KINGSTON – A late resolution, debated in committee for two hours Monday night, was kicked around for another hour during the monthly Tuesday night session of the Ulster County Legislature. Several people spoke during public comment, urging quick movement toward setting up early voting polling places.
The original wording of the resolution specified that the Board of Elections, at a minimum, designate early voting polling centers in the City of Kingston, the Village of Saugerties, Village of New Paltz and Village of Ellenville.
Several legislators seemed to concur with what appeared to be in the spirit of the resolution, to locate the early voting polls in the county’s population centers.
Republican Kenneth Ronk apparently felt the resolution was too specific.
“I don’t think that this is the way to handle early voting.”
Ronk offered an amendment, striking several provisions. It was defeated.
Another, aimed at directing the two election commissioners to get together and start talking, was approved.
That satisfied Democrat Hector Rodrigues.
“We are keeping, in fact, the resolve that was in this resolution along with adding in additional resolves in which we are just merely imploring the commissioners to resume negotiations,” Rodrigues said
Democrat Jonathan Heppner was ready to vote.
“Standing up for the voters and taxpayers of Ulster County,” Heppner said. “I’m comfortable with the way the resolution as it is because of one important factor; is that it takes what makes common sense and still projects that message that we need to put forward a plan and have an agreement that recognizes the most populous areas in this county while insuring that every person in this county has an equal and fair opportunity to cast their vote early.”
Democrat Joseph Maloney said the best way to do that would be to allow all voters to cast absentee ballots, for any reason. Despite some contentious debate, the final vote on what some said was a less than perfect resolution, but at least a way to get things moving, was unanimous.
