Hannah Black is the Democratic commissioner for the Dutchess County Board of Elections. She announced last month that she would not seek a third 2-year term. The Dutchess County Democratic Committee must nominate a successor by Dec. 1 for approval by the Legislature.
You have been a commissioner since 2021. What are you most proud of?
In 2020, the Board of Elections had five polling sites for early voting, and the lines were nightmares. There were four-hour waits. I proposed nine sites. My counterpart [Republican Commissioner Erik Haight] only wanted six, but he came up to eight because I kept coming back with nine. We received so many compliments this year. It was rewarding to see that people had wonderful voting experiences and felt they could express their right to vote easily. I’m also the first Democratic commissioner to have won every court case against my counterpart when he tried to break the law. There were six cases — one of them was about how, during early voting, you’re allowed to vote over the counter at the Board of Elections. He tried to tell people they couldn’t. It’s just the law. Another case involved polling places at Vassar College and Bard College.
How about a polling site at Marist?
They need at least 300 students registered to vote there, and there are only about 40. I’ve talked to their Democratic committee, and they’re actively registering students to vote. They just don’t want to vote here; they want to vote where they grew up. I think what it would take is getting them more interested in local politics.Â
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What interested you about being a commissioner?
Protecting voters has always been a passion. I went to school for political science, and I’ve been involved in government since 2006, starting as an intern. When I was a county legislator, in my third term representing Hyde Park, the board was not responding to our request to get absentee ballot lists so that we could contact constituents for our campaigns. At the same time, Republicans had gotten data they should not have had. I decided to step up because I thought I could provide better service and stand up to Republicans when there’s voter suppression.
Fewer people voted in 2024 than in 2020. Why do you think that is?
I can’t speak for the entire country, but I’ve seen what it takes for people to vote in Dutchess. There are many people who won’t vote for someone unless the campaign comes to their door seven times. When I ran as a county legislator, we had to have it so well organized with other organizations and volunteers to help you reach these voters. It takes a lot to motivate voters to vote. In Dutchess, we have 75,000 Democrats, 50,000 Republicans and 59,000 independents with no party affiliation, but it’s more purple than blue. We have a lot of Democrats who jump [party] lines on their ballot instead of voting Row A all the way.
Why didn’t you want a second term?
I feel I’ve brought back integrity to the position, but I’ve made sacrifices. We worked 20 hours on Election Day, and before that, we worked at least 50 days straight. It’s hard to walk away, but I have a young daughter who misses me. It takes a toll on your family. I wouldn’t mind working for a voter protection agency — something that’s about serving our constituents and making their lives better.
