Fayette County’s new county clerk is reviewing and assessing the contents of House Bill 302. The measure passed in both the House and Senate, calls for modifications regarding elections. One change would give the Secretary of State more authority in considering local election plans. County Clerk Susan Lamb doesn’t anticipate that to mean a substantial change in local voting.
“I feel like Fayette County has always had a good election plan, a very solid election plan and I think we will continue having that going forward. I don’t think it’s going to negatively affect us at this point.”
Previously, the State Board of Elections had the ability to reject local voting plans. The bill was amended to give the State Board override the authority of the Secretary of State’s decision with a three-fourths vote of the membership.
One option in administering local elections is to establish voting centers instead of individual precinct voting locations. Lamb finds that interesting but is not sure about that kind of change for next year’s Presidential Election.
“I’m not sure that that’s the right time to bring on something new because you again we want to maintain the trust of the population of the Fayette County voters. And I don’t want to do anything that is going to change that or complicate that.”
Lamb said moving from individual precinct voting to voting centers does enhance convenience. The county clerk noted voters could vote at any voting center anywhere in the county.
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