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Franklin County elections office details staffing, equipment and funding ahead of November election
Summary
Elections director Susan Christoffel and assistant director Logan Hikes presented the county's election operations, including precinct counts, staffing, equipment, logic-and-accuracy testing and funding from the state's election integrity grant.
Franklin County elections director Susan Christoffel and assistant director Logan Hikes presented an overview of local election procedures, equipment and funding during the commissioners’ meeting. The presentation covered ballot styles, polling places, logic-and-accuracy testing, equipment inventory and staff and volunteer support.
Christoffel explained that Franklin County has 73 voting precincts and about 70 polling locations (three locations host two precincts), and that polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. She described the process for ballot orders, the petition process that gets candidates on the ballot, and how ballot order is determined for primary and general elections. For logic-and-accuracy testing, staff mark 10–12 ballots per precinct counter to confirm scanners read ovals and produce expected results.
Christoffel said the county receives “just over half a million dollars” from the state’s election integrity grant; most of that funding covers election-related costs such as equipment maintenance, battery backups, rental of polling places, moving and storage contracts with Zodie’s Moving and Storage, and other operational needs. The county’s voting equipment is supplied by Election Systems & Software (ES&S). Staff said there are 84 precinct scanners (one per precinct, one for training and extras) and multiple express-vote units available for voters who need assisted voting.
The elections office reported a reserve list of roughly 615 trained poll workers to staff precincts, and confirmed poll workers receive compensation based on full- or half-day shifts and voter volume. Christoffel said the office will offer three poll-worker training sessions the week before the election and, for the first time, a session targeted to clerks and inspectors in October.
Commissioners praised the elections staff for running smooth operations; one commissioner said the office does a “phenomenal job.” When asked for the number of registered voters, Christoffel estimated “around 101,000” and offered to provide an exact figure after the meeting.
No policy votes resulted from the presentation; the session was informational and staff thanked county employees, volunteers and partner offices who assist with logistics on election night.
