Category Archives: Interviews

Onondaga County elections commissioner Dustin Czarny, a Democrat, said Monday that eight of 26 staffers have tested positive. All staffers are in quarantine for two weeks, and the elections office is closed for a week. “That’s a devastating blow operationally,” he said, adding that it’s unclear how election workers contracted the virus. https://apnews.com/article/new-york-new-york-city-coronavirus-pandemic-bronx-bill-de-blasio-19b81b274fb36351c1485428054b79b1

“We want them and their families to be safe,” Czarny said. “They’re heroes. They’ve worked 12-hour days since Labor Day.” https://www.syracuse.com/coronavirus/2020/11/8-coronavirus-cases-at-board-of-elections-means-voting-results-delayed-until-december.html

“ after the quarantine time period and after our staff that is positive gets by their isolation time period as well, and are able to recover,… Logistically, doing it without this many staffers in a small office like that, it would be impossible.” https://www.wrvo.org/politics-and-government/2020-11-16/onondaga-county-absentee-ballot-count-on-hold-2-weeks-8-covid-cases-among-staff

Czarny revealed Monday that there is an agreement between the Mannion and Renna campaigns to restart the canvass on Nov. 30 and to limit the number of observers in the count https://auburnpub.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/more-covid-19-cases-at-onondaga-county-elections-board-delays-vote-count-two-weeks/article_b0044b9f-3e0a-51f1-9b83-d0728f8992d7.html

“we want to push the starting of the absentees is logistically on November 30th most of the other counties around here will be done … they have already reached out, our neighboring counties .. are willing to come in and help,” Dustin Czarny said. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/decision-2020/2020/11/17/onondaga-county-board-of-elections-coronavirus-cases

“Our plan that we’ve submitted to the court is that we will do a partial certification of the presidential election on November 28th and then resume the absentee ballot canvass on November 30th. Which will allow us to finish the canvass after the quarantine time period,” said Czarny. https://cnycentral.com/news/local/onondaga-county-absentee-ballot-count-paused-until-after-thanksgiving

Czarny says the plan has the green light from the state board of elections, but is still subject to court approval.  He says they’re also asking a judge to limit the number of observers when the ballot count continues to reduce density in the building. “We are meeting with the county health department next week toContinue reading “Additional COVID-19 Cases Delays Counting of Remaining Absentee Ballots in Onondaga County – WAER”

Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny confirms to NewsChannel 9 that he and his fellow commissioner, Michele Sardo, have tested negative. https://www.localsyr.com/news/your-local-election-hq/more-covid-cases-keeps-onondaga-co-board-of-elections-closed-this-week-ballot-counting-paused/

That worker, who was hospitalized today, has not been at the board of elections since Nov. 5, elections commissioners Michele Sardo and Dustin Czarny said in an online news conference today. https://www.syracuse.com/politics/2020/11/onondaga-county-vote-count-paused-until-at-least-next-week-after-worker-gets-coronavirus.html

“We don’t know when the counting will resume,” said Onondaga County Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny. “It will depend on how quick the tests come back and hopefully the tests will all come back negative.” https://www.localsyr.com/news/your-local-election-hq/absentee-ballot-counting-halted-in-onondaga-county-because-of-a-covid-19-exposure/