The county election board will draft and eventually vote on a policy on curing mail-in and absentee ballots that are submitted without all the required information.

The board voted during Wednesday’s county commissioners’ meeting, April 26, to draft the policy. Currently, the county election bureau does not cure ballots.

Normally, the commissioners serve as the election board. Since all three commissioners are running for reelection this year, they appointed three local attorneys — Mike English, Patrick Casey and Carol McCarthy — as temporary replacements on the election board.

Solicitor Julie Graham said fatal defects on ballots cannot be cured, but other defects like a missing signature or a missing date may be corrected by contacting the voter.

Election officials said the Pennsylvania Department of State allows counties to develop their own ballot curing policies.

According to the county election bureau, an example of a fatal defect is a missing secrecy envelope. Voters are supposed to place completed ballots in envelopes and then place those envelopes in secrecy envelopes before mailing them.

In unrelated business, the commissioners approved a $128,972 proposal from an architectural firm for the design and other work needed to renovate space in a building at 107 Woody Drive in the Pullman Center Business Park in Butler for new offices for Magisterial District Court 50-3-05 and the coroner and morgue.

The proposal from Moshier Studio of Pittsburgh is for schematic design at a cost of $37,583, design development and preparation of construction documents at a cost of $69,403, and bidding and construction management at a cost of $21,986.

Leslie Osche, commissioner’s chairwoman, said the proposal allows the county to back out of the agreement after the schematic design is complete if the plan to relocate the offices is found not to be feasible due to a possible zoning issue.

County officials said most of the property where the building is located is in a general business district zone, but part is in a light industrial zoning district.

Graham said she is talking to city officials to determine if the offices and morgue are permitted in those zoning districts.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Graham said.

Osche said that although county has already signed a lease for the property, she doesn’t believe the business park is the appropriate location for the morgue.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel said the commissioners have been assured that there is no problem with the relocation.

Commissioner Kim Geyer was absent from the meeting due to a family medical issue.