UTICA — The Utica City School District (CSD) has announced a new partnership with Bold Election Management System and the Oneida County Board of Elections in preparation for the May 16 school board of education elections. This collaboration will provide the district with state-of-the-art technology and expertise in election management to ensure a smooth and efficient voting process for all community members.

The Utica CSD has taken a significant step toward modernizing its electoral process by adopting the Bold Election Management System. This move will eliminate the time-consuming, costly and manual maintenance of voting records, and replace it with an accurate and user-friendly system.

In addition, the Utica CSD will implement Bold Election Management System’s barcode application, which will scan absentee ballots to ensure that each vote is counted accurately and there are no discrepancies or inconsistencies in the voting process. Implementing the barcode scanning system will further enhance the security and transparency of the electoral process, benefiting all community members.

To achieve these goals, the Utica CSD is working closely with the Oneida County Board of Elections to provide comprehensive training to all poll workers on general check-in and correct poll site procedures, as well as proper education on the new voting machines and equipment being introduced this year. Additionally, the Utica CSD will select its poll workers from the Board of Elections’ certified roster of inspectors, making ongoing training and education vital to ensuring all election-related procedures are followed.

The Utica CSD is grateful for the continued efforts and assistance of the Oneida County Board of Elections in ensuring that all polling facilities and election services operate under the appropriate guidelines, according to a statement.

“We are thankful for the Utica City School District’s continued cooperation and partnership,” said Oneida County Board of Elections Commissioners Sarah F. Bormann and Nichole D. Shortell. “We are glad to provide the school district with all of the support, within our scope, that it needs during its elections.”

The Utica CSD continues to strive to make the voting process accessible, efficient and secure; and encourages all eligible voters to participate in the upcoming board of education elections.

A public school district serving approximately 9,500 students, it is committed to providing high-quality educational opportunities for all students, ensuring they are well prepared for college, career and life.