ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Board of Elections welcomed two county commissioners to its regular monthly meeting Tuesday.

Commissioners Josh Meyer and J.P. Dutton were in attendance to discuss with board members the lease on the building that houses the election board office in Plaza West. It is owned by Goodman Realty.

The current lease expires on May 31. The election board has been housed at its current location since 2006.

At the heart of the issue is whether it would be more economically feasible for county commissioners to purchase a building and relocate the elections board. The present venue is not for sale.

“We are very early in this process,” Meyer said. “We are studying all our possible options.”

It was noted that county officials did examine one building, should they want to pursue the purchasing route.

Dutton echoed Meyer’s thoughts.

“There are a lot of moving parts in this. We are early on and have a lot of things to consider,” Dutton said.

Board Chairwoman Frankie Lee Carnes has been associated with the elections board since the 1970s. She has seen the board housed at several places.

“This is the first facility we have had that totally meets our needs,” Carnes said. “If we get a new building, it needs to be as nice or nicer than this one.”

She added that any new office would need to be centrally located in the county.

Board members — Carnes, Cynthia Fregiato, Mike Shaheen and Bob Quirk — unanimously instructed the commissioners to pursue a 26-month lease with Goodman on the current venue, while also exploring all possible options.

In other board action:

– The ballots for the May election have arrived;

– The voting machines have been tested and are ready for the upcoming election;

– Board members approved the purchase of 50 E-poll books. The bulk of the costs will be subsidized by the state;

– Vouchers totaling $9,187.06 for March were approved;

– The board set 4 p.m. April 18 for its next meeting.