Tag: Taylor Bryant

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” →

Recount confirms Dodds for Benton Township board, election finally over in Monroe County

Benton Township board recount certificate.
From left: Judge Erik Allen, and recount commissioners Bob White, WIlliam Ellis, and Fred Turner.
Recount commissioner Fred Turner.
From left: Dave Hall, Cory Ray, Fred Turner, Bob White, William Ellis.
From left: Recount commissioners Bob White and William Ellis.
Recount commissioner William Ellis.

Republican Jake Dodds has been confirmed as winning one of the three seats on the Benton Township board in Monroe County, Indiana.

The result of a manual recount of the ballots, which concluded Thursday morning around 11 a.m., provided a 3-vote margin for Dodds over fourth-place finisher, Democrat Hans Kelson.

Before the provisional ballots were adjudicated on Nov. 18—that’s 10 days after the Nov. 8 Election Day—Dodds was up by 6 votes over Kelson. Dodds had 621 votes compared to 615 for Kelson.

The adjudication of the provisional ballots added 2 more votes to Kelson’s total. That reduced the margin to 4 votes—621 to 617. That’s when Monroe County Democratic Party chair David Henry filed a petition requesting a manual recount.

After the manual recount, Dodds had one fewer vote and Kelson had the same number, leaving a 3-vote gap.

That means the Benton Township board that’s sworn into office on Jan. 1, 2023 will consist of Dodds, and Democrats Sean McInerney and Joseph Husk. The Benton Township trustee’s election was won by Democrat Michelle Bright over Republican Josh Dodds.

Judge Erik Allen out of Greene County oversaw the recount work. On Thursday, after the recount commissioners had completed their work at Monroe County’s Election Central, Allen told them: “I observed the process from beginning to end, and I have full confidence in the job that was completed.”

Allen added, “I think you’ve been very diligent and I appreciate your work and certainly have full confidence in the result.” Continue reading “Recount confirms Dodds for Benton Township board, election finally over in Monroe County” →

Election recount paused for Benton Township board as winter storm hits Midwest

Recount commissioner Fred Turner is sworn in.
Recount commissioner Bob White is sworn in.
Recount commissioner William Ellis is sworn in.
Recount commissioner William Ellis reviews a disputed ballot with a magnifier.
Judge Erik Allen swears in the recount commissioners.
Monroe County’s Election Central on Dec. 22, 2022.

Republican Jake Dodds will have to wait until after Christmas for confirmation of his election to one of the three seats on the Benton Township board in Monroe County, Indiana.

The three-member recount commission that is conducting a manual review of the ballots got started at 9 a.m. on Thursday, but was not able to complete the work by the end of the day.

The margin for Dodds over fourth-place finisher Hans Kelson was 4 votes.

They will pick back up in a week, on Dec. 29. The election took place on Nov. 8.

The recount commission’s work day was shortened by a winter storm that led the Monroe County government to send workers home at 3 p.m. Continue reading “Election recount paused for Benton Township board as winter storm hits Midwest” →

4 new contested races on township level after Dems, GOP fill ballot vacancies for Monroe County

The final lineup of local candidates is still not set for the Nov. 8 general election. But after some ballot vacancies got filled over last weekend, Monroe County now has four more contested races.

The four newly contested races are all for positions on the township level of government—either township board or township trustee.

The trustee is the executive. The township board is a three-member governing body, which has seats that are elected on an at-large basis for the geographic area of the township. A key responsibility of township government is to help the less fortunate cover basics like housing, utility bills, food, clothing and medical expenses—subject to eligibility requirements.

On a map, the townships show up as a roughly 4-by-3 grid laid over the county, except that Benton Township, in the northeast corner, reflects the historical merger of two townships. That means Monroe County has 11 townships, not a full dozen.

Benton Township is also where two of the newly contested races have now emerged—after the respective county chairs filled some of the ballot vacancies.

At a caucus last week,  Republicans gave county chair Taylor Bryant the authority to put candidates on the general election ballot, if no one registered as a candidate for the position in the party’s primary election. Continue reading “4 new contested races on township level after Dems, GOP fill ballot vacancies for Monroe County” →

Monroe County GOP gives greenlight to county chair to fill ballot vacancies

William Ellis at GOP meeting on June 28, 2022.
Taylor Bryant at GOP meeting on June 28, 2022.

At a meeting of Republican Party precinct chairs held at Ellettsville town hall on Tuesday evening, they gave county party chair Taylor Bryant the authority to fill vacancies on the Nov. 8 election ballot.

Bryant would have until noon on July 3 fill ballot vacancies.

Before the vote, county vice chair William Ellis said Bryant’s authority is just for cases where no GOP candidate filed for the May 3 primary election, and does not extend to filling a vacancy for an office due to resignation or death.

As of Tuesday, the GOP does not have on-the-ballot candidates for several Monroe County races, like prosecutor, clerk, assessor, and two judgeships. That’s due in part to the fact that Monroe County voters favor Democratic Party candidates. In the 2020 presidential race, Democrat Joe Biden won over Republican Donald Trump by a 28-point margin.

Responding to a B Square question after Tuesday’s meeting, Bryant said for township trustee and township board positions she’s heard some interest expressed from potential candidates. About county-level positions, Bryant said, “We’ve had some conversations—I don’t know if we’re going to get anybody for those.” Continue reading “Monroe County GOP gives greenlight to county chair to fill ballot vacancies” →

Outgoing Monroe County GOP chair on election of youngest party leader in Hoosier state: “Taylor is…going to drive this past the finish line.”

Taylor Bryant, newly elected Monroe County GOP chair.
William Ellis, now Monroe County GOP vice chair, and Taylor Bryant, newly elected chair.
Taylor Bryant, newly elected Monroe County GOP chair.
Dec. 18, 2021 GOP caucus at Ellettsville town hall.

At Ellettsville’s town hall on Saturday morning, about 60 people gathered to elect Taylor Bryant as the new chair of Monroe County’s Republican Party.

She had declared her candidacy earlier in the week in a Facebook post.

Saturday’s voice vote by the party’s precinct committeemen and committeewomen was not controversial. It’s not a dramatic change in party leadership. Her election just elevated Bryant from party vice chair to chair.

And Bryant’s first appointment, to fill her vacant vice chair spot, was a familiar face—William Ellis, who up to now has served as party chair. Saturday’s news could be fairly described as a simple swap in the roles of Ellis and Bryant.

What has some area Republicans thinking Bryant’s chairship could attract the attention of media statewide, or even on the national level, is the fact that the eighteen-year-old is now the youngest county chair for the Republican Party in the state of Indiana, possibly the country. Continue reading “Outgoing Monroe County GOP chair on election of youngest party leader in Hoosier state: “Taylor is…going to drive this past the finish line.”” →