Orleans votes against 2 out of 3 ballot propositions

State-wide all 3 gain voter approval

Referendums on a change in redistricting, $2 billion to upgrade technology at school districts, and electronic records for state legislators all gained state-wide approval on Tuesday, although Orleans County voters rejected two out of the three.

Orleans gave strong support to Proposal No. 2, which brings legislators into the digital age by allowing electronic distribution of state legislative bills. In Orleans, it passed with 5,217 yes votes or 66.7 percent compared to 2,605 no votes or 33.3 percent. State-wide it passed with 77 percent in favor.

Two other ballot propositions passed state-wide but had a slight majority opposing them in Orleans County.

A ballot proposition authorized a new commission for the once-a-decade assignment of drawing state legislative and congressional districts. The proposition passed state-wide with 57 percent in favor of it, according to the Associated Press.

In Orleans, 49.5 percent of voters or 3,776 were in favor of it while 50.5 percent or 3,853 were opposed.

The “Smart Schools Bond Act” will allow the state to borrow $2 billion for school districts to buy computers, connect to the Internet, improve security and build classrooms for prekindergarten students.

State-wide it passed with 62 percent, but in Orleans, 3,948 voters or 49.6 percent were for it while 4,018 or 50.4 percent were opposed.