The Starke County Election Board members made a slight change to the proposed Vote Center Plan last week.
Clerk Bernadette Welter-Manuel said the time is extended at the satellite voting sites that will be open to voters the two weeks prior to Election Day. The Koontz Lake Association Building and the North Judson-Wayne Township Public Library are two proposed sites for early voting. They would be open Monday through Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday from noon to 6 p.m., Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Welter-Manuel noted that the only thing that needs to be decided is which site will be open during which of the two weeks prior to Election Day.
The Vote Center Plan is still open for public comment and is available in the Clerk’s Office for review. Comments can be submitted on cards available at the Clerk’s Office. The county commissioners asked the Starke County Election Board to look into the move to Vote Centers for the convenience of voters and to save the county in election costs.
The move to a Vote Center county would allow any eligible voter the chance to vote at any of the seven Vote Centers proposed in the draft plan. They would be located at Koontz Lake Property Owners Building, Hamlet Fire James R. Hardesty Community Building, Washington Township Community Building, Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in Knox, North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department, San Pierre Fire Department, and the Bass Lake-California Township Fire Department on Election Day.
The public comment period ends Jan. 2. The Starke County Election Board plans to vote on the plan in a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 9:30 a.m. in the second floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse.
