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Wanted: Satellite voting site
Feb 15, 2012 (Herald-Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Wanted to rent: large room or building, wheelchair accessible, from early April to early May, and early October to early November. Cheap.
Monroe County Clerk Linda Robbins is looking for a place to offer early voting for both the May 8 primaries and the Nov. 6 general elections. State law requires that if early voting is offered for primary elections at a satellite site, the same site must also be available for general elections.
"That's our biggest hamper," Robbins said.
State election law also requires county clerks to offer early voting in their offices, so the Monroe County commissioners have officially designated the Curry Building annex as an extension of the clerk's office for early voting in years past, and it will be open for early voting in both 2012 elections.
But the Curry Building is not up to Help America Vote Act accessibility standards, and will likely be too small to accommodate the hoards of citizens who will want to vote before Election Day for presidential candidates, as well as numerous other state, local and federal offices.
"It's a 15-by-36 room, and even with new Franklin booths, even if we meet guidelines for pedestrian space, we can only get six voters in there, tops, and that's not enough," Robbins said.
The election board would like to find a second, larger site where voters could cast their ballots before Election Day.
It had been considering the former Mark Pi restaurant building on East Third Street, but it is not centrally located, as Robbins and fellow county election board members Judith Smith-Ille and Lorraine Farrell would prefer. Road construction on the Ind. 45/46 Bypass would also impede western Monroe County residents who want to vote there.
The building is available for the May and November elections, but Robbins found out recently that the owner wanted an early-buyout clause in a short-term lease.
The county is willing to rent a facility, but can't afford too much rent.
"Free is best," Robbins said.
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Offer a space
If you own a wheelchair-accessible space -- or one that could be easily made wheelchair accessible -- that would be available six days a week for a month leading up to both the May 8 primaries and Nov. 6 general elections, contact Monroe County Clerk Linda Robbins at 349-2600 or lrobbins@co.monroe.in.us. A facility with lots of parking, including handicap spots, in or near downtown Bloomington would be an ideal candidate.
___ (c)2012 the Herald-Times (Bloomington, Ind.) Visit the Herald-Times
(Bloomington, Ind.) at www.heraldtimesonline.com Distributed by MCT Information
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