Boston Elections Department Defends $544,000 Budget Cut as State Picks Up Midterm Costs

BOSTON — May 14, 2026 — Boston council questions elections department on staffing gaps and midterm readiness as budget drops $544,000. The Ways and Means Committee, chaired by District 6 Councillor Ben Weber, heard from acting Elections Department head Paul Chong and Head Assistant Register of Voters Sabino Piamonte on the proposed FY27 budget, which is $544,000 less than the prior year — a reduction Chong attributed entirely to the state picking up ballot printing, vote-by-mail, and machine programming costs during a state election cycle. Councillor Brian Braden pressed on three vacant program manager positions, asking whether they would be filled before the September 1 primary; Chong said he was "very confident" they would be. The department's voting machines, purchased in 2019, are entering their seventh year of a projected 10-to-12-year lifespan. Councillor Ruthzee Louijeune highlighted the department's new electronic incident tracking system, Creatio, which replaced a paper log for election-day calls, while Councillors Ed Flynn and John Fitzgerald each asked about ranked-choice voting implementation and an open Elections Commission seat; Chong said the department would implement any law the legislature passes and was taking time to find the best possible commissioner candidate.