MOUNT VERNON — The option to be able to vote early in an election may be a nice option for some people. But it has come with a price.
Extra costs from the early voting options have resulted in increased funding requests from the Knox County Board of Elections. A request for $40,000 from the board was recently granted by the Knox County Commissioners as an addition to the board’s previous request. An initial request by the board in 2012 had to be increased by a second request, due to a high voter turnout with it being a presidential election year.
Bill Moody, board of elections chairman, told the News that extra staffing and additional printing have added up to higher costs in recent years. “Part of it is state and part is federal. There is a requirement to be open 20-some days before the election for early voting. That requires a lot of staffing,” said Moody, who claimed that extra staffing has added up to the largest part of their extra expenses. A lawsuit from the Obama administration also required election polls to stay open three days prior to the 2012 election after Ohio polls had planned to close during this period.
Contact Alan Reed
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