Vote center resolution approved

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Efforts to bring vote centers to Jackson County continue to roll along as a resolution to designate the county as a vote center site has been put in place.

The passing of that resolution by county commissioners during their meeting Tuesday morning does not mean vote centers will be implemented for future county elections, but that the county is recognized as a designated site for vote centers by the Jackson County Commissioners.

A vote center is a polling place where any eligible voter in the county can go to vote on Election Day, as opposed to voting at a designated polling place.

The resolution is one step in the process of bringing vote centers to the county. The next step is having the Jackson County Council also approve a resolution recognizing the county as a designated vote center site.

That resolution is on the agenda for the council meeting at 6 p.m. today at the Jackson County Courthouse, 111 S. Main St., Brownstown.

Jackson County Clerk Melissa Hayes brought the resolution to the commissioners meeting Tuesday morning.

Commissioners President Matt Reedy asked her if vote center sites have been established, and Hayes said they have not. She said a vote center committee is about to be created that will decide where they will be located.

The commissioners then approved the resolution 3-0.

After obtaining resolutions from both the commissioners and council, the county election board will create a committee for vote centers that will meet to draft an official vote center plan over the next several months. The election board is comprised of Hayes, Republican Melissa Acton and Democrat Julie Rohlfing.

The next election board meeting will include discussions about who will be a part of the vote center committee. That meeting will be at 7 p.m. today in the voter registration office at the Jackson County Judicial Center, 109 S. Sugar St., Brownstown. The meeting is open to the public and press.

Once the plan is created, it will be open for public comment for at least 30 days.

From there, the plan must get approval from the county election board for vote centers to be used in future elections. The final step is filing the vote center plan at the Indiana Election Division, but state approval of the plan is not necessary.

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