Tag: Monroe County Election Board

5 of 15 provisional ballots accepted by Monroe County election board for Nov. 7 election

Monroe County election board chair David Henry.
Monroe County election board member Judith Benckart.
Monroe County clerk Nicole Browne and election supervisor Ryan Herndon.

The 15 provisional ballots reviewed by Monroe County’s election board on Friday at Election Central were not enough to affect the outcome of any of the races, not even the MCCSC referendum, which passed on a narrow 108-vote margin.

But the work of the board on Friday still affected the final tallies. Five out of the 15 provisional ballots were accepted as valid by the board. The remaining ten were rejected.

A provisional ballot is used when a voter’s eligibility is questioned on Election Day, or during the early or absentee voting process. A provisional ballot allows a voter to go ahead and cast their vote. But it gets set aside, subject to later verification by the election board. Continue reading “5 of 15 provisional ballots accepted by Monroe County election board for Nov. 7 election” →

Board poised for Nov. 7 election, another vote center committee appointment made

Election operations at 3rd and Walnut (Nov. 2, 2023)

In under a half hour on Thursday, Monroe County’s election board got through its regular meeting agenda, which included an update on the early voting totals for the Nov. 7 municipal election.

Through Wednesday 1,703 people have voted early in person at the election operations center at 3rd and Walnut Streets.

According to Monroe County clerk Nicole Browne, another 309 voters have sent in an absentee ballot by mail, with another 184 ballots that have been sent out in response to requests, but not yet returned.

Also on Thursday, election board chair David Henry, who is also chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party, announced his final appointment to a vote center committee—current Bloomington city councilmember Steve Volan. The 20-year councilmember did not prevail in this year’s Democratic Party primary.

That leaves just one slot on the 11-member committee unfilled, which is supposed to be someone with no party affiliation.

Continue reading “Board poised for Nov. 7 election, another vote center committee appointment made” →

5 tapped for Monroe County vote center committee, six more needed

Vote center committee appointee Danielle Wheelock (Sept. 7, 2023)
David Henry, election board member (Sept. 7, 2023)
Judith Benckart, election board member (Sept. 7, 2023)
Ryan Herndon, election supervisor (Sept. 7, 2023)

At its Thursday meeting, Monroe County’s three-member election board accepted five appointments that have been made to an 11-member vote center committee.

Vote centers are different from the kind of precinct-based polling locations currently used by Monroe County. At a precinct-based polling site, only voters from specified precincts can cast a ballot there.

Vote centers are polling places where a voter who is registered in any precinct can cast a ballot. For election administrators, it means some additional planning—to make sure that all the different ballots, which are tied to different precincts, are available for voters across the county.

The usual precinct-based polling locations will be used for the upcoming Nov. 7 municipal elections.

The vote center committee is supposed to produce a plan, as part of the requirements for eventually establishing vote centers.

Named to the vote center committee on Thursday were: Ilana Stonebraker; Hal Turner; Debora (Ralf) Shaw; Daniella Wheelock; and Stacy Kowalczyk. Continue reading “5 tapped for Monroe County vote center committee, six more needed” →

Election board creates study committee: Monroe County could replace precinct polls with vote centers

Monroe County election board members, from left: Nicole Browne, Judith Benchart, and David Henry
Monroe County election board member Judith Benckart
Monroe County election board member David Henry

At its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Monroe County’s election board took a small but important step towards the adoption of so-called vote centers as the locations where people cast their ballots.

The board voted to establish a study committee for vote centers, but left the details to be sorted out at its next monthly meeting. Those details include membership, the assigned task, and the timeframe for the group’s work.

In the secretary of state’s seven-step process, forming a study committee is just the second step.

Vote centers are different from the kind of precinct-based polling locations currently used by Monroe County. At a precinct-based polling site, only voters from specified precincts can cast a ballot there.

Vote centers are polling places where a voter who is registered in any precinct can cast a ballot. For election administrators, it means some additional planning—to make sure that all the different ballots, which are tied to different precincts, are available for voters across the county.

Based on remarks at Thursday’s meeting from county attorney Molly Turner-King, other Indiana counties that have adopted vote centers have taken anywhere from 12 to 18 months to complete the process.

Of Indiana’s 92 counties, 60 have adopted vote centers.

Deputy clerk Tressia Martin said her preference would be to wait until after the 2024 presidential election before implementing vote centers. Martin is performing the functions of the election supervisor while that position is vacant. Continue reading “Election board creates study committee: Monroe County could replace precinct polls with vote centers” →

Provisional ballots decided, no change in outcomes, Bloomington primary elections finally over

Monroe County election board members David Henry (Democratic Party appointee) and Nicole Browne (Monroe County clerk) review provisional ballots. Seated at right is the new county election supervisor, Jessica Brown. (May 12, 2023)

The tallies for the May 2 primary elections are now final, after Monroe County’s election board voted on Friday to accept the votes from three additional, provisional ballots.

No outcomes were even close to being changed from the initial results—because there were a total of just 13 provisional ballots.

Provisional ballots are set aside, for various reasons—like a failure to show adequate ID, lack of voter registration, or trying to vote in the wrong polling location. Setting ballots aside means they’re not a part of the initial election vote totals, but could be added after their eventual adjudication by the election board.

Provisional ballots are adjudicated 10 days after the election. On Friday, 10 provisional ballots were rejected by the Monroe County election board.

Continue reading “Provisional ballots decided, no change in outcomes, Bloomington primary elections finally over” →

Focus on felonies: Election board revises list of laws for hearing on Bloomington Dem’s residency

Election board meeting on March 31, 2023 in the Nat U. Hill Room of Monroe County courthouse where the proceedings are displayed on screen with closed captions.
Monroe County election board members Donovan Garletts and Guy Loftman (serving as proxy for David Henry)

At its meeting last week, Monroe County’s election board voted to set a hearing for May 18 on the matter of Democrat David Wolfe Bender’s residency, as a Bloomington city council candidate for District 6.

This week on Friday, the board revised the list of specific Indiana state election laws that it wants to cite for its determination “that there is substantial reason to believe an election law violation has occurred.”

A list of four statutes that the board had previously cited was revised to two different laws that are the basis of the board’s determination:

IC 3-14-1-13 Filing fraudulent reports

IC 3-14-3-1.1  Procuring or submission of false, fictitious, or fraudulent registration application; procuring, casting, or tabulating false, fictitious, or fraudulent ballot

Both are Level 6 felonies.

The board’s investigation into Bender’s residency, is based on a complaint that was made by William Ellis, who is vice chair of the Monroe County Republican Party.

Ellis’s complaint was based on an Indiana Daily Student (IDS) article published on Feb. 17, 2023. The headline to the IDS piece describes the basic idea of the complaint: City Council candidate David Wolfe Bender is running in District 6, residents say he doesn’t live there.

Bender has indicated to the board through his legal counsel that he intends to withdraw as the Democratic Party’s nominee after the primary election. He’s the only candidate on the ballot, so there’s no question he will be the nominee. Continue reading “Focus on felonies: Election board revises list of laws for hearing on Bloomington Dem’s residency” →

District 6 Bloomington Democrat’s residency: Election board sets May 18 hearing, no subpoenas

A hearing on the matter of Democrat David Wolfe Bender’s residency, as a Bloomington city council candidate for District 6, has now been set by Monroe County’s election board for May 18.

The three-member board set the date on a unanimous vote taken at its Thursday meeting.

The date falls roughly two weeks after the May 2 primary election, which will undoubtedly make Bender the District 6 city council nominee for the Democratic Party. He’s the only candidate on the ballot.

But Bender previously conveyed through his attorney, an intent to withdraw as the District 6 nominee: “David [Wolfe Bender] has decided to withdraw his candidacy for Bloomington Common Council District 6.”

Bender’s name will appear on the primary ballot, because the questions about his residency, which were raised by an Indiana Daily Student article published on Feb. 17, 2023, did not come to light until after the Feb. 10 deadline for challenges to be made.

Assuming Bender does withdraw as the nominee after the primary, the Democratic Party could place an alternate candidate on the November 8 city election ballot.

After the May 18 hearing, the board could refer the matter to the county prosecutor, who could then decide whether to bring charges. Continue reading “District 6 Bloomington Democrat’s residency: Election board sets May 18 hearing, no subpoenas” →

A decision to withdraw: Democratic Party city council candidate under investigation over residency

Donovan Garletts, GOP appointee to Monroe County election board.
Map showing the address where David Wolfe Bender registered to vote.
David Henry, Democratic Party appointee to Monroe County election board.
Molly Turner-King, county attorney.
March 9, 2023 election board meeting.

“David [Wolfe Bender] has decided to withdraw his candidacy for Bloomington Common Council District 6.”

That’s the opening line of a letter received by Monroe County’s election board from Bender’s attorney, Manny Herceg, with the Taft-Jaffe law firm.

An Indiana University student, Bender is the sole Democrat for District 6 who appears on the May 2 primary election ballot. District 6 is centered around the university campus and downtown—its entire area is north of 3rd Street.

The letter was read aloud by Monroe County clerk Nicole Browne at Thursday afternoon’s meeting of the three-member election board.

The board’s meeting this Thursday was a continuation of its meeting last week, when the board started an investigation into whether Bender’s candidacy broke any election laws.

The investigation was based on a complaint made by vice chair of the Republican Party, William Ellis, which in turn was based on an Indiana Daily Student article published on Feb. 17, 2023.

The headline to the IDS piece describes the basic idea of the complaint: City Council candidate David Wolfe Bender is running in District 6, residents say he doesn’t live there.

The election board did not decide much on Thursday, but did make some incremental progress, and agreed to resume meeting on the topic in two weeks, on March 23. Continue reading “A decision to withdraw: Democratic Party city council candidate under investigation over residency” →

Residency of District 6 Bloomington city council candidate to be investigated by election board

From left: William Ellis, Donovan Garletts, and David Henry. Obscured from view by Ellis is Monroe County clerk Nicole Browne.
David Henry, Monroe County Democratic Party chair and interim election board member.
Donovan Garletts, Monroe County election board member.
William Ellis, vice chair of the Monroe County Republican Party.
Molly Turner-King, Monroe County attorney.
Map showing the address where David Wolfe Bender registered to vote.

The first step of a formal investigation into the residency status of Bloomington city council candidate David Wolfe Bender has now been taken.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the three-member Monroe County election board voted unanimously on a motion that concluded that there is enough reason to believe that an election law has been violated, to set a hearing “at the earliest possible time” after witnesses have been notified they have to appear.

The board was acting Thursday on a complaint brought by Monroe County Republican Party vice chair William Ellis, which was based on an Indiana Daily Student article published on Feb. 17, 2023.

The headline to the IDS piece describes the basic idea of the complaint: City Council candidate David Wolfe Bender is running in District 6, residents say he doesn’t live there.

As a practical matter, the Feb. 10 deadline for withdrawing from the primary has passed. That’s also the deadline for someone to challenge a candidate’s residency claim.

So Bender will appear on the ballot as the sole candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for District 6 city council, which means he will win the primary election. Continue reading “Residency of District 6 Bloomington city council candidate to be investigated by election board” →

Election 2023 notebook: Polling locations set, ballot inspection on Feb. 15, registration deadline April 3

In a Thursday afternoon meeting that lasted about six and a half minutes, Monroe County’s three-member election board dispatched all the resolutions related to setting polling locations for the May 2 primary elections.

There will be 17 polling locations for Bloomington’s city elections and one for Ellettsville. The board voted not to hold elections in Stinesville, because there are no contested races.

Monroe County commissioners still need to sign off on the poll locations. Continue reading “Election 2023 notebook: Polling locations set, ballot inspection on Feb. 15, registration deadline April 3” →