ballot.
Consideration of Provisional Ballots - These ballots are typically completed when there are questions about a voter’s ID, registration, or polling location. Voters had until May 10 to “cure” any deficiencies. Geauga BOE staff researched the information provided on each provisional ballot envelope and coordinated efforts with other Ohio BOEs to ascertain eligibility and to confirm no duplicate votes were cast.
29 Total Provisional ballots were received.
It was recommended that 24 ballots be counted as follows:
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8 - Absentee - Voters requested an absentee ballot and did not vote their ballot or never received it.
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8 - Change of Address - Changes and moves in Geauga County
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6 - Registered in Ohio, Not Geauga County - Voters registered in other counties around the state. Out-of-county voters verified as registered in another county and did not vote in that county.
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1 - Name Changed
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1 - ID provided
The Board unanimously approved a motion to accept the 24 provisional ballots as recommended by staff.
It was recommended not to count 5 ballots as follows:
The Board unanimously approved a motion to disallow the 5 provisional ballots as recommended by staff.
Voting locations also had a total of 3 fleeing voters whose ballots were recommended not to be counted. “Fleeing voters” describes a situation where the voter departed without completing their ballot or without completing the DS-200 scan of their ballot. Mr. Pavella explained that the bipartisan teams are not permitted to complete the DS-200 scan on behalf of the voter. These ballots were never included in the vote totals so no action is required.
There was a brief discussion about the low voter turnout in the county. At 11.5%, Geauga’s turnout was 33rd in the state. It was noted that, unlike some other state localities, Geauga had no primaries or municipal issues to drive turnout.
Other Business Necessary to Legally Complete and Certify the Official Canvass - None discussed
Post Election Audit Scheduling - Choosing of Precincts - Selection of Race
Staff determined that 391 ballots from the May 6 race were subject to audit. Mr. Pavella randomly selected precincts from a jar until the total ballots exceeded 391. Ballots for those selected precincts (Hunting Valley, Hamden C, South Russell B, Bainbridge H and Munson A) will be hand counted by bipartisan teams at the Audit Meeting June 4. The board will also review votes for State-wide Issue 2 and the two County-wide tax levy renewals for the Department of Aging and Jobs and Family Services. Observer Note: State Issue 2, which passed, allows the state to issue up to $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds to pay for public infrastructure capital improvements.
Poll Worker Payroll - Mrs. Lane reported the poll worker election payroll was $60,530.00 which was unanimously approved by the board.
Election Day Review
The Board and BOE staff commented that voting went well despite having to use paper poll books for the first time in 10 years. BOE members noted that some of the poll workers they spoke with said they preferred the paper to electronic poll pads. Observer Note: As instructed by the Ohio Secretary of State due to a security violation involving an electronic pollbook in Perry County, Geauga checked in voters using paper poll books. See article here regarding this change.
Mrs. Lane stated she was concerned both pre- and post-election about voters at locations with multiple precincts receiving the wrong ballot. She noted that scanning ballots with the electronic poll pads prevented such errors. Mrs. Lane said this was the reason she insisted on limiting paper poll books to two for check-in at each location.
Mrs. Carson noted that the limited number of check-in stations at some locations with multiple precincts, particularly larger ones like Adam Hall, created long lines. She predicted that they would need 5-6 new polling locations for the next election if paper poll pads are again required.
Ms. Ruminski said there was no update from the SoS regarding the poll pad security investigation. She said the SoS recognizes BOE’s concerns but that election security comes first and, “they will make a decision when they can make a decision.” Mrs. Carson asked Ms. Ruminski if there were problems with signatures on the paper poll pads. Ms. Ruminski reported that there were only a few instances of voters signing the wrong box and those were corrected.
Mrs. Lane and Mrs. McGinnis said they were very happy with the new ballot vendor, Phoenix Graphics. Earlier in the meeting, there was discussion about the improvement in ballot tab tear-off and ballot bundling. Mrs. Carson reported there was some criticism that the smaller ballot tab made the perforation difficult to see, which caused some ballot tearing. It was suggested that future poll worker training mention the smaller tabs.
Budget Hearing
Mrs. Lane reported on the BOE’s recent budget meeting with the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), which she, Mrs. McGinnis, Mrs. Carson and Mr. Piraino attended. Highlights:
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Mrs. Lane presented their request for $10,000 for a power stacker lift to raise heavy items to shelves in their 1-1/2 story storage room. She said the Commissioners seemed receptive.
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She explained to the BOCC that they weren’t making the 10% budget cuts they requested as their moving expenses and increased operating costs resulting from the move are still uncertain. As examples, she noted higher mileage expenses for the twice-daily trip to their new post office and reprinting the “voluminous amount” of materials with their new address.
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Mrs. Carson expressed surprise at the BOCC’s announcement that they had leftover funds from GCOB construction. She said discussion of the BOE’s vehicle needs was constructive and that the Commissioners seemed receptive to hearing about the limitations of the SUV they currently use and the need for a minivan instead.
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There was extensive discussion here and later in the meeting about the GCOB parking lot expansion by 50-60 spaces to address BOE needs, especially during early voting. Mrs. Carson expressed concern about the safety of having a driver training course next to the parking lot, particularly for older voters. The BOCC agreed to keep the BOE informed about the planning and construction of the new lot.
Mrs. Lane reported that after the budget meeting, she, Mrs. McGinnis and the BOE members toured their new space in the GCOB. There was extensive discussion about the new storage room’s small size and the difficulties they anticipate in storing all their equipment and files, even with a new lift.
Records Requests/Public Records Policy - Mrs. Lane reported she is updating their public records request policy. Among the changes, they will take out mention of CDs as they can no longer produce them and change the per page copy cost to $0.10. She will present the revised policy at the regular June board meeting.
Declare Books Valueless for Donation – Mrs. Lane stated that Archives evaluated the outdated books from their library and did not want them. The Board voted unanimously to declare the books valueless. The BOE plans to donate them to a charitable organization.
2025 Ohio Secretary of State Summer Conference - Mrs. McGinnis confirmed that Board members are registered for the courses they selected and will send each their list. Mrs. Windnagel and Mr. Piraino will plan to walk in the Dash for Democracy event. Mrs. Carson commented on the high cost of attending the conference and the financial burden it can put on smaller counties’ Boards of Elections.
Certify Official Election Results
The Board voted to certify the official election results and signed certifications, which will be sent to the Ohio Secretary of State for final approval.
Director’s Report - Mrs. Lane reported:
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She approved $2,309.06 for IT (Meraki switches) for the new office space.
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Sam DeBiase from Phoenix Graphics visited with her and Mrs. McGinnis yesterday. They expressed to him their satisfaction with the new ballots.
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She said during their recent visit to the new office space in GCOB, they saw no furniture in the programming space. Maintenance moved older tables to the space as a temporary solution.
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After over a year’s wait, the BOE received permission from the State to decommission 95 old poll pads. Mrs. Lane expressed disappointment that the SoS legal department will not declare the poll pads non-voting equipment despite their having been wiped clean. Without the declaration, the BOE must have the pads recycled instead of donated.
Deputy Director’s Report - Mrs. McGinnis reported:
Ms. Ruminski interjected that their records show the four BOE members have 6 continuing education (CE) credits (out of the required 8), but she noted the June summer conference courses should satisfy that requirement. She added that a new CE credit tracking system that will include webinars will roll out in June.
GCOB Handicapped Restroom - There was discussion about the GCOB basement ladies room still not being ADA compliant. Mrs. Carson suggested having the contractor come back out to bring it into compliance.
New Precinct Plans - Plans for the new precincts will be discussed at the June meeting. The Board must select a new date for the meeting, as it falls on Juneteenth this year. Precinct maps will be sent to the Board members in advance of the meeting to facilitate decision-making.
Unofficial results, including Cumulative Results, Precinct Details and Results by Groups, are available on the BOE Website.
The meeting adjourned at 11:12 am.
Next Meeting:
Official Post-Election Audit on June 4, 2025 at 9:00 am.
Observer: Rooney Moy
Editor: Sarah McGlone
Reviewer: Carol Benton
Date Submitted: June 3, 2025
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