The first day of candidate filing ended with a few contested races in Starke County. District 2 County Commissioner Don Binkley has filed to run for reelection. He faces opposition from county council member Bryan Cavender. Meanwhile, Dale Conley and Howard A. Bailey Jr. have both filed for the County Council District 2 seat.
Whether the Starke County Election Board should have a fixed meeting schedule in 2018 was a topic of a heated debate during last week’s meeting.
The Starke County Election Board has decided to proceed with upgrades to the county’s 46 voting machines. Steve Shamo with vendor MicroVote said the goal is to bring the machines up to the latest federal standards, in time for the 2020 presidential election. Continue reading
The Starke County Clerk’s Office is getting its new early voting location ready for the May primary. In-person absentee voting will still take place in the Starke County Courthouse, but it will move from the Clerk’s Office on the second floor to a meeting room on the first floor.
Pay levels for Starke County poll workers are in line with those in the rest of the state, according to Clerk Vicki Cooley. Continue reading
Whether utility vehicles should be allowed on Starke County roads will be discussed during tonight’s county commissioners meeting.
Starke County Clerk Vicki Cooley wants to modernize the election process and make absentee voting at the courthouse more accessible. She spoke to the commissioners Monday about the addition of e-poll books to replace the paper voter lists used at polling sites around the county. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners are a step closer to formally seeking a grant to replace the courthouse elevator. They conducted a public hearing as part of that process during their meeting last night. Continue reading
Starke County voters may notice a new piece of technology the next time they head to the polls. County Clerk Vicki Cooley is recommending that the county purchase e-poll books. Under the new system, voters would sign their name on a digital tablet when they go to cast their ballot, rather than a traditional paper book.
The Starke County Election Board wants to make it easier for voters to cast their ballots early at the courthouse. On Wednesday, board members discussed moving in-person absentee voting from the second floor to a meeting room on the first floor, according to County Clerk Vicki Cooley.
A handful of part-time county employees could be getting pay raises following Monday action by the Starke County Council. They agreed to create a “skilled part-time” wage classification as part of the salary ordinance. Continue reading
The Starke County Council has tabled a request from Clerk Vicki Cooley to raise the hourly wage for her part-time election clerk until more information can be gathered. Continue reading
The Starke County Clerk’s Office has not experienced any unusual problems with voting machines or registrations. Clerk Vicki Cooley wants to reassure local voters given the ongoing Indiana State Police investigation into possible fraudulent voter registration and concerns that systems may be hacked. Starke County does use electronic voting machines, but they are not connected to the internet. Additionally Cooley says vendor MicroVote is certified by the federal and state government. Continue reading
Prospective voters in today’s Starke County municipal and referendum elections must cast ballots in the precincts in which they reside, according to Starke County Clerk Vicki Cooley Continue reading
Proposed renovations to the Starke County Courthouse and old jail building across the street will start next spring and wrap up by the end of 2016 under a timeline adopted last night by the county commissioners. Plans call for the former jail building to be turned into office space for Starke County Community Corrections and the probation department. Purdue Extension will move from the courthouse into the basement, and space will be incorporated for a county morgue facility. Continue reading
Starke County Election Board officials are attempting to correct absentee ballot issues.
Starke County Clerk Vicki Cooley said they reviewed the ballots that were built using a common procedure set forth by the state. After the ballots had been built, the board was notified of an ordinance enacted by the city that differs from state procedure.
Improvements will be done to the North Bend Township polling location thanks to a Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant.
According to Starke County Clerk Vicki Cooley, the county was awarded the grant worth $24,459.35. The money will be used to upgrade the handicapped accessibility at that site. The improvements will be done this spring. Proposals for the work will be taken soon.
