The Starke County Election Board members discussed, at length, Wednesday morning the elevator construction project at the Starke County Courthouse in Knox.
The commissioners gave a project timeline during their most recent meeting that will affect early voting in the May Primary Municipal Election. It will affect where early voting will take place leading up to May 7.
When there is an elevator concern, early voting is typically held in a room on the first floor of the Starke County Courthouse where it is a secured location and equipment can be stored properly to prevent security issues. However, that room is expected to be used by the contractors for storage of tools or other equipment throughout the duration of the construction of the elevator which is expected to continue through the early voting time.
Starke County Election Board member Peg Brettin researched satellite locations around the City of Knox, but couldn’t find a place where security of the machines and voters would meet requirements.
During last week’s commissioners meeting, it was suggested that if early voting has to be housed in the second floor conference room that members of Starke County EMS can assist early voters up the stairs to cast a vote. The possibility of carrying voters up the stairs to vote was raised as a concern, which Election Board Members Harrison Fields and Peg Brettin found unacceptable.
“This idea to carry people up these stairs is absolutely ridiculous,” said Fields.
Brettin commented, “These people should deserve the same right and have the same access to a polling place disabled or not. This is regarding the voters and not the convenience of a contractor.”
“That’s my position,” added Fields. “I don’t think it’s fair to the voters.”
Fields and Brettin believe that the contractors’ equipment can be stored in a different location to allow early voting to be accessible on the first floor of the courthouse.
They both commented that all of the Election Board members should have been notified of the construction meetings so this issue could have been remedied sooner.
The matter will be taken back to the Starke County Commissioners at their meeting on Monday, March 4.
