In a little under 18 weeks, you will be going to the polls to vote in the 2012 Primary Election. The Starke County Election Board members appeared before the county commissioners this week seeking approval of new consolidated polling locations. Election Board President Pat Mitchell said they learned a lot from last year’s Municipal Election and that helped them in the decision to consolidate throughout the county.
Members of the Starke County Election Board, Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski and Voter Registration Deputy, Randi Beem, recently attended the 2012 Election Conference in Indianapolis.
Five awards were given at the conference and two of those awarded were given to Starke County. Pat Mitchell and Jim Henriott received the “County Election Board Members of the Year” Award. This award is given to county Election Board members whose service embodies bipartisan cooperation in the administration and election process, and whose achievement is to represent one political party while serving all county voters.
The Starke County Election Board set absentee voting times for the November Municipal General Election yesterday. Absentee voting will be available Saturday, October 29th and Monday, October 31st through Saturday, November 5th from 8:00 a.m. to Noon and from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in the Starke County Courthouse. On Thursday, November 3rd, the hours will be from 1:00-4:00 and from 5:00-9:00 p.m.
The Travel Board will start collecting votes beginning October 20th.
The Starke County Election Board met Wednesday morning where the Board discussed consolidating voting precincts beginning with the 2012 Primary Election.
Several precinct voting locations would change for the Primary Election in May.
The Starke County Election Board will be meeting this morning to discuss a number of items needed for the General Election on Tuesday, November 8th.
Clerk Evelyn Skronski says the Board will touch on a few other items including the consolidation of some precincts.
“We’re going to try and consolidate some so we can eliminate some of the precinct costs,” said Skronski. “We’re also going to talk about a grant that’s available to make the precincts more handicapped accessible. Those are available through the State. We received one last year so I don’t know how good our chances are this year, but we’re going to discuss putting in for that. Of course, the public is always welcome to attend our meetings.”
The Starke County Election Board appeared before the County Commissioners last week to get approval of the new boundaries for the State Senate Districts and the State House Districts as a result of the State’s redistricting process. County Clerk, Evelyn Skronski, said that two districts will represent Starke County for the House.
The Starke County Election Board is still considering consolidation of many polling places in Starke County.
“Yes, we’re going to consolidate some more precincts as soon as we decide which ones we can put together so we’re not overly populated at any precinct.”
The Starke County Election Board met yesterday in its first meeting since the Spring Primary Election where the Board members discussed the election.
Board President, Pat Mitchell, was asked if he thought the first election with the consolidation of the four Center Township precincts was a success.
The Starke County Election Board is gearing up for its first election with the consolidation of four precincts into one this spring. Center one, two, three and four precincts will all vote in the Knox Community Center.
Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. CT, the public will be able to test the voting machines. The testing will be done on the first floor of the Courthouse.
Following the testing, the Election Board will meet. The Board will discuss the amendment of a resolution regarding the relocation of the precincts and the number of poll workers.
The Starke County Election Board will meet today at 10:00 a.m. in the second floor meeting room of the Courthouse. The three member board will be conducting a poll worker review for the 2011 Municipal Election, proofing the 2011 primary ballots for the City Election, and conducting other business that might come before the Board.
The 2011 City Election is important since it will be the first since the consolidation of Knox’s four precincts.
“We’re consolidating Center one, two, three and four from their current locations to the Knox Community Center,” said Evelyn Skronski, Election Board Secretary and Election Administrator. “Hopefully this is going to make it more cost effective and voter comfortable.”
Skronski said depending on how well the City Election goes, there might be some other consolidation before the 2012 election.
“We’re considering consolidation precincts in Wayne, Washington, Oregon, and California and relocating a couple of others. This could happen in 2012 for the next Presidential Election.”
Skronski said the consolidation seems to be a good move.
“Voting Centers have been in the news a lot lately and this is just one trial run step towards seeing if consolidation will work.”
We asked her about the set up at the Knox Community Center for the Spring
Primary.
“There will be two inspectors and the judges, clerks and sheriffs. The voters will come in the front door and split off; one and two to the left and three and four to the right and they will continue on just like they would if they were at their regular precincts.”
Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Marvin Allen of Knox is this year’s recipient of the Indiana Historical Society’s Hubert Hawkins History Award. The award is made annually to a local historian for his or her distinguished service and career in local history.
Two trees from Hensler Nursery were delivered to the Statehouse this week.
Stiff buttons could be a problem in the spring.
The Starke County Election Board met last week and one of the topics of conversation was whether to have an inspection of the voting machines. Clerk, Evelyn Skronski, said among the problems noticed on some of the machines was that the buttons to cast votes were sticking. Also, it’s felt that some of the connections are bent. In the end, it was decided to being the MicroVote company in to give certain machines a thorough cleaning. If any of the machines do not pass, they will have to be replaced or repaired. The cost for going over the machines is $50.00 apiece.
The Starke County Election Board has scheduled a post election meeting for Friday, December 10th, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in the 2nd floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse.
The Board, consisting of President Pat Mitchell, Vice President Jim Henriott and Clerk Evelyn Skronski, will review the 2010 election, make plans for the 2011 City Election and approve election workers. The public is invited to attend the meeting.
