Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Election Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Joseph County election board approves RBM contract, youth vote-worker form and pilots texting and training ahead of the general election
Summary
At its Aug. 19 meeting the St. Joseph County Election Board approved an RBM services contract, adopted a Secretary of State youth vote-worker form for 16–17-year-olds, and authorized pilot programs including Civic Ready texting for absentee workers and focused inspector training to prepare for a busy absentee season.
The St. Joseph County Election Board on Aug. 19 approved several administrative and operational items to prepare for the upcoming election cycle, including a professional-services contract with RBM, adoption of the Secretary of State’s 'Hoosier Hall Pass' form for 16–17-year-old vote-center workers, and pilots for direct texting and revised inspector training.
The board reviewed an updated RBM contract covering work on behalf of the election board through Dec. 31, 2024; RBM representative Keith McGinnis was present for the discussion. Board members agreed it was appropriate for the election board to review and approve the contract before it is ratified and signed by the county commissioners; the board moved to approve the agreement and the motion carried unanimously.
Staff reported they are preparing vote-center worker contracts that clarify expectations and will post those contracts online. The board approved use of the Secretary of State’s Hoosier Hall Pass form, which requires principal and guardian signatures and outlines statutory requirements for 16- and 17-year-olds to serve as vote-center workers.
Elections staff also briefed board members on operational preparations: about 1,100 absentee applications had been processed as of the previous Thursday, with estimates trending higher; members emphasized the need for experienced workers during heavy absentee processing. The office said some 52,000 absentee ballots were processed during the COVID year as a point of comparison and urged party chairs to provide required absentee-worker lists by Aug. 30.
The board approved a pilot with the county’s Civic Ready platform to send direct informational texts to absentee workers and—if successful—expand texting reminders to vote-center workers. Staff proposed redesigning training for inspectors and judges, with additional focus on provisional-ballot procedures and an optional pilot asking inspectors and judges to work a day in absentee processing for hands-on experience.
Records staff "Gidget" described the 2022-election records-destruction plan under retention rules: certified and boxed materials would be shredded at the archives building after the statutory retention period; the board authorized the requested destruction date.
The board also discussed Elections 101 public-education programming run previously at the Saint Joseph County Library (which received an honorable mention from the Election Assistance Commission’s Clery Awards) and plans to adapt that outreach for media and schools.
The board continued with public comment after administrative business.
Next steps: staff will post worker contracts online, continue the Civic Ready pilot and report back to the board, and submit the RBM agreement to the county commissioners for ratification.
