Election Board Working On Plans For Nov. Election
August 13, 2020 at 2:22 a.m.
Election Board Working On Plans For Nov. Election
By Amanda [email protected]
Steve Shamo, general manager of Microvote, shared what he’s been experiencing and hearing from other states and Indiana counties when it comes to running an election amid the pandemic.
With a push for mail-in voting and a large number of absentee ballots expected, efficient counting on Election Night has come to the forefront for county clerks.
Shamo suggested that Kosciusko County Clerk Ann Torpy look at the ballots and see what races people will be looking at, then move counting those to the front of the pack so those numbers can get done “and we know we can report complete,” Shamo said.
But when it comes to contested races in Kosciusko County, Torpy said there isn’t really a “hot spot” race that will be more watched than another because the Superior Court III, commissioners and county council races are all at-large.
“So it’s just going to be the whole county where we could have a close race,”?Torpy said.
The board may need to vote to have workers begin opening and counting votes at 6 a.m. to help expedite the work, but because a governor’s order has expired, local election boards are still waiting on guidance from the state when it comes to what they’re allowed to do or not during the pandemic.
Because this year is a presidential election, Shamo warned of what election officials call a “Christmas mass. Because we’re going to see people we haven’t seen in a long time. You’re going to get people who didn’t know they had to register to vote,” he said to nodding heads.
When it comes to the topic of mail-in voting – something President Donald Trump has said will result in a fraudulent and rigged election – local officials said they haven’t had problems with that in the May primary or in years past.
The main reminder Torpy wants to tell voters is to make sure to sign your mail-in ballot. Without that person’s signature, the ballot is void and the clerk’s office would have to remail one to the voter.
Another thing local election officials were pondering Wednesday is where exactly voting polls will be located. In the May primary, they were able to use county schools. Now, schools will be open for class and Torpy isn’t sure if those schools will be willing to let them set up shop.
According to Torpy, though, Milford School has already given them the green light to use it as a polling place, and a possible meeting with Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert was tossed around to pitch to Hoffert that idea of maybe making Election Day an eLearning day for students so polls could be set up at the school.
Convincing Whitko Superintendent Dr. Brandon Penrod may be harder to do because Torpy said he was very unwilling to allow the Pierceton school to be used during the primary election until he checked with his legal team. While Penrod did eventually allow the site to be used, election board officials want to give school time to resume before reaching out and asking.
If Penrod would say no, that would mean voting polls would have to be placed in Sidney and at the Pierceton Community Center – where potential internet problems could come into play, along with Silver Lake having poor wi-fi connection.
For now, the election board will wait for more guidance to come from the state, and will continue to work out any kinks to help make Election Day tallying more efficient as “snow birds” and college students will return to the area and cast their votes.
Steve Shamo, general manager of Microvote, shared what he’s been experiencing and hearing from other states and Indiana counties when it comes to running an election amid the pandemic.
With a push for mail-in voting and a large number of absentee ballots expected, efficient counting on Election Night has come to the forefront for county clerks.
Shamo suggested that Kosciusko County Clerk Ann Torpy look at the ballots and see what races people will be looking at, then move counting those to the front of the pack so those numbers can get done “and we know we can report complete,” Shamo said.
But when it comes to contested races in Kosciusko County, Torpy said there isn’t really a “hot spot” race that will be more watched than another because the Superior Court III, commissioners and county council races are all at-large.
“So it’s just going to be the whole county where we could have a close race,”?Torpy said.
The board may need to vote to have workers begin opening and counting votes at 6 a.m. to help expedite the work, but because a governor’s order has expired, local election boards are still waiting on guidance from the state when it comes to what they’re allowed to do or not during the pandemic.
Because this year is a presidential election, Shamo warned of what election officials call a “Christmas mass. Because we’re going to see people we haven’t seen in a long time. You’re going to get people who didn’t know they had to register to vote,” he said to nodding heads.
When it comes to the topic of mail-in voting – something President Donald Trump has said will result in a fraudulent and rigged election – local officials said they haven’t had problems with that in the May primary or in years past.
The main reminder Torpy wants to tell voters is to make sure to sign your mail-in ballot. Without that person’s signature, the ballot is void and the clerk’s office would have to remail one to the voter.
Another thing local election officials were pondering Wednesday is where exactly voting polls will be located. In the May primary, they were able to use county schools. Now, schools will be open for class and Torpy isn’t sure if those schools will be willing to let them set up shop.
According to Torpy, though, Milford School has already given them the green light to use it as a polling place, and a possible meeting with Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert was tossed around to pitch to Hoffert that idea of maybe making Election Day an eLearning day for students so polls could be set up at the school.
Convincing Whitko Superintendent Dr. Brandon Penrod may be harder to do because Torpy said he was very unwilling to allow the Pierceton school to be used during the primary election until he checked with his legal team. While Penrod did eventually allow the site to be used, election board officials want to give school time to resume before reaching out and asking.
If Penrod would say no, that would mean voting polls would have to be placed in Sidney and at the Pierceton Community Center – where potential internet problems could come into play, along with Silver Lake having poor wi-fi connection.
For now, the election board will wait for more guidance to come from the state, and will continue to work out any kinks to help make Election Day tallying more efficient as “snow birds” and college students will return to the area and cast their votes.
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