Board of Election Commissioners

BO AR D M EM BE R S Kimberly Vanderspek, Chairperson Paul Franco, Vice-Chairperson John DiCicco, Secretary Joseph Sacco, Commissioner Cecilio Gonzalez, Commissioner C ON T A CT BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS • Address: 455 Main St., Room 208 MEETING Worcester, MA 01608 • Hours: Monday- 8:45am-5:00pm WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH Tuesday-Friday- 8:45am-4:15pm 5:00PM • Phone: 508-799-1134 Levi Lincoln Chamber, City Hall • Email: elections@worcesterma.gov • Website: www.worcesterma.gov/elections This Commission meeting will be held in-person at the date, time and location listed above. Meeting attendees will additionally have options to participate remotely by joining online or by phone: The Commission is committed to ensuring that its public meetings are accessible to • Use the following link to join the meeting via computer: all. Should you require interpretation, auxiliary https://worcesterma.zoomgov.com/j/1619233148 aids, services, written materials in other formats, • Call 1-844-621-3956 (Access Code: 161 923 3148) or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, please contact the Elections Office a Note: If technological problems interrupt the virtual meeting component, the minimum of 2 business days in advance of the meeting will continue in-person. scheduled meeting. For more information concerning this meeting, please contact the Elections Office by email at elections@worcesterma.gov or phone at 508-799- Hay disponibles servicios de interpretación y otras adaptaciones con solicitud previa. 1134. Please send written comments, requests for reasonable accommodation, or requests for language interpretation 2 business days or more in advance of the ‫ﺗﺘﻮﻓﺮ اﻟﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻟﻔﻮرﯾﺔ وﻏﯿﺮھﺎ ﻣﻦ وﺳﺎﺋﻞ اﻟﺘﯿﺴﯿﺮ ﻋﻨﺪ اﻟﻄﻠﺐ اﻟﻤﺴﺒﻖ‬ meeting. अनवु ◌ाद र अ6य आवसह अ'-म अनरोधपचत ◌ु उपल5ध Las solicitudes de intérpretes para personas con dominio limitado del inglés हु6छ। deben hacerse a más tardar 2 días hábiles antes de la reunión. Para obtener más información en relación con esta reunión o enviar comentarios o preguntas por Interpretação e outras adaptações estão escrito antes de la reunión, contacte a: elections@worcester or 508-799-1134. disponíveis mediante solicitação prévia. Përkthimi dhe akomodime të tjera janë në COMMISSION AGENDA dispozicion me kërkesë paraprake. • Call to Order by the Chairperson Kasa nkyerɛaseɛ ɛne akwanya afoforɔ da hɔ • Pledge of Allegiance ma wɔn a wɔn bɛ bisa ato hɔ. • Roll Call Phiên dịch và các hỗ trợ khác có sẵn theo • Approval of the Minutes from the September 9th, 2025 Election yêu cầu trước. Commission Meeting. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. Pending Recount Petitions for the November 4, 2025 Municipal DI V IS IO N S TA F F Election- At-Large City Council Contest A. Communication from the City Clerk regarding recount Nikolin Vangjeli, City Clerk Stephen A.J. Pottle, Deputy City Clerk process & potential schedule Clare M. Robbins, Deputy City Clerk 2. Discussion regarding November 4, 2025 Municipal Election Unofficial Results U P CO MI N G M EE TI N GS 3. NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH AT 5:00PM IN LEVI LINCOLN CHAMBER TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH AT A. Certify recount petitions for the November 4, 2025 5:00PM IN LEVI LINCOLN CHAMBER Municipal Election- At-Large City Council contest 4. ADJOURN COMMISSION MEETING 1  City Clerk Department Nikolin Vangjeli, City Clerk Stephen A.J. Pottle, Deputy City Clerk I Clare M. Robbins, Deputy City Clerk II To: Board of Election Commissioners From: Niko Vangjeli, City Clerk Date: 11/07/2025 Re: Pending Recount Petition Procedures- for November 4, 2025, Municipal Election Please use this memo as a communication that the City Clerk’s Office, Elections Division provided recount petition papers to the Council At- Large Candidates Jermoh Kamara and Morris A. Bergman for a recount of all the ballots cast at the November 4, 2025, Municipal Election. Should the candidates submit petition papers to be certified by the Board of Election Commissioners, please find a tentative schedule of the anticipated recount process below. Massachusetts General Law does not allow for automatic recounts of municipal elections. However, recounts can be initiated by candidates. The city will be responsible for all operational costs associated with the recount process, with the method chosen for conducting the recount being at the discretion of the candidates filing the petition with the city. The candidate can choose a hand recount of all the ballots, which involves manually counting ballots, a time-consuming and human-error prone process compared to machine recounts. Machine recounts, on the other hand, use electronic voting machines certified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to count votes, which are generally more efficient. Included below are estimated operational costs dependent on the method of the recount chosen by the candidate. A transfer of funds approved by the City Council will be necessary to conduct this recount process, given that the costs for a recount are not budgeted in this year’s Election Department Operational Budget.  City Clerk Department Nikolin Vangjeli, City Clerk Stephen A.J. Pottle, Deputy City Clerk I Clare M. Robbins, Deputy City Clerk II FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH at 5:00pm- Candidates must submit recount petition papers to be certified by the City Clerk Election Commission. Hand Recount Process 1. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20th at 1:00 pm - November 4th, 2025 Municipal Election Ballots will be blocked in stacks of 50 ballots per precinct (Levi Lincoln Chamber, City Hall). 2. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST at 8:30 am – - November 4th, 2025 Municipal Election Ballots will be blocked in stacks of 50 ballots per precinct (Levi Lincoln Chamber, City Hall). 3. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND at 8:30 am – Hand Recount of November 4th, 2025 Municipal Election Ballots (North High School, Gymnasium - 150 Harrington Way, Worcester, MA 01604) a. Ballot transport from City Hall at 7:30 AM 4. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD at 8:30am – Hand Recount of November 4th, 2025 Municipal Election Ballots (North High School, Gymnasium - 150 Harrington Way, Worcester, MA 01604) a. Ballot transport from City Hall at 7:30 AM Estimated Cost of the Hand Recount: 1. Election workers to conduct the recount / training costs = $52,800 2. Police for the election recount operations = $16,000 3. City Clerk office employee overtime cost for preparation of the recount and administering the recount = $17,000 4. Recount materials = $7,000 5. Public schools’ facilities operational cost for recount = $7,400 6. Ballot delivery and facilities set up = $6,400 7. Total estimated cost for the hand recount for At-Large City Council = $106,600  City Clerk Department Nikolin Vangjeli, City Clerk Stephen A.J. Pottle, Deputy City Clerk I Clare M. Robbins, Deputy City Clerk II Machine Recount Process 1. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND at 8:30am – Machine Recount of November 4th, 2025 Municipal Election Ballots (Levi Lincoln Chamber, City Hall) Estimated Voting Machine Recount Cost: 2. Election workers to sort ballots for machine counting = $4,400 3. City Clerk office overtime for preparation = $3,500 4. Recount materials = $3,000 5. Police for the election recount operations = $2,800 6. Facilities operational cost = $400 7. Total estimated cost for the machine recount for at large city council = $14,100 Hand Recount Procedures In accordance with the provisions of General Laws chapter 54, section 135, each candidate for the Councilor At-Large office will have the right to be present and to witness the recount, accompanied by counsel, if desired. Additionally, candidates may also be represented by “observers,” appointed by the candidate or candidate counsel in writing, sufficient in number to provide one observer for each election worker counting or checking ballots. Candidates, or their counsel, if applicable, and properly designated agents shall have the right to observe and inspect ballots, tally sheets and other papers used in the recount and to watch every individual act performed in connection therewith. In the event of a hand recount, Worcester will have thirty (30) teams of two (2) people, with one (1) person reading the ballot and one (1) person recording votes cast. In addition, there will be four (4) total tally clerks and nine (9) runners, who are City Clerk Employees. Therefore,  City Clerk Department Nikolin Vangjeli, City Clerk Stephen A.J. Pottle, Deputy City Clerk I Clare M. Robbins, Deputy City Clerk II each candidate may designate up to a total of sixty (60) observers at the 30 recount stations in teams of two (2) observers, plus an observer for the ballot tally clerk station to be present and participate in the recount proceedings. In order to facilitate the timely commencement of the recount, we will set a deadline for candidates to submit their observer names in advance of the counting. In order to ensure an orderly recount, the following guidelines will be followed: • The only people who will be allowed to handle ballots and other election materials are election workers and the members of the Board of Registrars / City Clerk’s office. While candidate observers may ask for a closer look, they may not touch the ballots or other election materials. • Disorderly conduct and/or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Anyone creating a disturbance shall be warned once, then ejected and not allowed to return during the recount. • Observers may challenge a decision of the recount workers as to how to count a particular ballot by stating the words “I object” or a similar statement. Otherwise, agents must be silent to allow recount workers to count ballots without distraction. In the event of an objection the ballot counting station will stop and a ballot runner will take the ballots, which will be reviewed by the Board of Election Commissioners for a final determination. • Only the candidate or their attorney may present arguments to the Board of Election Commissioners regarding ballots that are objected to during the counting process. • Decisions of the Board of Election Commissioners on any protested ballots will be final.  City Clerk Department Nikolin Vangjeli, City Clerk Stephen A.J. Pottle, Deputy City Clerk I Clare M. Robbins, Deputy City Clerk II • Be advised that only authorized persons will be permitted to enter the recount area. The public may observe the recount from outside of the recount area. Board of Election, Commissioners’ Meeting Minutes Date: 9/9/25 Location: Levi Lincoln Chamber Members Present: Kimberly Vanderspek, Cecilio Gonzalez, John DiCicco, Paul Franco and Joseph Sacco. City Officials Present: Clare Robbins, Niko Vangjeli Meeting was called to order at 5:30 pm Pledge of Alliance was said. First Business Item: Ballot orders drawn as follows: Mayor - Sarkodieh, Montero, Petty, King Councilor at-Large – Davis, Mitra, Kamara, Colorio, Montero, Pepple, King, Bergman, Toomey, Sarkodieh, Petty, Rosen D1 Councilor – Economou, Linhares D2 Councilor – Mero-Carlson, Bilotta D3 Councilor – Fresolo, Pezzella D4 Councilor – Ojeda, Kostas D5 Councilor – Haxhiaj, Rivera School Committee At-Large – Mailman, Binienda, Sakyi-Lamptey District C School Committee – Biancheria, Jattan-Singh District E School Committee – Roy, Medina Second Business Item: November 4th Ballot designs underway – 16 styles total Third Business Item: Early in-person voting for Nov 4th at Worcester Public Library – Saturday October 25th through Friday October 31st (open until 7 pm on Tues and Thursday). Plan to mail ballots by the first week of October. Fourth Business Item: Organization of Poll workers and Election officials for upcoming election is underway. Plan to send staff and election commissioners to poll locations at 6 am on November 4th for support – up until polls open. Fifth Business Item: Advanced Ballot counting set for Nov 1st and 2nd, 2025 Next Meeting scheduled for Tuesday November 18th – 5:00 pm Meeting adjourned at 6:15 pm