As Madison County Clerk and secretary to the Madison County Election Board, I feel it necessary to set the record straight in regard to the letter spreading false information about what happened with vote centers.
It is unfortunate that it has come to this, but I feel that it is my duty to let the voters know what actually happened.
Madison County has been discussing the idea of transitioning to vote centers for the last seven years.
It’s true that at the time, the idea didn’t have the support of both parties — now it does due to the paper trail provided by the new equipment.
Beginning last May, the Election Board began discussing the idea of transitioning for the 2020 primary election. We knew that we needed new voting equipment because what we were using was 13 years old, falling apart and unable to be utilized in another countywide election.
We were able to trade in our old equipment, which then lowered the total cost of the new equipment.
On top of that, the federal government is requiring counties to purchase equipment with paper audit trails by 2029, so we were able to get ahead of the curve in securing a safer, more accountable form of voting for the citizens of Madison County.
Being that the plan was to move toward vote centers in 2020, the Election Board knew we could purchase significantly less equipment because we would have less voting locations.
The only extra equipment that needed to be purchased for vote centers were e-poll books.
The Election Board planned to assist with the cost due to the fact that we would have utilized less poll workers, so the cost to the county would have been only $50,000.
In July 2019, the Election Board held meetings with members of the County Council, the IT Department, and two of the three commissioners to discuss the plans going forward.
Everyone was on board with transitioning to vote centers and fully understood why we were purchasing less equipment.
Once the November election was finished, the Election Board began to re-work the existing vote center plan from seven years prior. We decided to wait until we had it nearly finalized before we brought it to the public.
We held the public hearing in late January to present the plan and ask for comments.
The commissioners were not required to wait until the close of the 30-day public comment period to make their decision about vote centers, but they decided they would prefer to. Due to the State’s deadline, I informed them that they would have to hold a special meeting no later than March 2 to vote on a resolution, which in early February, they agreed to.
When two of the commissioners failed to vote on a resolution, the process of bringing vote centers to Madison County, which would have provided many people with a better opportunity to vote, was brought abruptly to a halt.
Having been left with no other option, the Election Board then knew the only way to run a successful countywide presidential election was to purchase more voting equipment.
Since COVID-19 hit at almost the exact same time as when the equipment needed to be purchased, the Election Board put the order on hold.
Since that time, the Election Board has urged all Madison County voters to vote absentee; however, there are many voters who still prefer to vote in person.
The Election Board is working to consolidate locations, but since we are still precinct-based (as opposed to with vote centers), voters will have to vote at the location in which they are assigned, which could result in long lines.
Further, mailing ballots to every voter in the county would not cost “a simple $50,000.” We have to pay to mail the application, then upon its return, pay to mail the ballot, and include a pre-paid envelope for voters to return the ballots.
With over 84,000 voters, the total cost of postage would exceed $150,000 — that doesn’t even include the cost of the ballots themselves, or the envelopes.
The courthouse will be open for early voting; however, we can only be open for one week prior to Election Day, as mandated by the state.
Asking courthouse employees to work six 12-hour days in a row is asinine to even consider. The courthouse will be open for 12 hours on Friday, May 29, but will be open during normal hours for the days preceding.
Finally, I would like to apologize to the voters for being put in this situation to begin with — we were simply trying to change things for the better.
For those interested, I would be more than happy to provide documentation to assist in your understanding as to what actually transpired.
Olivia Pratt
Madison County Clerk and Election Board Secretary
