Erie County Council voted Thursday during a special Board of Elections meeting to remove Jim Wertz from his position as Elections Chair.
Wertz was removed in a 4–3 vote, with Vice Chair Chris Drexel selected to serve as the new chair.
The meeting began with a verbal disagreement among council members, prompting officials to move into an executive session. Council members later returned to the public meeting before taking the vote to remove Wertz.
The decision stems from what officials described as a conflict of interest involving Wertz’s association with the Election Truth Alliance.