Changes in election laws along with a shortage of available poll workers and updated equipment requirements have combined to pave the way for a different approach to how elections may be conducted in Kentucky.
In 2021, the General Assembly passed, and the governor signed House Bill 574, the most significant reform of Kentucky’s election system since 1891.
Allowing counties to operate voting centers is among the provisions in that bill.
Counties now have the option to create county-wide voting centers where any voter in the county may vote, regardless of precinct.
Each voting center can replace multiple voting precincts.
In 2020, this method shortened lines, saved tax dollars, and enfranchised voters, according to a release from the secretary of state’s office.
Citing a number of reasons, County Clerk Leslie Collier said the Lewis County Board of Elections has determined to have four vote centers for Lewis County for upcoming elections.
“Due to time constraints caused by the state, a possible lack of E-Poll Books, the unknown of how many months our fiscal court will be out that money before reimbursement, an extreme lack of election poll workers, and the deadline to order needed election equipment by mid-February, the County Board of Elections has decided host four countywide vote centers and one early voting location for both of the 2023 elections,” Collier said in announcing the change.
“In efforts to keep the vote centers consistent and intentionally located throughout the county, the vote centers will be located at Tollesboro Elementary School, Lewis County Middle School, Laurel Elementary School, and Garrison Elementary School,” Collier said.
“This means that any registered Lewis County voter can vote at any of the four vote centers on Election Day, no matter what precinct they reside in,” she explained.
Mail-in absentee ballots will still be available, as well as in person absentee/early voting for three days prior to the election on the third floor of the courthouse.
“We were reluctant to make this decision because of the changes it will create for some of our voters, but we feel that given the current circumstances and several unknowns, it will be the safest and most fiscally responsible election plan for this year,” Collier said.
“We want our voters to know that this does not necessarily mean that this voting plan is permanent, we plan to continue to recruit poll workers and explore all options,” she said.
“This year, the state has required all counties to purchase new E-Poll Books,” Collier said. “The State Board of Elections has allocated grant money to reimburse fiscal court for those, but we are unsure of the time frame for that money to be received.”
“That, paired with the time constraints, has caused nearly every county in the state to be pressed to make quick decisions so the new equipment will be received in time for the upcoming election.” Collier explained.
She said the short notice is a result of the state’s delayed legal procurement process and lack of communication between state entities.
“This legal process should have been completed in the fall of last year, but was just completed during the first week of February,” she said. “At January meetings, the State Board of Elections strongly encouraged county clerk’s to purchase only the equipment that was needed for their county, while several members of the Kentucky County Clerk Association voiced concerns of possible equipment shortages across the state with so little time before the election, not knowing what E-Poll Books would be available for purchase.”
Procuring poll workers has also become an issue for several counties across the commonwealth.
“As of February first, we had roughly 30 committed election poll workers for the May Primary, with responses coming from Google Forms collected on the Clerk’s Office Social Media page and running ads in the paper,” Collier said.
“The majority of those, with the exception of a few new-comers, have been faithful election workers for the last several years, she said. “We have also had a considerable number that have asked to be ‘retired’ from those positions after serving for decades.”
Collier said the clerk’s office is typically trying to find election poll workers up until the day before the election, to fill the 58 positions needed to operate all precinct voting locations safely and efficiently.
“This year, we do not have the extra three months to find workers,” she said.
“Lewis County Fiscal Court placed our E-Poll Book order February 6 and we are scheduled to receive those mid to late April, which does not give us much time for training to be setup and completed before the May 16th Primary Election,” she added.
Collier urges anyone with questions or concerns to call the clerk’s office or message their Facebook Page.
