GOP Chair: opposition to satellite voting is about politics
Satellite early voting is a community issue – something that makes voting more accessible for all the people of Monroe County, regardless of their political affiliation. As Kelly Smith, president of IU College Democrats said, this is “not a partisan issue – it’s a participation issue.”
Satellite voting allows people who work a chance to cast a ballot early at a location convenient to them – whether it’s near their home or workplace. One reason for satellite voting at IU is that it is the largest employer in Monroe County. It’s not just the students who vote early, but also the faculty and staff who live in every corner of our county. Additional sites in Ellettsville, Smithville, and on the south side of Bloomington allow other residents the chance to vote early at a time and location convenient to them.
But that’s apparently not how the local Republican party leadership views this issue, reports the Herald Times (subscription req’d):
Monroe County GOP Party Chairman Les Compton said he stands behind election board member Judith Smith-Ille — who has opposed opening any satellite voting sites for this fall’s election — and said anyone he appoints to the county election board in the future will not support such sites.
Compton said Wednesday he believes several Republican candidates lost races in 2008 due to heavy Democratic voter turnout at satellite sites in Ellettsville, on the city’s south side and on the Indiana University campus, most particularly on campus.
The Herald Times included a copy of Compton’s written statement, which reads in part:
“Any future appointment to the election board from this G.O.P [sic] Chairman will come with the assurance that they will not support Satellite Voting.”
In the past, Election Boards have been able to reach bipartisan agreement on the importance of helping the citizens of Monroe County vote.
Democratic Party Chair Rick Dietz said, "We will be revisiting this issue at the next Election Board meeting on September 14. We believe this issue is too important to let the self-proclaimed partisan self-interest of the Republican party stand in the way of convenient access to the ballot in Monroe County."