"A vote center is a polling place where any eligible voter in the county may go to vote," according to the Indiana Election Division website.

   In 2007, three Indiana counties began testing vote centers as a new way for saving money and for offering voters more options on Election Day. In 2011, the legislature allowed all counties to move to vote centers. Since then, 30 out of 92 Indiana counties filed plans with the state to make the change.

   Franklin County Clerk Karla Bauman's office oversees local elections. She recently provided information about her proposal for vote centers in Franklin County.

   Currently, voters go to one of 23 precincts to cast a ballot on Election Day. With vote centers, a voter can cast a ballot at any vote center in the county. Clerk Bauman envisioned five vote centers with one in the center of the county and one in each of the four corners of the county. The only location Clerk Bauman mentioned was the county fairgrounds, because it is centrally located and has ample parking.

   To make this change, there must first be support from the county commissioners, county council and the election board. When Clerk Bauman previously approached the commissioners about vote centers, one commissioner was not in favor of the idea. He commented that vote centers could decrease voter turnout. Clerk Bauman offered her viewpoint that vote centers should increase turnout, because voters are not limited to voting at the precinct near their home.

   Second, county council would have to appropriate about $50,000 to $60,000 for new equipment. Clerk Bauman plans to ask for this additional money in the 2017 budget. Her office would begin in 2017 to be ready for vote centers in 2018.

   New electronic voting machines would be necessary, because the county currently has only 24 - one machine per precinct and a spare. Each vote center would need about 15 electronic voting machines for a total of 75.

   Vote centers require "secure internet" to operate. Election records have to be instantly available, because voters can go to any vote center and their data has to be accessible. Instantaneous access and updating of an "electronic poll book" would also prevent a person from voting at more than one location.

   A special high-speed printer would also have to be purchased for each vote center for "ballot on demand." Rather than printing stacks of paper ballots in advance of Election Day for each precinct, a voter's unique ballot would be printed at the vote center on Election Day. The voter's driver license would be scanned into the system, which would automatically print the proper ballot. The printer would require programming for all of the various races within the county.

   According to Clerk Bauman, there are several benefits to changing to vote centers, including cutting back on staffing, saving money in the future, and improving locations.

   Clerk Bauman talked about how hard it is to find poll workers, who are willing and able to work 14 hours or longer on Election Day. She estimated the number of election workers would be cut in half by using vote centers.

   Vote centers would save money currently spent on renting 24 polling places and on printing stacks of ballots in advance.

   Currently, there are challenges in securing good locations for voting. The Butler Township location has no phone service. Another location has to be cleaned before it is opened to the public.

   If county council approves money in the 2017 budget, Clerk Bauman can begin the transition. The earliest that the county could move to vote centers is 2018. "This is where elections are going," predicted Clerk Bauman.

   Fayette County switched to vote centers for the 2011 election and then changed back to precinct voting in 2012. Fayette County Clerk Melinda Sudhoff explained that they found the paperwork from vote centers was "not conducive" to doing the recount of the 2011 mayoral election. On the other hand, Clerk Sudhoff said that voters liked being able to vote for an entire week before Election Day at the vote centers. She added that Fayette County may return to vote centers at some time in the future after her term of office ends in 2018.

   To learn more about vote centers, visit http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/3574.htm.

 

FCCF Announces Changes to
Annual Grants Cycle

 

     After taking into consideration circumstances affecting the Franklin County Community Foundation's annual grant cycle, the Board of Directors and Staff of FCCF made the decision to make several changes to the grants program.

     Available grant funding for the grants cycle will be calculated after the end of our fiscal year, which is August 31, 2016. Grant amounts will be communicated to the community in December. There will be no request for Letters of Intent. Grant applications and guidelines will be available on the FCCF website, www.franklincountyindiana.com in December. Grant applications will be due at the FCCF office by 4:00 PM on Monday, January 23, 2017. If an applicant qualifies to receive a grant per our guidelines, an interview with the Grants Committee will be scheduled. The applicants and Grants Committee will meet for interviews the week of January 30, 2017. Recommendations for grants will be made to the FCCF Board of Directors for approval at their meeting in February, 2017. Applicants will be notified of grants or denials early in March, 2017.  Grant payments will be made beginning in March and final reports will be due by August 31, 2017.

     For more information about the FCCF and the grants program call (765) 647-6810 or e-mail at fcfoundation@yahoo.com.