BOE Officials Tackle Challenges of Running Elections in New Office Space
Geauga County Board of Elections (BOE) Regular Meeting - October 16, 2025
Meeting Info - Regular Meeting on October 16, 2025 at 9:00 am in the BOE Conference Room at 12611 Ravenwood Drive, Suite 004 (Basement), Chardon, OH, 44024. Attendance was in-person and virtual via MS Teams.
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 - Richard Piraino
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Board Member - Joan Windnagel
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Board Member - Janet Carson
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Director - Michelle Lane
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Deputy Director - Nora McGinnis
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Office Administrator - Scott Daisher
County Representatives: Virtually, Charles E. Walder, County Auditor & Chief Administrator, Automatic Data Processing (ADP); In person, Frank Antenucci, Deputy Chief Administrator & Chief Information Security Officer (ADP).
Others: In person, two members of the public, Ohio Secretary of State (SoS) Regional Liaison Dustin Russell, and this observer.
Call to Order - The meeting was called to order shortly after 9:00 am.
Minutes - Minutes for the Regular Meeting on September 18, 2025 were approved without edits 3-1, with Mrs. Carson abstaining due to her absence.
Payment of Bills - Invoices totaling $23,673.64 were approved unanimously and included:
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$4,375.00 to KNOWiNK for poll pad annual software license
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$3,995.00 to OAEO (Ohio Association of Election Officials) for winter conference registrations & classes
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$1,855.00 to SOS Computers for curbside voting workstation
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$1,166.33 to Legal News Publishing for PEO (Precinct Election Official) training manuals printing
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$1,085.00 to Triad for accessible ballot conversion
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$697.50 to MNJ for charging cart and toner
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$561.47 to KMI for Russell C location change postcards and 6x9 envelopes
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$450.00 to Quadient for postage machine quarterly maintenance and rental
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$300.17 to Uline for emergency preparedness
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$225.00 to Patriot Signage for “VOTE HERE” signs
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$249.75 to Phoenix Graphics for test ballots
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$204.79 to Verizon Wireless for monthly emergency cell phones
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$200.33 to Quill for office and kitchen supplies
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$195.00 to Geauga Maple Leaf to publish notice of general election
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$170.96 to Nora McGinnis for supplies
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$97.87 to Intab for equipment vinyl pockets
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$72.73 to ES&S for ADA headphones
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$44.09 to DEX Imaging for monthly copier contract
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$15.24 to CDW Government for cables
Discussion ensued about the logistics of safely providing services after hours as mandated by the Secretary of State.
After Hours Lighting - Mrs. Lane explained that they recently were open after normal business hours for voter registration. The building lights automatically dimmed, making BOE’s windowless, basement office space and corridors too dark for staff to work in and too dark for citizens to safely access. She explained further that the parking lot was not lit and that to anyone wanting to register to vote, the building appeared to be closed.
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Mr. Walder commented that the lighting systems are currently controlled by the Maintenance Department. He noted that, similar to the automated key card access system, it may be appropriate for ADP to manage the automated lighting system.
After Hours Building Access - Mrs. Lane explained that an evening training session was recently held in the 3rd floor conference room. She expressed concern about the inability to manage access to the building.
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Mr. Walder commented that the building layout should have been inverted, with meeting and public spaces on the first floor.
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Mrs. Carson is concerned that no one monitors who enters and exits, noting they have no way to ensure the building has been cleared at the end of the day.
Report from ADP – Mr. Antenucci stated that ADP has paused all work with the Maintenance Department, as it is in a state of flux following the resignation of Maintenance Director Glen Vernick. He reported that ADP is in “election lockdown,” meaning no changes can be made to Geauga’s IT systems. This is mandated by the Ohio Secretary of State to ensure election security.
Mr. Antenucci indicated they have no new information to share regarding a domain block in place for the Russell Township Police Department. Mr. Walder noted that because they are in election lockdown, any action to release the domain block requires SoS approval. Reviewer Note: For more information on the Russell Township Police Department domain block, please see this September 25, 2025 Geauga Maple Leaf article and the LWVG Observer Report on the October 9, 2025 ADP Meeting.
Background Check Policy – As required by a recent Ohio SoS Directive, the board voted 4-0 to approve a background check policy that applies to all full-time BOE personnel. Mrs. Carson recommended future action to include key part-time positions and modifying the BOE application to inquire about misdemeanor and felony convictions. Mrs. Lane will explore these topics with other BOEs.
Petition Certification for Chester Township Zoning Referendum – A citizen-filed ballot initiative to reverse a zoning decision by Chester Township Trustees was reviewed. If approved, the initiative would appear on the May 5, 2026 ballot. Observer Note: See the August 25, 2025 Chester Township Trustee minutes for more information.
Staff reviewed the petition signatures and found that 203 of the 252 submitted were valid. Per staff, 772 signatures were required. In addition, petitioner’s failure to file a zoning map, as required by law, is a fatal flaw.
The board voted 3-0 to reject the initiative, citing insufficient signatures and the lack of a zoning map. Mr. Piraino abstained due to having a relationship with the petitioner.
Election Update – Mrs. McGinnis supplied early voting statistics to the board, noting that early voting for this election had thus far been slower than comparable local elections. Mrs. Lane noted they had served 3 curbside voters using the notification system set up by ADP. She feels more signage is needed to tell curbside voters to remain in their vehicle. She reported that the Chardon Post Office is now picking up outgoing mail from BOE in the afternoons, reducing staff’s required daily trips during early voting from two to one. Observer Note: Because ballots are being handled, each trip requires that a bipartisan team be out of the office for at least 40 minutes.
Mr. Daisher reported that numerous voters voiced their unhappiness with the basement location of the new BOE office, referring to the access challenges as voter suppression. Another couple was confused about where to park and incorrectly used the curbside area located at the back of the building.
Mr. Piraino noted that the ballot drop box location is confusing and that the orange cones suggest that it is a prohibited area. He suggested adding a large banner to the building with an arrow pointing to the drop box and adding pavement arrows to indicate proper flow of traffic.
Mrs. Carson referred to the new BOE office as a “very unfriendly location for voters.”
Mr. Russell, SoS Regional Liaison, shared photos showing how the Cuyahoga BOE restricts the candidate/issue campaigning zone. Observer Note: BOE must establish a campaign free zone that extends 100 feet from the GCOB entrance.
Observer Note: The remaining agenda items were not observed due to a personal conflict of the LWV Geauga Observer. More information on these agenda items will be available in the Geauga BOE minutes when published.
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Bi-Partisan Transport Allocation –
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Directive 2025-53, Unofficial and Official Canvass –
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Winter 2026 Conference Ohio Association of Election Officials –
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Director’s Report –
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Deputy Director’s Report –
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Adjournment -
Next Meeting: The next Board meeting is scheduled for Election Day, November 4, 2025 at 6:15 am.
Observer: Shelly Lewis
Editor: Gail Roussey
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: 11/12/2025
The League of Women Voters of Geauga is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. They do not support or oppose individual candidates or parties. Learn more about the LWVG at www.lwvgeauga.org.