More than 640 Absentee Ballots Pour in for Geneseo Village Election

GENESEO – More than 640 absentee ballots have been issued by the Livingston County Board of Elections for the Village of Geneseo election on March 15.

The absentee ballots allow voters who cannot make it to the polls in Geneseo to vote from home or from out of town. Those not in favor of student Trustee candidates Matthew Cook (I) and Mary Rutigliano (I) are increasingly anxious as the election draws closer that high numbers of SUNY Geneseo students are registering to vote via absentee ballot and will support Cook and Rutigliano.

“Please join my Republican friend Matt Griffo and me in stopping student candidates from gaining a foothold in local government,” posted incumbent Trustee Bob Wilcox (D) to Facebook. “I know these two young people mean well but there are better ways to learn Civics than by taking control of 40% of the Village Board!”

740 absentee ballots have been mailed county-wide from the Board of Elections. Of these, 648 were for the Geneseo Village Election. Of these, 49 have been received.

David DiPasquale, Democratic Livingston County Board of Elections Commissioner, told our news partner 13WHAM that he expects more to come in and be accepted as the election comes closer.

Absentee ballot registration paperwork and instructions were available at a political forum with Brennan, Janson, Cook, Rutigliano and Wilcox on Feb. 25.

Check out our Q and A with the Trustee candidates here.

The candidates for Trustee are University of Rochester nurse and Geneseo resident Leslie Carson (R), Rochester resident and SUNY Geneseo student Matthew Cook (I), former Chair of the Livingston County Democratic Committee Phil Jones (D), Geneseo resident and SUNY Geneseo student Mary Rutigliano (I), and incumbent Trustee Bob Wilcox (D).

The candidates for Village Justice are retired SUNY Geneseo Geololgical Sciences Professor Dr. Bill Brennan (D) and local attorney and current sitting village Justice Brad Janson (R).