04172015 - News Article - Electronic poll books get early high marks in Porter County

Electronic poll books get early high marks in Porter County
By Amy Lavalley
Post-Tribune
April 17, 2015
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-porter-elect-board-st-0418-20150417-story.html

Electronic poll books are being used for the first time at Porter County's three early voting sites, and everyone is getting used to them.

Clerk Karen Martin, who also is a Republican representative on the county's election board, said during a meeting Friday that she's hearing both poll workers and voters like the streamlined process, in which drivers licenses are scanned in when voters enter a polling place and they sign in on a touchpad.

"It's so much faster," said David Bengs, also a Republican and president of the board. "I think it's going to help."

The poll books are in place at the early voting centers in the county administration building, the North County complex in Portage, and at the Chesterton Town Hall, with one at each site. Martin said all 57 precincts in the May 5 primary would have poll books.

The Voter Registration Office staff, the poll workers and the voters are all adjusting to the new system, board members said.

"It's a good thing this is a slow election year," Bengs said of the municipal elections coming up, adding next year's presidential election will drive up turnout. "If there's something wrong that's going to happen, this the year it's got to go."

The election board voted 2-1 to approve an order for use of the poll books. Democrat Kathy Kozuszek, sitting in as a proxy for J.J. Stankiewicz, voted against the order.

The board also received an update on the complaint filed by Democratic Party Chair Jeff Chidester over the campaign finance reports for Portage Mayor James Snyder, a Republican who is seeking another term in office.

The complaint contended that Snyder's campaign received funds in excess of the state limits set for donations from corporations. Kenard Taylor, Snyder's campaign treasurer, has said the excess funds would be returned and the finance repots would be amended to reflect that.

"We did file it on Thursday and highlighted the sheets where we returned the excess funds," Taylor said, adding in a recent meeting with the state election board he learned a business could be fined for making a donation over the limit, but candidates are not bound to return the funds.

"We did it because it was in the best interest of the businesses not to be in violation, and I think it's a good practice. And we restructured so we don't run into any problems this year."

Additionally, as directed by the board, board attorney Ethan Lowe sent out letters to all current and former candidates with open campaign funds, stating that the board would be cracking down on delinquent and defective campaign finance reports.

"Obviously, only some campaigns are responsible for filing reports this year," he said, adding there had been some confusion after the letters went out that has since been resolved.

Three people have not filed end-of-year reports for 2014. They are Democrat Chuck Scheuer, who unsuccessfully ran for county coroner; Republican Ed Morales, who unsuccessfully ran for Porter Township Trustee; and former Auditor Robert Wichlinski, also a Republican.

Lastly, the voting place fort the Center 16 precinct, for voters in the Valparaiso school referendums, has been moved from the county's highway department, at 1955 S. Indiana 2, to the emergency services building, at 1995 S. Ind. 2.