Marshall County plans to further consider implementing a vote center concept during election season.
County Clerk Debbie Vandemark said the Election Board is ready to move ahead with the idea following the acquisition of electronic poll books. About 1/3 of the counties in Indiana are now using the model. Under the proposal, the polling sites in Marshall County could be used by anyone properly registered to vote and residing in the county.
Vandemark says the idea is to meet changing work schedules and environments.
“We’d be giving the flexibility to the voters to use any of our poll sites,” says Vandemark. “We have 29 precincts, we currently are using 14 poll sites.”
Votes are able to cast their ballot electronically and, through a secure internet connection, ballots are updated electronically.
Steps must first be taken by the Marshall County Election Board, including the development of a polling site plan.
The Indiana Election Board needs the vote center plans in place at least 60 days prior to Election Day. If Marshall County is unable to implement a plan before the May elections, the November elections would follow.
Vandemark says there are a few benefits to using the vote center model.
“Changing to vote centers isn’t going to cost us any more money,” says Vandemark. “The goal would be to reduce the number of sites that we have once we shift to that anybody can use any of these sites.”
In addition to allowing vote centers on Election Fay, the county would also need plans in place to allow early voting at the various vote centers.
The Commissioners gave their blessing to move forward. The election board will further develop plans at their meeting on Tuesday.
