County clerk candidates emphasize outreach, nonpartisanship and disagree on vote centers

The League of Women Voters on March 30 hosted the three Democrats competing for Monroe County clerk. Moderator Alana Stonbreaker asked what role the clerk should play in registration and turnout.

Martin Lucas, who said he chairs the Monroe County Young Democrats, described outreach tactics aimed at young voters and said he would use "modern tools, modern technology" to increase participation. "Getting people registered to vote and to participate in our electoral process is something I'm deeply passionate about," Lucas said.

Tanner Brham emphasized operational readiness and transparency in the clerk's office, telling the forum he had a short punch list of items and was preparing staff and space to begin work quickly.

All three candidates expressed support for vote centers as a way to reduce rejected ballots, though they diverged on practical tradeoffs. Joe Davis said vote centers could make it harder for rural voters to cast ballots if precincts are consolidated, but argued vote centers prevent votes from being thrown out: "If we had vote centers, all of those votes would matter. Everyone would still have that voice," he said, noting that ballots cast in the wrong precinct under the current system are not counted.

Why this matters: The clerk administers registration and can influence voter access and confidence. Candidates' emphasis on nonpartisanship, outreach and differing takes on vote centers signal key choices for administration and rural‑access tradeoffs if the county changes polling methods.

The forum also included an announcement that the League will host a health‑care discussion with U.S. House District 9 candidates on April 7.