John Alberts, new Suffolk Democratic election commissioner, predicts faster results

John Alberts, Suffolk County’s new Democratic Board of Elections commissioner, says he's confident voters this year will not see a repeat of Election Night 2022, when results were delayed until well after midnight.

Last year, the county’s aging computer systems caused a slowdown in transmitting results from the field, leading election officials to have to drive 1,446 individual memory cards to the BOE offices in Yaphank, officials said at the time. Election officials said the delay was not directly related to a Sept. 8 ransomware attack on county government or additional security features installed after the breach.

The bipartisan BOE is awaiting state approvals for software upgrades that also will enable the agency to upgrade its hardware, Alberts told Newsday on Tuesday.

That should resolve the issues that caused the November holdup, which he declined to discuss in detail. 

“That should allow us to get our results out timely, as we have done in the past,” Alberts said. “We should have no problems uploading from the field."

The Suffolk County Legislature in December approved Alberts’ appointment, which runs from Jan. 1 until Dec. 31, 2026.

Alberts, 39, serves alongside Republican Commissioner Betty Manzella and succeeds Anita Katz, who served 20 years as Democratic commissioner and died in August at age 69. Manzella's term also expires Dec. 31, 2026.

Under state election law, the county Democratic and Republican Party leaders each nominate a commissioner for county election boards. The county BOE is responsible for the entire electoral process from voter registration to result reporting.

Alberts, of West Babylon has worked for the BOE for 17 years and had served as assistant  Democratic commissioner since 2021.

He will earn a salary of $172,243, according to county spokeswoman Marykate Guilfoyle.

“John Alberts has worked at the Board of Elections for more than 16 years, most recently as a member of the senior leadership team in the front office working hand in hand with former Commissioner Katz,” Suffolk Democratic Chairman Rich Schaffer said in a statement.

“He knows all the different facets of the Board and will be an invaluable asset to conducting fair elections in Suffolk County,” Schaffer said.

Suffolk Republican Chairman Jesse Garcia said Alberts is, “certainly capable and will continue a good partnership with Commissioner Manzella to ensure we have transparent, fair and accurate elections here in Suffolk County.”

Alberts has run unsuccessfully for office several times in Suffolk County.

In November, Alberts lost to state Sen. Alexis Weik (R-Sayville), but did not campaign actively.

As Democratic BOE commissioner, Alberts oversees 61 of the BOE’s 123 positions.

Manzella also oversees 61 positions and there is one nonpartisan information technology position.

“We try to provide a service for the voters of Suffolk County that is fair, that is honest,” Alberts told Newsday. “We do everything on our end to make sure that happens.”

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.