PRESENTED BY: The Decatur County Election Board and the Decatur County Vote Center Committee
and Adina Roberts, Decatur County Clerk
LOCATION: Greensburg Learning Center 422 E. Central Avenue
Greensburg, IN 47240
DATE: September 28, 2021
TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
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This meeting will present the finalized plan to the public. Voters will have up to thirty (30) days after this meeting to file a comment with the County Clerk’s Office on the vote center plan.
**Whether in favor or against this plan.** The last day to file a comment would be October 28th.
PROPOSED
Decatur County VOTE CENTER PLAN
2021
Decatur County Vote Center Study Committee
Ryan Maddux
Jeremy Pasel
Chris Ramey
Adina Roberts
Chris Stephen
Jennifer Sturges
Proposed:
VOTE CENTER AND SATELLITE VOTE LOCATION
In compliance with IC 3-11-18.1-4, the Decatur County Election Board proposes to adopt a plan for the establishment of Vote Centers in Decatur County, to provide more convenient, efficient and cost-effective voting access and procedures for all Decatur County voters. The effective date of the Order approving the plan is ______________.
Pursuant to the statute, the Vote Center Plan includes the following information:
(A) The population of Decatur County, according to the 2010 Census is 25,740
(B) Total number of registered voters within Decatur County. 16,881
(C) Total number of active voters within Decatur County. 16,287
(D) Total number of inactive voters within Decatur County. 594
The total number of voting centers will be eleven (11).
The following are suggested vote center locations to be opened on Election Day from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (The following locations will be reviewed and amended prior to each election cycle.)
1. First Christian Church, 425 N. Broadway St., Greensburg
2. Knights of St. John, 312 S. Wilder St., Greensburg
3. Community Church of Greensburg, 1427 W. Vandalia Rd., Greensburg
4. Bruner Event Center, 100 N. Webster St., St. Paul
5. Clay Township Fire Dept., 8433 W. County Road 100 S., Greensburg
6. Clarksburg Fire Dept., 6645 N. County Road 700 E., Rushville
7. Letts Fire Dept., 4474 W. County Road 700 S., Greensburg
8. Millhousen Fire Dept., 7935 S. County Road 250 E., Greensburg
9. New Point Community Building., 8041 E. County Road 195 S., Greensburg
10. Westport Community Building, 205 W. Main St., Greensburg
11. Greensburg Public Library, 1110 E. Main St., Greensburg
(see Certification that each location above is accessible to voters with disabilities as required by the Help America Vote Act and the American with Disabilities Act.)
The following are the suggested satellite vote center locations to be open, one on each of the two Saturdays prior to the election from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
1. New Point Community Building, 8041 E. County Road 195 S., Greensburg
2. Westport Community Building, 205 W. Main St., Greensburg
Absentee voting will be in the Clerk’s Office 28 days prior to the Election, including two Saturdays prior to the Election.
NOTE: Voters from every precinct may vote at any location or satellite vote center location. Every ballot style for each precinct in Decatur County will be available at each vote center and each satellite vote center (Depending on the election, the number of ballot styles varies greatly; therefore, this plan does not attempt to provide a specific number of ballot styles). Each vote center will be equipped with provisional ballots for each precinct if the need would arise. Each vote center and early vote center will be connected to all other vote centers or early vote centers (as well as to the County Election Board) via electronic poll books connected via secured personal MiFi units. At least two electronic poll book terminals will be available at each location. Each location, depending on the election, will also have at least one precinct election board, meaning an inspector, two clerks and two judges of the opposite parties.
VOTING EQUIPMENT
Decatur County will be using Microvote Infinity machines. Because the Microvote Infinity are Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting system, the requirement in Indiana Code 3-11-18.1-14 that requires ballots to be kept separately by precinct is easily met. Just as in traditional elections, at the end of the Election Day, votes will still be tallied and reported by precinct.
Before each election that a public test is performed no later than the start of absentee early voting to ensure all the voting panels are working as expected for absentee and Election Day voting. The equipment is then sealed and transported as required under state law.
ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK
Decatur County will be using KNOWINK innovative election solutions for its electronic poll book. The electronic poll book will be securely connected to every vote center and the County Election Board at the Decatur County Courthouse on Election Day. It will securely connect every in person absentee voting site and satellite voting center and meets all standards set out by Indiana Law under IC 3-11-8-10.3, In addition, KNOWINK election managers have intimate knowledge and experience with electronic poll books.
ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK DESCRIPTION AND SECURITY DETAILS
The hardware, software and firmware used for the poll pad, will be utilizing the KnowInk Poll Pad. The poll pad e-poll book application software runs on the Apple IPad tablet. This system is currently certified by the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office. The operating system holds the highest security certification from NIST-FIPS 140-2. The Poll Pad system interfaces with Indiana State Voter Registration System (INSVRS) certified system.
Before each election our KnowInk, Polling Pads go through a rigorous acceptance testing to ensure they are performing as expected.
Per IC 3-11-15-46 the Poll pads will be delivered to the Satellite polling locations via the Decatur County Election Boards security protocol. The poll pads will only be accessible when a member of each party enters their undisclosed password. The number of voters on the machines and the number of voters in the poll pad will be checked and balanced each day. After Each machine and poll pad will unsealed and opened in the presence of bipartisan workers.
In the event of a power failure at each or one vote center, the voting machines and poll pad will be switched to battery backup. Also, paper back up ballots will be available per IC 3-11-3-11For obvious reasons, if the safety of the voters and or poll workers is ever at risk, the Decatur County Security Plan will go into effect with instructions from the Decatur County Clerk, Decatur County Election Board, Decatur County EMA, and the Decatur County Sheriff.
METHOD FOR PROVIDING DATA
The E-Poll books from KNOWINK come with printers that will attach to each unit that will allow election officials at central point to print a list of voters who have voted by precinct. Per IC 3-11-18.1-4(16) will allow reports to be issued to both county chairs upon request. Any reports can also be downloaded and emailed out upon request.
SATELLITE VOTER CENTERS
Satellite vote centers are sites that may be open during the 28-day period prior to each Election Day. Satellite vote centers are places where any voter in the county may vote early absentee-in-person. As required under IC 3-11- 18.1-4(15), Decatur County will designate at least one satellite vote center, in addition to the Decatur County Court House, and that site will also be a vote center on Election Day and will be open for voting the two preceding Saturdays before Election Day.
ABSENTEE BOARD
Each county chairman will be notified no later than fifty (50) days before each election to provide names of party representatives needed for the absentee voter boards.
Each absentee and satellite absentee voting center will be staffed by two Absentee Election Board members (one (1) Republican and one (1) Democrat) to be chosen by their respective parties, no later than 12:00 Noon forty-six (46) days before the election. One (1) member of the Decatur County Clerk’s Office will be available at all time to train and guide workers through the process.
One team will work the duration of the Absentee Voting hours at the Decatur County Courthouse, while the other team will travel to either the New Point Community Building or the Westport Community Center on the applicable Saturdays, as well as be alternates for the team at the Courthouse in the event of illness/emergency. For the Satellite Absentee team, all equipment will be transported by the Clerks Office Employee to and from the voting location.
POLL WORKERS
On Election Day, all Vote Centers will be staffed by either five (5), seven (7) or nine (9) poll workers. This includes one (1) Inspector (party based on Secretary of State election results), two (2) bipartisan clerks, two (2) bipartisan assistant poll clerks, two (2) bipartisan judges and two (2) bipartisan sheriffs shall be selected by the County Chairmen of their respective parties. The number of Poll Workers per location will be assigned by the County Election Board according to the size and location of the vote center.
All poll workers are required to attend all poll worker training provided by Decatur County. Lack of participation in poll worker training will result in removal of that individual from being a poll worker for that election. Decatur County hopes to also have alternates available, who have also completed training, in the event of illness/emergency on or prior to Election Day.
The number of workers, electronic poll books and voting machines sent to each location will be determined and may be changed by the County Election Board at their discretion.
VOTER EDUCATION
Decatur County has a full media and community outreach strategy that will involve press releases to newspapers and radio stations. In addition, we will use our county website decaturcounty.in.gov to prepare Decatur County citizens for this change. Also, each voter in the county will receive a postcard in the mail prior to the initial election, informing them of this change and where each vote center is located. The Decatur County Election Board and the Circuit Court Clerk’s and staff will make every effort to attend community events to speak about the changes.
VOTE CENTER LAYOUT EXAMPLE ONLY
The number of machines will vary by vote center.
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Entrance/Exit
ELECTION RESULTS
JUDGES
TABLE
CLERKS
TABLE
INSPECTOR
Decatur County tabulates absentee and election day results on Election Day at the Decatur County Election (cage) located within the Courthouse basement. Absentee voting by mail will be counted by optical scan ballots, followed by DRE machines for the traveling board. Satellite voting centers and absentee voting at the courthouse will be tabulated after mail-in voting ballots have been completed. Vote Centers bipartisan team will deliver on the media cards containing the election results after the polls close at 6:00 PM. Tabulation of each vote centers submission will occur on a first come first serve basis. Once Election results are tabulated the report by precinct will be released to the public periodically throughout the process.
Election results are canvassed by the bi-partisan County Election Board for a period ending not later than the second Friday following election day and results are officially certified to the state not later than noon, the second Monday before Election Day. This time frame allows the County Election Board the verify all the results from mail in ballots or Provisional Ballots are accurately processed.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The following narrative describes what would happen in case of an emergency during an election. The first responders to any emergency, either man-made or a natural event, are local citizens. Poll workers, volunteers, and police and fire personnel will be the first to identify the problem. The next level of response will come from the Decatur County Commissioners and Decatur County Election Board in cooperation with the local emergency management agency. If deemed necessary by the County Commissioners, the Office of the Secretary of State’s Election Division will be contacted for emergency assistance.
Five general situations exist in which decision-making may occur regarding the election process and activities in Decatur County:
• Situation Normal – the status quo exists and the process moves forward according to normal laws and procedures.
• Isolated Emergencies – individual precincts or parts of the county experience disruption to the election process and local agencies respond accordingly.
• Regional Emergencies – an emergency involving Decatur County and neighboring counties exists and a state-level response is required.
• Catastrophic Emergencies inside Indiana – a large disaster exists that diverts the resources and attention of the citizenry and a state level response in cooperation with the federal government is required. • Catastrophic Emergencies outside Indiana – a large disaster exists in the United States that diverts the resources and attention of the citizenry and a federal-level response in required.
The Decatur County Commissioners have worked closely with the local emergency management director, the county sheriff, and local police and fire stations to ensure Decatur County is prepared for emergencies. In addition, the Decatur County Commissioners will be in close communication with the County Election Board should any emergency occur on or surrounding the election process.
In this endeavor to be prepared for an emergency that could occur on or surrounding an Election Day, Decatur County takes the following steps prior to each Election Day:
• Review IC 3-11-18.1-15, which outlines procedures for changing polling locations.
• Review of State’s Quantity Purchasing Agreement (QPA) whereby Decatur County may buy or lease emergency generators and other supplies.
• Voting machine vendor will have support staff in the field or by phone in the event of a disruption. • In the event of a power failure at a vote center, the voting machines and e-poll books will be switched automatically to battery backup.
• In the event that the internet is inaccessible at a vote center location, the eligibility of a voter will be ascertained from records maintained by the Decatur County Clerk’s Office/Voter Registration via telephone/cell phone.
