Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8A Great Team Prepares for a Big Day By: Jordan Kelch, Public Relations Any Elections professional will tell you that all elections, no matter their size or stature, are treated the same. Therefore, whether gearing up for a Primary with perceived limited appeal or for a Presidential with wide-ranging public interest, the Jefferson County Election Center prepares all the same. That’s not to say that certain elections don’t require an additional amount of man-power and legwork. When an election is graced with undeniable public enthusiasm, it increases all aspects of volume and preparation. More voters register, therefore more voter registration cards must be filed and archived. Additional interest also increases In-House Absentee Voting, therefore more clerks must be available to facilitate this opportunity. Polling places will undoubtedly see more activity, therefore every precinct must be stocked with a proper amount of election officers. This adds additional pressure on our election officer recruitment team who already have a demanding task ahead of them. More election officers means more training classes, which again ties back into more manpower. The media takes a greater interest, therefore the Clerk’s Office must be able to accommodate those information requests and communication needs. To be clear - one of the foundational missions of the Election Center is to increase voter registration and voter turnout, so the acknowledgement of additional work and larger stakes are in no way complaints. However, it is worth noting that elections of great size and interest, much like the Presidential Election on November 8th, are an animal all of their own. One of the more intriguing aspects of this year’s General relates to simple logistics. As most of you know, the Election Center (along with Finance, Human Resources and Government Relations) recently relocated to the Edison Center at 701 W. Ormsby Avenue. After years of occupying the Urban Government Center, our team now finds themselves at a new beginning with changes and alterations everywhere they look. It’s almost ironic that the first election in our new home is not only a General, but it’s the granddaddy of all Generals – the Presidential. Certainly it helps to have an office full of seasoned professionals, like Holly Robinson and Misty Perkins. These employees function as our Mapping and Statistics Administrators, who not only assist with redistricting but also map out county boundaries, noting who resides in which location. Mary Dawson and Mack Welsh are our previously mentioned Election Officer Recruitment team. They ensure that we have the election officers needed to accommodate all polling locations while also making sure that each poll worker is properly trained and ready to go. Sally Williamson and Linda Heleringer are the Co-Managers of Absentee Voting and Candidate Filing Information, where they assist both voters and candidates who stop by the Election Center. Stephanie Campbell and Debbie Lunn are the team behind External Election Operations, and Buffy Glasscock and Rochelle Brown tackle Internal Election Operations. Our IT gurus are Shawn Merrick and Dennis Durham, and of course the Election Warehouse is run by Tom Barrow and Richard Vowels. Overseeing all of these stellar teammates is Election Center Co- Director James Young and Executive Director Kent Hall. The staff of the Election Center and the entire JCCO community are very excited about the upcoming election. Not only will the City of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky choose leaders who will carry us into the future, our country will name the 45th President of the United States. Election season is often a whirlwind, especially when tackling a General of this size, but make no mistake about it – our team is prepped, focused and ready to go! 4