Rusk County official suggests voting changes

By MELISSA TRESNER

Longview News-Journal
Wednesday, February 02, 2005

HENDERSON ? Rusk County commissioners heard a plan Tuesday morning to make elections less hectic and save money on federally-mandated electronic voting machines by consolidating polling locations, ping from 37 to 14.

Kathie Wittner, the voter registrar, told commissioners during their monthly meeting Tuesday that the county should stop using buildings owned by other entities.

Voting locations are set up at five public schools, seven churches, eight community buildings and two volunteer fire departments.

Wittner said scheduling conflicts have come up as well as security concerns at the schools. At the fire departments, there have been times when voters have blocked in firetrucks, she said. When the fire departments got a call, they were delayed, she said.

"A lot of problems have arisen with using public buildings," she said.

She recommended consolidating the boxes in each precinct, so only county-owned and maintained buildings would be used for voting.

One recommendation was to consolidate the four boxes within the Henderson city limits. All Henderson voters would vote at the Rusk County Courthouse, she said.

She said it would be up to the commissioners where to designate the other locations.

"Look at the maps and see what works best for you," she told them.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires that each polling location in the country have at least one Direct Record Electronic system by January so disabled voters can cast ballots unassisted.

Wittner said consolidating the boxes would save the county money because it could buy fewer of the costly machines and would need fewer clerks for elections.

She said the county expects to receive about $55,000 from the federal government to help purchase the machines, but with 37 locations, that would not go far. The machines she wants to purchase cost about $3,500 each.

Rusk County Judge Sandra Hodges said whatever action is taken to consolidate the locations has to be done by next month, according to state law.

After more than 30 minutes of discussion, commissioners decided to hold a workshop later this month to address the issue.

Also at Tuesday's meeting, commissioners approved a request from the sheriff's office to use one of the county-owned voting buildings in Kilgore as a sub-station.

Sheriff Glen Deason, who took office last month, said officers would have increased visibility by being able to use the building.

Deason also asked commissioners to designate a portion of the Rusk County Airport property for a vegetable garden to be tended by jail inmates. The request was unanimously approved ? with one commissioner, Jerry Weaver, absent.

Commissioners also:

? Approved a contract with the NET Data Corp. to install a new law enforcement computer program that sheriff's employees said would improve efficiency and reduce reporting errors. The system, including training and maintenance, will cost about $62,000, with payments beginning in January.

? Approved an insurance package from the Texas Association of Counties to cover jail inmates for third-party injury or negligence claims.

? Heard a report from Joel Hughes, the airport manager, about constructing hangars that later could be rented. Commissioners asked him to come back to the court after he had specifications for the hangars. No action was taken.

? Heard a report from Susan Weaver, director of the Depot Museum, about events in 2004. Weaver said the year had been the largest in terms of growth in the museum's 25-year history.