The Madison County Election Board earlier this year proposed moving to a vote center concept, which is a polling place where any voter may go to vote.

The vote center concept is one that I support.

However, mysteriously, the election board, led by the Republican and Democrat Party chairmen, refused to move forward with the idea for nearly a decade.

At the end of January, the election board abruptly changed course and attempted to rush the required approval of both the county council and the county commissioners even before the required 30-day public input period had expired.

Not only did this leave the commissioners, who share responsibility for fair and accurate elections, with zero days to spare, the board also provided no prior consultation about their plan with commissioners.

Public concerns and complaints were directed at the election board during a hastily called meeting with just two days’ notice. Members of the public complained about polling sites, who selected them, no public involvement, no minority representation, a lack of planning and forethought, and a rush to implement new technology in just a matter of days.

Only three Indiana counties implemented vote centers for the 2020 presidential election and only after strong partnerships with the public and others, focusing on implementing critical technology safeguards, and educating voters to changes.

Consequently, when the election board asked the commissioners to spend over $100,000 and rubber stamp their decision at the last minute, I voiced the concerns expressed by the public and voted “no.”

Despite previous claims, they then said they could only run the election by spending nearly $850,000 of taxpayer money to buy more voting machines, and I said, “no.” Again.

In 2019, the commissioners fully approved the election board’s request for new paper ballot machines.

Election board members confirmed then that they were unable to agree on implementing vote centers and would continue with traditional precinct style voting. In spite of this, when the new machines were purchased, they traded in more than 400 perfectly fine voting machines.

The facts were clear. A rushed last-minute change was a recipe for disaster. Remember the Iowa caucuses? For these reasons, the commissioners denied the request 2-1.

The following week, Commissioner John Richwine called a special meeting for the sole purpose of re-voting the defeated resolution. Because the resolution had already been fully discussed, debated and defeated, Richwine attended alone.

Three days later, Commissioner Richwine called yet another special meeting to spend between $800,000 and $1 million to buy another 170 voting machines to replace the ones traded in. This was also defeated.

Once again, for a fraction of the cost, I reiterated a plan to the election board to administer a successful and safe election during the COVID-19 outbreak:

1. Be proactive. Send every registered voter in Madison County an application for an absentee ballot to vote by mail.

2. Consolidate precinct voting locations to reduce the number of poll workers needed.

3. Allow early voting from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., six days per week, once the courthouse reopens.

The election board should adjust to the realities of the moment. Rather than diverting nearly a million dollars of taxpayer money away from critical services, the election board should be thoughtful with their next steps, considering all options, and protecting the most vulnerable among us.

After all, why should taxpayers pay nearly $1,000,000 for equipment demonstrated to be unnecessary when a simple $50,000 solution allows the elderly, and others who choose, to vote from the safety of their homes during this time of uncertainty.

Mike Phipps Madison County Commissioner, Lapel