Elections board to replace bags used for 58 years

By David Skolnick

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The Korean War surplus bags, used by the Mahoning County Board of Elections since 1954 to transport election supplies to voting precincts, finally are being retired.

The board voted earlier this week to spend $22,500 for 275 bags from A. Rifkin Co., based in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. That’s one bag for every voting precinct in the county.

The old, olive-drab bags don’t have wheels, are heavy and well-worn with some held together by tape, said board Director Joyce Kale-Pesta.

With the county’s return to paper ballots last year after a decade of electronic touch-screen voting, the weight of the bags — because of paper ballots — has increased, causing further problems, she said.

In addition to the ballots, each bag holds books and binders, manuals, flags, pencils and other items needed by poll workers on public voting days.

Rifkin’s $22,500 proposal was the least expensive of the five companies seeking the contract. The other proposals ranged from $23,677.50 to $26,595.25.

The new bags are canvas with wheels and will come with a five-year replacement guarantee, Kale- Pesta said.

The bags should be shipped to the board by Sept. 1, she said.