ALBANY - Washington, Warren and Rensselaer Counties became the latest to pass resolutions urging the State to repeal the Election Reform and Modernization Act (ERMA) and allow counties to keep using their lever voting systems.

Nine of New York’s county legislatures have now passed such resolutions: the three resolutions passed last week join those from Columbia, Dutchess, Ulster, Schuyler, Greene and Essex Counties. The Association of Towns has passed a similar measure, and more local governments are set to join the call in the coming weeks.

The resolution approved unanimously by the Warren County Board of Supervisors calls ERMA's requirement to change voting systems "unnecessary, inappropriate, and costly" to taxpayers. Counties are understandably concerned about what the resolution calls an "unfunded mandate" that would drain crucial funding from other budgetary priorities.

The Election Transparency Coalition (ETC), a non-partisan organization dedicated to transparent elections in New York, continues to encourage counties to stand up to the mandates of ERMA, which would force all counties to abandon their lever voting systems by next year.