Madison County election commission approves routine voter-roll actions, announces precinct move; special election set for Nov. 4

The Madison County Election Commission on a July 2025 meeting approved routine administrative actions including the acceptance of minutes, acknowledgement of the circuit clerk’s report, and voter-roll purges and inactives. The commission also announced a precinct relocation for District 4 and received notice from the county attorney that the governor signed a writ setting a special election for Senate District 4 on Nov. 4.

The commission’s actions covered procedural housekeeping that keeps the county’s election operations current ahead of the fall ballot. Commissioners approved the minutes from the June 11, 2025 meeting and formally acknowledged an update from the circuit clerk’s office about candidate qualification and voter movement. The commission voted to accept proposed purges of the voter roll and a separate list of inactive registrations for the period cited in the report.

Teresa, sitting in for the circuit clerk, told the commission, “As of right now, we have only had 3 people to come in to qualify to be on the election in November. We have 2 for the justice court, and that's Mitch Steiner and Colleen Wise for the judge and Justin Lancaster for constable.” She also reported that “we had a 149 people that moved within the county since the last meeting.” Those figures were offered as the circuit clerk’s current counts; no further details about the candidates’ filing status were given in the meeting.

On purges, the commission reviewed a district-by-district list covering roughly the June–July 2025 period. The transcript lists the purge counts spoken into the record as: “District 1 has 24. District 2220. District 330. District 418. District 5 has 23.” The commission moved and seconded acceptance of those purges and recorded the motion as carried. The commission separately moved and carried the acceptance of inactive registrations for the same reporting window; the transcript records district counts but does not provide an overall numeric tally beyond the district lines read into the record.

Commissioners also announced a precinct relocation affecting District 4. Commissioner Dent said that “District 4 Precinct 416 Mount Levi will move to Liberty MB Church, at 815 West Fulton Street,” and that the board supervisor had approved the change and that the circuit clerk would notify affected voters. The announcement included no formal vote in the meeting record; it was presented as a public notice and direction to notify voters in that precinct.

County attorney Mr. Flatgard told the commission he had provided a writ of election signed by the governor setting a special election for Senate District 4 on Nov. 4 and noted there will be no primary for that special election. He also said a recent change in state law moved runoffs away from the week of Thanksgiving; if a runoff is required, the tentative date mentioned was Dec. 2. Mr. Flatgard also updated the commission on ongoing litigation: he said a separate election contest (the Canton matter) had been appealed to the state Supreme Court and that in the Brown appeal “the Supreme Court ruled for the county,” after which Mr. Brown filed a petition to rehear. Those remarks were provided as legal updates, not new directives voted on by the commission.

Other administrative items included a directive from county leadership about cybersecurity training: Commissioner Pearson relayed that an email from KnowBe4 requires completion of short training modules by July 21 for employees who access the county’s secure network and warned that internet access could be limited for those who do not complete it. Commissioners discussed scheduling a volunteer half-day to clean election storage and approved payment of the county attorney’s invoice by motion.

Votes at a glance

- Acceptance of minutes (June 11, 2025): Motion moved by Commissioner Barbara, seconded by Commissioner Joanne; outcome recorded as carried. (Transcript: motion and voice vote; no roll-call tally specified.) - Acknowledge circuit clerk report: Motion moved by Commissioner Dent, seconded by Commissioner Joanne; outcome recorded as accepted. (Voice vote; no roll-call tally specified.) - Acceptance of voter-roll purges (June–July 2025 list): Motion moved by Commissioner Dent, seconded by Commissioner Pearson; outcome recorded as carried. (Voice vote; district counts read into the record.) - Acceptance of inactive registrations (same period): Motion moved and seconded (mover not clearly identified in the transcript; Commissioner Pearson is recorded as the second); outcome recorded as carried. (Voice vote; no roll-call tally specified.) - Payment of county attorney invoice: Motion moved by Commissioner Dent, seconded by Commissioner Pearson; outcome recorded as carried. (Voice vote.) - Adjournment: Motion moved by Commissioner Dent, seconded by Commissioner Cross; outcome recorded as carried.

The meeting included discussion items and notices rather than policy changes. The precinct relocation notice will be followed by voter notification from the circuit clerk’s office; the writ of election starts the administrative timeline for the special election on Nov. 4. No new ordinances, contracts, budget votes or code changes were proposed or adopted at this meeting.

The commission adjourned subject to its next scheduled meeting in August 2025.