Early satellite voting offered for MCSD bond issue

By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     In just two weeks, a month’s time will remain before the Tuesday, Sept. 11 Monticello Community School District bond vote for a new 5-8 middle school addition at the high school site. In order to boost the number of voters, the district is hosting two early voting opportunities on Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 15 and 16. Satellite voting will take place in the high school commons from 5 to 9 p.m.

     Those who wish to vote early will be asked to fill out an absentee ballot request once they arrive. You will then be handed an absentee ballot to fill out on site. The ballots will be sealed and delivered back to the Jones County Auditor’s Office until the day of the vote (Sept. 11).

     Absentee ballots are now available at the Auditor’s Office in the Jones County Courthouse, as of Aug. 1.

     MCSD Superintendent Brian Jaeger said they wanted to make it easier for voters to cast their ballot.

     Aug. 15 and 16 will also be the 1-to-1 technology rollout evenings for parents and students to attend to receive their child’s Chomebook. Jaeger said it seemed smart to combine both events.

     “We just wanted to make it convenient,” he said. Jaeger added satellite voting opportunities like this might also spur a higher voter turnout.

     When studying school bond votes and why some pass and others fail, Jaeger said one thing that can make all the difference is voter turnout.

     “That’s one hurdle we can get over,” he said. “I like to think we’ll have a greater turnout.”

     Jaeger said other school districts have offered satellite voting as well tied to their bond elections. Some have conducted the voting at football games or open house nights. With families required to attend the technology rollout event, it seemed the best way to reach a certain audience.

     “It’s our biggest event on one campus before the bond vote,” Jeager said.

     Jaeger visited with County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Janine Sulzner to find out the logistics of early/satellite voting.

     “She said if we could find an event to do with it would be more valuable,” he said of pairing the technology rollout with satellite voting. “We’re going to have so many people on the campus anyway. It’s all in an effort to get people to vote.”

     Jaeger explained the satellite voting event would look very much like a regular polling place on any election day with the exception of people filling out absentee ballots. There will still be poll workers on hand to monitor the voting process.

     “We are charged a small amount for a satellite voting election,” Jaeger said. However, he said the district would save money not having to mail out as many absentee ballots.

     Jaeger said he’s been hearing very positive messages out in the community connected to the bond vote. “People are satisfied with the process and the plan itself,” he said. “I’m not hearing a lot of ‘vote no’s.’”

     Every Friday, Jaeger has also been releasing an online video, a video blog. The videos answer a couple different questions/concerns each week that voters might have.

     “It’s a chance for people to learn more about the project,” he said. “It gets the facts and information out there to the community, and explains how this will benefit the community, the kids and the district.”

     Jaeger’s videos can be viewed on the district’s website or on their Facebook page.

     “We just want to be transparent and informative,” added Jaeger.

     He said early on he would receive several e-mails a day about the proposed project. “These videos have taken a lot of the questions out of the puzzle,” Jaeger said.

     The site also contains the minutes from the school facilities meetings and a timeline of the project.

     Jaeger said he likes the process of creating videos like this, and might look at continuing the process once school starts as a way to market the district.

     The bond vote will take place on Sept. 11 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be just one voting site at the Monticello Berndes Center at the fairgrounds.

     College students, MHS graduates, who have not registered to vote in their college town can still vote on Sept. 11, either in person or by absentee ballot.

     Information on the project can be found at www.monticello.k12.ia.us/2017-18-school-facilities-committee. Information on the Vote Yes committee can be found at www.voteyesmonticello.com.

 

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