Early voting in
Porter County for the 2015 municipal primary elections is scheduled to begin
on Tuesday, April 7, in Chesterton, Portage and Valparaiso, but not in the
two southern municipalities of Kouts and Hebron.
At the County
Election Board meeting Friday, Democratic member J.J. Stankiewicz suggested
Hebron as a fourth early voting location, but neither Republican member
Board President David Bengs nor County Clerk Karen Martin, also a
Republican, called for or gave a second to the motion.
Bengs at the
board’s previous meeting however had talked about having a south county
location.
The board voted
unanimously on the three same early voting locations the County has had
since 2012, except there will be a switch of rooms inside the County
Administration Building which serves as the Valparaiso location.
The County Election
Board voted 3-0 Friday to move early voting to Room 309 on the upper level
of the County Administration Building, going against the tradition of having
it inside the Voters Registration office, which is on the lower floor.
Bengs said the
County Commissioners gave their permission to use Room 309, which is next
door to the Plan Commission office. It had been used as an office for the
County Assessor but was vacated sometime last year.
Sitting in on the
board’s meeting, County Democratic Party Chair Jeff Chidester asked, “Is
there a reason why it’s moving out of Voters Registration Office, where it’s
always been?”
“I don’t want it
near Voters Registration. I don’t want those offices that close to the
voters. I think that’s best,” Bengs said.
Last year, Bengs
and Martin voted to move early voting to the Porter County Courthouse after
Republicans raised concerns about having voting in the same office space
with Voters Registration Democrat Director Kathy Kozuszek present, who then
was the Democrat candidate for County Clerk.
Stankiewicz had
hesitated on his vote for the room change, first wanting verification that
the room met the requirements for early voting. A unanimous vote is required
to establish an early voting center somewhere other than in the offices of
the County Clerk.
The other locations
approved are the north rotunda at the County’s North Complex in Portage and
at Chesterton Town Hall.
Hours for early
voting will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Voting
will also take place on Saturday, May 3, at the same hours and locations.
The board also
approved letting 16 and 17 year-olds with written permission from their
schools to work the polls on Election Day -- Tuesday, May 5.