Quorum Court says ‘No’ to voting centers

Quorum Court says ‘No’ to voting centers

Justices turn down Election Commission plan

news@theeveningtimes.com

Crittenden County will stick with 24 voting precincts in 2018 and will not experiment by making two of those sites vote centers where any voter can cast their ballot regardless of where they live.

With only ten of 13 justices present at the November meeting, the vote to allow the Election Commission to try vote centers failed to muster the votes needed to pass.

“We don’t have enough information or statistics to make an educated decision,” said Justice Kenneth Cross, who voted no. “We only have a handful of counties that are doing this.”

Vote centers are polling locations which allow any voter to cast a ballot rather than at their specific polling site where they are registered.

The county Election Commission brought the Quorum Court a proposal back in July to cut the number of polling sites in the county from 24 to 12 and to make each one a vote center.

The court rejected the idea of closing any of the 24 polling sites after several justices expressed concerns about the possibility of reduced voter turnout, but left themselves open to the idea of voting centers.

Election Commissioner Mike Farrah said the election commission wanted permission to try two vote centers in 2018.

“If we are going to do it, we need to start soon because we will be getting ready for the primary in January and we need to notify the state what we are doing,” Farrah said.

The election commission voted unanimously to make two of the 24 polling locations a vote center with one each in Marion and West Memphis.

Election Commission Chairwoman Dixie Carlson said they would need the Quorum Court’s approval and approval by the state.

“We voted to do that,” Carlson said. “We are just waiting on you.”

Justice Kenneth Cross questioned whether the vote was unanimous.

“You’re telling me the Democratic representative voted yes on voting centers?” Cross asked.

“Of course we did,” Carlson said. “So Miss (Veronica) Brooks voted unanimously with you all?” Cross asked. Carlson pointed out that former Earle Mayor Otis Davis was the Democrat Party representative on the election commission at the time, but stepped down to run again for mayor.

“She (Brooks) was not on the commission when we voted,” Carlson said.

“I’d like to see the minutes,” added Justice Stacy Allen.

Brooks said the only direction she got from the Democratic Central Committee was that they were opposed to closing any of the polling sites, and that she supports voting centers.

“I don’t see any harm in just trying,” Brooks said.

Justice Lisa O’Neal agreed and said she would like to see what happens.

“Let’s at least try,” O’Neal said.

Farrah said the 12 counties who have gone to voting centers overwhelmingly like them.

“Just speaking on the phone with county after county, my understanding is that voters adore it,” Farrah said. “It makes it easier to vote.”

Cross again reiterated that they have no data to back up whether voting centers increase voter turnout.

“Do you have any statistics on that?” Cross asked.

“That’s what I go on — numbers.”

Justice Stacy Allen agreed. “I feel like we are being suckered by the Election Commission,” Allen said.

Justice Hubert Bass questioned how having vote centers would disenfranchise any voters.

“If you have two vote centers and nothing else is closed, who does it hurt?”

Bass said. “I wouldn’t be for closing sites. But to have two centers and nothing else is closed, I don’t see a problem.”

Joyce Gray of West Memphis disagreed. Gray said voters who go to the polls and are turned away won’t go back a second time to a vote center.

“I’ve been in nearly every election West Memphis has had,” Gray said. “When they go to vote, if their name isn’t on the list they do not turn out to vote anywhere else. Those people are going home.”

Bass argued that having vote centers does away with that problem. A voter from West Memphis could decide to go to Walmart then go to a vote center in Marion and vote, Bass said. “If you don’t know where you vote, go to the vote center,” Bass said.

Gray said transportation getting to a vote center is also a concern for some voters.

“How are they going to get to the vote center?” Gray said. “I’m totally against this. Think about your constituents who put you here.”

County Judge Woody Wheeless said vote centers would be an enhancement to the voting system currently in place, and pointed out that early voting at the county courthouse is just like a vote center.

“What they are proposing to do is have every polling site open,” Wheeless said.

“So nothing is going to change. They will just have two of those polling sites and make it to where anybody can vote. It would be starting small because we’re not closing any polling sites. You’re not taking anything away from anybody. They can still go to the same polling site if they want to.”

But when it came time to vote whether to adopt the election commission’s recommendation to have two vote centers, the motion failed to get the nine votes needed to pass.

Cross voted no and Justices Allen, Tyrone McWright, and, ironically, Bass, all passed which is essentially a no vote. Justices Vickie Robertson, Ronnie Marconi, and Lorenzo Parker were not at the meeting.

A stunned Justice Albert Marconi asked Bass why he passed after singing the praises of the benefits of having vote centers.

“With all of the positives you just said, why would you vote no?” Marconi asked.

“I don’t see the negative in it,” Bass explained. “But looking long term it could be.”

By Mark Randall