County exploring voting process changes

The Dubois County Election Board is exploring changes to how voters would cast their ballots in future elections.

Under the current system which is called a precinct specific plan, Dubois County voters report to polling areas that serve their precincts and they are not able to vote at any other polling areas on Election Day.

Dubois County Clerk Amy Kippenbrock is advocating for the county to switch to vote centers. Simply put, vote centers are polling places where any eligible voter in the county may go to vote. They eliminate the need for traditional polling places and allow voters in the county more flexibility regarding where they cast their ballots. 

A vote center plan would at face value provide more voter convenience and could potentially increase voter turnout because of the ease of access to any voting center open on Election Day. This could also lead to lowering the cost to hold an election as well as streamline certain administrative aspects of the election process.

However, there are a few potential issues with moving to vote centers. Under the current plan, the county has to provide accessible polling areas for each precinct or within five miles of each precinct. Moving to the vote center plan would allow the county to provide one polling area per 10,000 registered voters in the county — in Dubois County that could be a minimum of four vote centers.

Currently, the county has 10 polling areas open on Election Day and according to Kippenbrock, she nor the election board wants to change the number of polling areas even if they go to vote centers.

It would be uncertain whether future county clerks and election boards would abide by that sentiment when they have the option to reduce the number of polling areas.

Former Democratic Party chair Joe Huddleston also pointed out during Friday’s meeting that having polling areas open to all registered voters could create a glut of voters at certain locations around the shift change times of major employers in Dubois County. If someone shows up to a poll near a major employer and finds a long line, they may not wait to vote.

But Kippenbrock feels that vote centers would increase voter participation and remedy issues voters have with reporting to the incorrect poll or being unable to make it to their specific polling place in time to vote after getting off work. “The most common complaint we receive is, ‘I can’t make it back to the polling place by 6 p.m. from work,'” she told the election board in her presentation.

The election board approved forming a study committee and discussed reaching out to individuals throughout the county to take part.

Kippenbrock will have to meet with the County Commissioners and Council to have them approve resolutions that they support moving to vote centers. Once formed, the study committee will work on drafting a plan for the change and hold two public meetings. A comment period is required for 30 days prior to adopting the plan. Then, the election board will have to approve the plan unanimously. Once they approve the plan, it will have to be filed with the state for final approval.