Medina Village Board urges Ridgeway, County BOE to keep polling site in village

MEDINA – The Orleans County Board of Elections is encouraging the Town of Ridgeway to consolidate its polling locations to one spot at the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company on Route 104.

The BOE urged the town to no longer use the Town Hall on West Avenue as a polling location. Moving it to the fire hall would save about $500 on the cost of elections inspectors for general elections, and about $1,250 on the cost for primaries, according to the BOE.

Currently the fire hall is used as the pilling site for districts 1, 3, 6 and 7, while the town hall is used for districts 2, 4 and 5. Ridgeway is the only town in Orleans County that doesn’t have a consolidated polling location.

The Board of Elections said the fire hall has more parking spaces and more privacy inside for voters.

But Mayor Mike Sidari said it is a longer drive for voters, especially for senior citizens on what can often be cold days in early November for elections.

“This would be a huge hindrance to our village residents,” Sidari said about consolidating all polling sites. “It’s going to be hard for our elderly.”

The Village Board agreed to send a letter to Brian Napoli, the Ridgeway town supervisor, rging Ridgeway not to move the Town Hall polling sites to the fire hall.

Sidari and the Village Board members said they appreciated Napoli sought their opinion before making a decision.