A Sussex County ballot drop box (File photo by Vera Olinski)
Newton. The Sussex County Commissioners unanimously approved a request from the county board of elections to expand the board to six members.
The resolution passed on March 10 expands the bipartisan board from its current four members to include three Democrats and three Republicans.
The board voted on Feb. 9 to expand its membership in response to the 2020 general election, which saw new forms of voting, additional days required to tally votes, and an increased workload.
“The workload that goes along with the board of elections membership has exponentially increased,” said Dawn Fantasia, the commissioners director .
Board of elections members are selected by their respective party chairs. The board always has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.
“It’s been quite a time for them, and I think they truly did a commendable job in the face of many challenges,” Fantasia said.