Legislature votes to extend election commissioners’ terms

The Ulster County Legislature voted 14-8 at its March meeting to extend the terms for the county’s two election commissioners from two years to four years.

In explaining his no vote, Jeff Collins, D-Hurley, Woodstock, said Ulster County is spoiled to have such high-quality elections commissioners. He added that he’s also worked in other counties where that’s not the case.

“Right now we have a great one. In the future, we may not,” he said. “If we do not, I’d like it to be a twoyear term, not a four-year term.”

Legislator Manna Jo Greene said while she voted no on extending the terms, she supports both Torres and Quigley. “I don’t think it’s wise to extend the term,” said Greene, D-Rosendale.

Casting a no vote, Minority Leader Kevin A. Roberts said he feels extending the term to four years takes power away from the Legislature and the people of Ulster County.

He said while Democratic Election Commissioner Ashley Torres and Republican Election Commissioner John Quigley are doing a great job, he cautioned that might not always be the case.

“We are going to hamstring ourselves to be stuck, possibly in the future, with a commissioner who is ill-equipped to carry out fair and open elections,” said Roberts, R-Plattekill.

Also voting no, Legislator Joe Maloney, D-Saugerties, said the terms of election commissioners have always lined up with the elections of legislators for a reason.

“They know they get reappointed,” he said. “They know it’s not a race. They don’t have to go out there for eight months like we do, and half our term is spent trying to get reelected, sadly. They just have to come up here and get reappointed.

“There is politics in every board of elections and why would we take that accountability away?” Maloney added. “It’s always been that way. It’s been that way for a reason.”

Maloney also said Ulster County shouldn’t move to four-year terms just because other counties are doing it.

“We force these people to be political. The party bosses expect it,” he said. “They wouldn’t have a job if they weren’t involved in politics. We force them into politics, and then we’re going to give them a four-year term with no oversight and accountability.”

During the evening’s proceedings, the Legislature reappointed Torres and Quigley by votes of 21-1 and 22-0, respectively.

“They wouldn’t have a job if they weren’t involved in politics. We force them into politics, and then we’re going to give them a fouryear term with no oversight and accountability.”

— Legislator Joe Maloney, D-Saugerties