South DSM News

The Election Board in Madison County is holding meetings to determine how the primary on May 5 will be handled.

The Election Board declared in February that the county will assign voting centers in time for the May primary.

The County Council confirmed a commitment to make Madison County a voting center hub. The deadline to approve the voting center proposals and file them was on March 5. The proposals were turned in to the Indiana State Election Board.

If the vote center proposal were not approved by March 3, by default, the primary would have been held at 111 pre-approved polling sites instead of the 28 voting centers. It will cost an estimated $850,000 to acquire the additional paper ballot voting machines needed for the centers.

Last November, the Board of Commissioners authorized a 10-year lease with the Star Bank for $976,995 to buy 170 new paper ballot voting machines. This was a quick decision so the county could implement the fewer voting centers so that the citizens could vote in the 2020 election cycle.

This February, the Madison County Board of Commissioners failed to vote on a similar resolution and declined to set a special meeting for the month.

Madison County Clerk Olivia Pratt said they haven't heard anything from the public. However, she said voters began commenting when the commissioners failed to vote on the proposal.

“We have not gotten many public comments,” Pratt said. “We did get some after the commissioners decided not to vote on the proposal."

Additionally, Pratt said if the proposal for the voting center is approved, the county would receive restored electronic poll books and additional software at no cost to the county. However, Pratt did say the county would have to pay $50,000 for implementation.

Commissioner John Richwine said the plan for the voting centers would be the best path for the county to take. He said the commissioners have been talking about the voting centers since July 2019.

“It would be in the best interest of the community,” he said. “We have been discussing vote centers since last July.”