The ballot drop site located at the Erie County Courthouse is shown in Erie on Nov. 1, 2025.
GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS
USA TODAY Network, Reuters
While many agenda items at the Erie County Election Board meeting passed, one proposal was debated among board members on Sept. 15 at the Erie County Courthouse at 140 W. Sixth St.
The Erie County Election Board discussed agenda items ranging from polling place changes to ballot design and the adoption of smart ballot drop boxes.
The consideration of adding four Sentinel Secure Smart Dropbox units generated the most discussion from multiple board members due to privacy, security and cost concerns.
Board members supported the security the devices offer, including envelope barcode-scanning capabilities, and knowing if the boxes are tampered with, but overall concerns prompted the board to table the matter for further discussion.
County Clerk Karen Chillcott said a meeting has not been scheduled yet.
The criticisms brought up by multiple board members, including Terry Scutella and Jim Wertz, included concerns about cost and privacy issues with cameras enabled.
“My continued concern is that there’s a very low use rate across Pennsylvania with these,” Wertz said. “I’m never afraid to be an early adopter of technology, but I am concerned in this case that a lot of security that this box offers seems to be creating redundant costs for us…
Wertz continued, “If these drop boxes are going to be placed in buildings and under surveillance, then the extra bells and whistles is creating an additional burden on us and the taxpayers.”
Cost for four Sentinel boxes total $87,935.00, according to a quote the Erie County Board of Elections received. The board was quoted $43,092.00 for software warranties for the machines.
How many people are registered to vote in Erie County?
Before the debate over the new electronic boxes, the meeting began with an update on the number of registered voters throughout Erie County.
Chillcott noted that Erie County has 174,717 registered voters.
Of those 174,717 voters, 76,410 are registered Democrats, 70,796 are registered Republicans and 27,538 are affiliated with other parties.
Mail-in ballots in Erie County
As of Sept. 15, Erie County has received 20,386 mail-in ballot applications for the upcoming November general election.
Those requests are from 14,416 Democrats and 4,495 Republicans.
The board also mentioned recent court discussions about mail-in ballot procedures , nothing that they will not impact the 2026 general election.
Erie County complies with many of the proposed requirements, including USPS approval of ballot-envelope artwork, barcode tracking for outgoing and returned ballots and maintaining qualified mail-ballot voter lists.
Changes in polling places
Unanimous votes were made regarding the following changes to polling places:
Fairview Township District 1: Changed from Fairview Presbyterian Church at 4264 Avonia Road to Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church at 1070 Dutch Road. The polling place is returning to its original location.Millcreek Township District 24: Changed from Asbury Woods Nature Center at 4105 Asbury Road to Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church at 3108 Sterrettania Road. This move was made as Asbury Woods was no longer available as a polling place.Albion Borough: Changed from the Albion Fire Department at 19 Franklin St. to Albion Borough Office at 53 E. State St. This move was made as the fire department was no longer available.
A vote on postage-paid mail ballots becoming policy
The board also voted in favor of using county funds to pay regular USPS postage for the mail-in and absentee ballots.
This motion was carried 4-3 with dissenting votes from Charlie Bayle, Ellen Schauerman and Jim Winarski.
This discussion was centered on cost and whether it treats mail and in-person voters equally.
Opponents argued the policy could create an inequity between voters who mail ballots and those who deliver them in person.
“I’m still a no as I have been all along,” Schauerman said at the meeting. “It is somewhat of a form of discrimination because we are not reimbursing people who drive and pay a lot more than a stamp to get their envelope.”
Initiatives for student voters, poll workers
To encourage more students to participate in the voting process, Erie County launched its “I Voted” sticker design contest. This contest is open to students in grades 9-12 and runs until Dec. 31.
The winning design for the sticker will be announced on Feb. 12 and will be used for the 2027 elections.
To date, 28 students across Erie County have signed up to be poll workers for the general election. During the May primary, the county had 71 student poll workers.
The county is continuing its work to recruit poll workers.
Earlier this year, poll training was held at the Bayfront Convention Center at 1 Sassafras St. ext. That training is now available online and officials say there are still openings for poll workers.
Key election dates to remember
For the upcoming general election, here are some key dates to remember:
Sept. 21: logic and accuracy testing of the voting equipment;Sept. 28: the tentative first day to vote in person or by on demand mail in ballot at the voter registration office;Oct. 19: deadline to register to vote or update voter registration;Oct. 27: deadline to apply for a mail ballot or vote on-demand mail ballot;Nov. 3: Election Day. Mail ballots must be received by 8 p.m.
Nicholas Sorensen can be contacted at Nsorensen@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie County tables smart ballot box decision amid privacy, cost concerns
Reporting by Nicholas Sorensen, Erie Times-News / Erie Times-News
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This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 3:12 PM.