Absentee ballots go out Friday

The Lake County Election Office was a hive of activity last Friday as four workers and election administrator Toni Kramer prepped just under 14,000 absentee ballots that will be mailed to voters Oct. 14.

Their work comes in the wake of a recent decision by District Court Judge Michael Moses that found three election laws passed by the 2021 Legislature were unconstitutional. As a result of his ruling, changes that were in place for the June primary have been dropped from the general election. Among them: citizens are again allowed to register to vote on the day of the election, student IDs and voter registration cards are considered valid identification at the polls, and people may accept payment for collecting ballots on behalf of voters unable to return them themselves.

Kramer says so far, the legal battles over election laws haven’t had much effect at the local level, but says it could manifest in some “Election Day confusion.” She plans to have plenty of informational posters in place at the polls to help voters navigate the current landscape.

Meanwhile, the office in the Lake County Courthouse is seeing an uptick in traffic as people come in to verify addresses and check on their voter registration, and absentee snowbirds add their seasonal addresses. Voters should keep in mind that all registered voters received mail ballots in 2020’s general election, due to the pandemic. This time around only those registered as absentee will receive mail ballots.

The election calendar continues to accelerate as the general election draws near, with early voting beginning Tuesday, Oct. 12.

“People can come in and cast a ballot if they’re registered as absentee,” says Kramer. “They can also register for absentee for just this election if they’re not able to go to the polls.” Either way, they’ll have to appear at the election office in person.

Late registration began Wednesday, meaning those who aren’t registered or want to make changes in their registration must now do so in person at the local office, which is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Election Day.

Even though same-day registration appears to have returned, Kramer encourages people to register before Election Day to avoid lines and save time. She’s also hired an additional election judge to work in the office that day “so we’ll be geared up to help voters if it does get busy in here.”

“We’re doing our best to make sure we’re ready,” she adds.

Unlike many counties across the nation that are reporting a dearth of election judges, Kramer says Lake County is in good shape. Judges who served during the primary participated in a refresher course in September, and “seemed excited to get back to their polling places and see their friends and neighbors,” Kramer said.

A handful of new judges will be trained in October. All election workers must attend a three-hour training every two years.

Margaret Burke, who was stuffing absentee ballot envelopes last Friday, said she started working as an election judge in the Ronan precinct in 2005 and still finds the work rewarding. Plus, she says, “it’s good for our country.”

Kramer echoes that sentiment, encouraging citizens to “get out and vote.”