Starke County Election Board Considers Potential Vote Center Locations

A list of potential vote center locations was presented to the Starke County Election Board Wednesday. Clerk Bernadette Welter-Manuel’s proposal calls for seven vote centers. They would be located at the Koontz Lake Property Owners Association Building, the Washington Township Community Building, the Hamlet Fire Station, the Bass Lake Fire Station, and the North Judson Fire Station. Welter-Manuel presented some options for the Knox and San Pierre vote centers.

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Starke County Election Board Schedules Informational Meetings on Vote Centers

Starke County voters have a few chances to learn about a potential switch to vote centers. The first town-hall-style meeting will be held Wednesday, September 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Washington Township Community Building. Additional meetings are tentatively scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on October 9 at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in Knox and October 10 at a location still to be determined in North Judson.

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Starke County Election Board to Set Up Satellite Early Voting Site in North Judson

North Judson voters won’t have to travel to Knox to cast their ballots early ahead of November’s municipal election. Starke County Clerk Bernadette Welter-Manuel told the rest of the county election board last week that since North Judson is the only town having an election this year, she’d like to set up a satellite absentee voting location there.

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Starke County Clerk Shares Concerns with Election Board

Starke County Clerk Bernadette Welter-Manuel is trying to establish some ground rules with the rest of the county election board. During a contentious meeting last week, Welter-Manuel read from a prepared statement outlining a list of concerns. “One, I will only be attending properly posted public election board meetings going forward,” she said. “With this being said, I won’t take any action on anything that comes out of any other said meetings. I will not be answering anymore to where my clerks are at any meetings or events. They are my employees, my sole decision to have them or not. The budget that I give to run my office does not need approval or a vote from this board.”

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Starke County Election Board Working to Collect Fine from Former Coroner

Collecting unpaid fines for late campaign finance reports is proving to be a challenge for the Starke County Election Board. During last week’s meeting, it was learned that former Coroner Dannie Hoffer Jr. still hadn’t paid his $150 fine. Election officials said the matter was sent to small claims court, but Hoffer apparently refused to sign for the documents when he was notified by certified mail.

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