Regional clerks want voting centers, early voting to become permanent

To prevent election day crowding of polling places, the state adopted a plan that allowed for weeks of early voting, some expanded absentee voting and the use of dropoff boxes for people who didn’t want to mail their absentee ballot. The state also allowed counties to use large voting centers instead of trying to operate multiple precincts.

Adams’ office said Adams spoke with 115 of the state’s 120 county clerks after the election about their experience with the changes. In a press release, Adams said 92% of clerks want to use voting centers again and 79% support making early voting part of the normal election process.

People were able to request an absentee ballot through a state portal that was developed for the June primary and used again in the general election. The release from Adam’s office said 89% of clerks would like to see the portal used for absentee ballot requests in the future.

The release said 70% of clerks supported allowing voters to “cure” problems with absentee ballots, such as missing signatures or having signatures in the wrong places. The state allowed absentee ballots to be cured for most errors during the election.

Adams said he will advocate with legislators to make early voting, the absentee ballot portal, voting centers and signature cures for absentee ballots the law.

Hancock County Clerk Trina Ogle said she saw a large benefit from early voting.

“I would definitely like to keep early voting,” Ogle said. “It definitely allowed so many people who work in a factory to vote without taking a day off work.

“It gave them the opportunity to come in when it was convenient for them,” Ogle said.

Daviess County Clerk Leslie McCarty said previously she supports making early voting and absentee ballot dropoff boxes part of future elections. McCarty said she would like for future early voting to be shorter, and for the state to allow fewer reasons for ballots to be cured.

McLean County Clerk Carol Eaton said if early voting is used again, it should not go on for as long as it did for the November election. The plan approved by Adams and Gov Andy Beshear started early voting on Oct. 13 and included three Saturdays, before ending the evening before election day on Nov. 2.

“I didn’t like having three weeks,” Easton said. While some counties were able to hire additional election staff, the McLean County office ran the election with the staff already on hand.

“We are a small staff,” Eaton said, and managing the election was “a feat.”

“I think a week (of early voting) would be plenty,” Eaton said.

Ohio County Clerk Bess Tichenor Ralph agreed early voting should be shorter in the future. Three weeks is too long. Ten days is more than enough,” Ralph said.

Early voting was popular in the county, Ralph said.

“We have 7,300 people early vote,” she said. “The people who came to the courthouse (to vote early) said, ‘Can you do this all the time, Bess?’ ”

Ohio County had three voting centers, which Ralph said worked out well.

“We loved them and the public loved them,” Ralph said. “I did not get any complaints. Voting centers are less confusing for voters than precincts because a person might live closer to a precinct than the one where they vote, Ralph said.

Ogle said she also liked the voting centers. “You didn’t see voters running to different precincts if they went to the wrong precinct.”

Hancock County had three voting centers, instead of operating the county’s 10 precincts. Ogle said she heard no complaints about voting centers, but added, “I’m sure there were some people that weren’t happy about it.”

McLean County had one voting center at the clerk’s office, but also operated all of its precincts.

“We had a huge number come through the office,” Eaton said. “We had over 2,200 come through” out of 4,802 total ballots cast.

Counties were also provided with ballot dropboxes for people who didn’t want to mail in their absentee ballot. McLean County’s one dropbox was used frequently, Eaton said. But concerns about the ability of the postal office to deliver ballots were unfounded in the county.

“We would put a ballot in the mail today … and (the voter) would have it tomorrow,” Eaton said. “We had very few mishaps.”

There was expanded absentee voting in the fall election, with people who had a concern about exposure to COVID-19 allowed to vote absentee, along with people who can normally vote absentee, such as people who won’t be in their home county on election day. When asked about expanded absentee voting, Ralph said all methods that allow more people to vote should be used.

“I think the goal is people want to vote … and we should make it as safe and easy as we can,” Ralph said.

James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse