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Shelby referendums rejected; Allport re-elected county legislator

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 November 2026 at 10:51 pm

Photo by Tom Rivers: Voters fill out their ballots at the Carlton Rec Hall this evening. Polls were open in all 10 towns in Orleans County today.

Referendums that asked Shelby voters to have the town clerk and highway superintendent be hired or appointed by the Town Board, rather than as elected positions, were soundly defeated.

The proposition to make the clerk an appointed position was rejected by a 926-525 vote, while the highway superintendent proposition was voted down, 911-534.

The Shelby Town Board was seeking to have the town be the first to make the positions as appointed, saying people could apply for the positions and the board would review their credentials.

But residents opted to keep the positions as elected.

In the only contested race on the ballot among town and county positions, incumbent Don Allport, a Republican, was re-elected county legislator with 8,529 to the 4,211 for Marlene Seielstad.

Here are the vote totals for the town and county positions:

Orleans County

  • County Legislator at Large West – Merle “Skip” Draper (Rep), 9,513 votes
  • Legislator at Large Central – Marlene Seielstad (Dem), 4,211 votes, against Donald Allport (Rep), 8,529 votes
  • Legislator at Large East – Edward Morgan (Rep), 9,569 votes
  • Legislator District 1 – William Eick (Rep), 2,654 votes
  • Legislator District 2 – Lynne M. Johnson (Rep), 2,221 votes
  • Legislator District 3 – Fred Miller (Dem), 1,480 votes
  • Legislator District 4 – John Fitzak (Rep), 2,665 votes

Towns

  • Albion Supervisor – F. Richard Remley (Rep), 1,188 votes
  • Albion Town Justice (vote for up to 2) – Joseph Fuller (Rep), 1,143 votes, and Gary Moore (Rep), 1,148 votes
  • Barre Supervisor – Stephen Coville, II (Rep), 578 votes
  • Clarendon Supervisor – Frederick Seeman (Rep, Lawn Life), 939 votes against 181 write-ins
  • Gaines Supervisor – Tyler James Allport (Rep), 758 votes
  • Gaines Superintendent of Highways 1 yr to fill vacancy – Robert Verhagen (Rep), 775 votes
  • Kendall Supervisor – Anthony Cammarata (Rep), 835 votes
  • Kendall Superintendent of Highways – Eric Maxon (Rep), 915 votes
  • Murray Supervisor – Gerald Rightmyer (Rep), 1,141 votes
  • Shelby Supervisor – Jim Heminway (Rep), 1,132 votes
  • Yates Supervisor – Susan Hrovat (Rep), 587 votes against 98 write-ins