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Brown County Election Board reviews low turnout, schedules omnibus order to codify procedures
Summary
At a June 16 meeting the Brown County Election Board reviewed June election returns — 2,737 ballots cast (21% turnout) — discussed vote-center statistics and training, and agreed to draft an omnibus order outlining poll-worker rules, testing, and poll-watcher guidance for public comment this summer.
The Brown County Election Board on Tuesday reviewed the county’s June election returns and agreed to prepare an omnibus order to document procedures on poll workers, voting equipment testing and poll-watcher rules.
The board’s elections staff member Perlita reported that 2,737 ballots were cast out of 12,518 registered voters, with 67 absentee ballots, 926 early votes and six provisional ballots (four counted, two not counted). Perlita provided vote-center breakdowns, saying the Early Education Center processed 634 voters, Sprinica 246, Helmsburg 326, Vander Veer 298 and Church of the Lakes 236. She added that nine early-voting ballots were spoiled for missing signatures.
"The totals on election day were 2,737 votes out of 12,518 registered voters," Perlita said, summarizing the post-election count.
Board members said the 21% turnout was disappointingly low. "Twenty-one percent in my world is pitiful," the board chair said, urging collaboration with community groups, including the League of Women Voters, to improve voter engagement.
The chair described the vote-center rollout as successful despite the turnout figures and raised budget concerns tied to voter outreach. He said the county spent about $8,000 on postcards to notify voters of vote-center locations and suggested relying more on other communication channels going forward.
To provide continuity for future members and to standardize election operations, the board agreed to draft an omnibus order that will list procedures on poll-worker eligibility, training and remuneration; an election-day handbook; public testing of voting equipment; voting-center notices and instruction cards; absentee and in-person early voting procedures; poll watchers and media credentials; election-day procedures; post-voting hearings; and tabulation summaries.
"We'll take those comments into consideration," the chair said of feedback already received from stakeholders, and he asked board members Joel, Perlita and himself to produce a draft by the board's next meeting tentatively set for the second Tuesday in July. The board plans to vote to adopt a draft for public distribution in July, collect public comment in August and seek final approval in September.
The board also discussed the scope of poll watchers and whether photography in voting areas is permitted. A member raised concerns about photographs published in the Democrat that showed people in voting centers near voting machines and asked if that practice was illegal. The chair said the board would obtain the relevant Indiana code language and provide written guidance on poll-watcher rights and media behavior.
Members noted gaps in institutional knowledge — for example, that some members had not attended vendor-led machine testing — and said the omnibus order should document expectations so successors do not enter the role unprepared.
No formal policy or ordinance was adopted at the meeting. A motion to adjourn passed with affirmative responses and the board closed the meeting.
The board is expected to present a draft omnibus order for the July meeting and to solicit public comment thereafter.
