The Starke County Election Board will put the finishing touches on its draft vote center plan today, before presenting it to the public next week. So far, the election board and county commissioners have settled on a list of seven vote center locations.
What still needs to be determined is how many poll workers will be needed. Board Member Harrison Fields felt that the sheriff’s position should be retained under the vote center model, but others pointed out that sheriffs are not normally used in other vote center counties.
The draft plan is expected to be presented during Monday’s joint county council and commissioners meeting. Residents will then have a chance to comment on it, before final action is taken in January.
Another topic of discussion this morning will be poll worker pay. Under the 2020 budget, poll workers will get a $10 pay raise, but the county will no longer cover the cost of meals. That’s drawn concerns from Fields, who has said that poll workers are threatening to quit because of the change.
The Starke County Election Board is also expected to review two provisional ballots from last week’s North Judson election. This morning’s meeting starts at 9:30 in the second floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse.
