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St. Joseph County election board debates moving voter registration into courthouse basement; members vote to table decision
Summary
Board discussed consolidating elections and voter registration staff into a secured basement ballot room, heard public concerns about accessibility and timing while commissioners study courthouse space, and voted to table the proposal for later review.
The St. Joseph County Election Board discussed a proposal to consolidate elections and voter registration staff into the basement of Courthouse 1 and voted to table the proposal for further review.
Board members and county election staff said consolidating the voter registration office, currently on the fourth floor, with election operations in the courthouse basement would place leadership, oversight and processing in one secured location and free up space on the fourth floor. The board’s presentation said the move would reutilize an existing basement supply room as a single-use ballot room, transfer cameras and locks from the current fourth-floor ballot room and avoid new purchases by rearranging equipment.
Supporters said combining staff under one roof would improve oversight of absentee and central-count processes and reduce confusion created when leadership and processors were separated across floors. “Oversight of actual processes that are happening… the election clerk and the chief deputy need to be together,” a board staff speaker said. Staff described moving locks and surveillance cameras from the current fourth-floor ballot room to a dedicated basement ballot room and bringing frequently used supplies up from basement storage to improve efficiency.
Several members of the public and elected officials urged delay and raised access concerns. Pam Clays, a resident, asked the board to wait until City of South Bend offices vacate nearby space that could accommodate voter registration without moving it to the basement. Anna Hess, identified as Saint Joe County Democratic Party chair and a county councilor, said moving public-facing voter registration away from the county-city building could disadvantage older and marginalized voters who rely on in-person service and might not receive notification if they are not registered. Commissioner Carl Baxmayer and other commissioners said work on the tunnel and the timing of the city’s move warranted pausing plans until space options and tunnel repairs are clearer.
Board members and staff outlined accessibility plans if the move proceeds: signage in the building, a county webpage and Facebook notices, a prioritized website redesign for elections and voter registration, a six-month public notification plan (including mass mailings to registered voters), and maintaining two clerks on the fourth floor until a proposed transition date of July 1, 2025. Staff said voters could still access services by mail or phone and that basement access via courthouse entrances and elevators includes handicap parking nearby.
After public comment and discussion, a board member moved to table the consolidation proposal. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
The board directed staff to continue work on communications (web updates, signage and mailings) and to coordinate with county commissioners and facilities staff while the decision is on hold. No final relocation or implementation date was set.
