Cleary vs Rolfes, with no incumbent in race for St. Joseph County clerk
The Tribune is partnering with the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area and the American Democracy Project of Indiana University South Bend to publish candidates' answers to questions on the issues. The League and IUSB's ADP operates Vote411.org, a website with information about the candidates and their positions on key issues. The site also includes other tools to help navigate the voting process.
The Tribune has agreed to run candidate answers unedited, meaning any spelling, typographical or grammatical errors are the candidates' own. The Tribune is publishing only some of the questions from a selection of significant races. Additional questions and answers are available at Vote411.org.
Lana Cleary
Democrat
CFO, County clerk's office
LanaCleary4countyclerk@gmail.com
LanaCleary4countyclerk.com
574-274-9271
facebook.com/LanaCleary4countyclerk
Amy Rolfes
Republican
Retired
amyforcountyclerk@yahoo.com
AmyRolfes.com
734-845-6000
The Clerk of the Circuit Court serves as the Secretary to the County Election Board which is responsible for conducting elections in St. Joseph County. What are two changes you will make to improve election administration in the county?
Cleary: There is always room for improvement and that includes election administration. The Clerk’s office started a few years ago posting Election Board meetings, agendas, and minutes online. This makes it easier for the public to know when meetings are, and items discussed during these meetings. This feature I believe assists with better information and transparency with the workings of the Election Board and its administering of elections in St. Joseph County. St. Joseph County has gone through many changes in the last several years including upgrading election equipment, the implementation of Vote Centers and processing absentee ballots through Central Count. I believe working in a bi-partisan manner to administer elections is paramount.
Rolfes: Election procedures by the current Democrat County Clerk are in violation of election laws. There have been no written procedures and therefore there is no accountability to how ballots are processed. The voters, Clerk office employees and political parties need to know exactly what is done with every election related task for transparency. When I am clerk: • There will be NO duplicate keys • Both parties will be present every time the ballot room is entered • The ballot room will always be locked when the room is unoccupied • A log will be kept documenting each entry into the room • Cameras will be placed inside the ballot room • Both parties will be present whenever the ballots are handled/processed • No one convicted of an election related crime will be allowed to be involved in the election process in any capacity Election integrity will be my #1 priority
What, if any, steps should the clerk’s office take to increase the election information available to county residents, including how to identify and contact candidates for office?
Cleary: The clerk’s office has available on their county website information on candidates running for office. The website also has all the Vote Centers and an interactive map with directions to each of these Vote Centers. There are also sample ballots available to the voter so they may review their ballot before they go to the polls and make their decision. Every election, the clerk’s office posts candidates for both the primary and the general elections. The Clerk’s office has implemented posting the CAN-9, which is the Legal Notice of Primary Election. This gives contact information on the candidates. Additional contact information for these candidates can be obtained by contacting the parties. I will continue to expand on this website to make information easily accessible for the voter.
Rolfes: County residents need an information portal with 24/7 access to find accurate up to date election information. The current system is lacking in many areas and the Clerk’s office can be the catalyst for improvement. The statewide voter information portal, www.indianavoters.com is user friendly and provides valuable election information to every county resident. Residents can access, by their address, what district they live in, who their County Commissioner is, who their County Council representative is, among other things. However, the County should supplement the statewide portal with candidate specific information, such as contact information for candidates, and detailed maps available for County and City districts. This information is especially important for the public following redistricting.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Cleary vs Rolfes, with no incumbent in St. Joseph County clerk race
