Former elections supervisor Kay Clem remembered for voting system changes, politics
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Debra "Kay" Scott Clem, the former elections supervisor, is remembered for leading voters through voting system changes, recounts and hanging chads in the 2000 presidential election.
She worked in the Senate president's office in Tallahassee and was executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, where she was key in helping bring the party into political prominence, according to her husband, former Indian River Shores Town Attorney Chester Clem. She is a former president of the Florida Supervisors of Elections.
Her friends and family remembered her most for her ability to always make people laugh.
"She enjoyed everything she was doing," said her husband of 37 years. Elections Supervisor Leslie Swan agreed, "she had such a great sense of humor, and she had a great laugh."
Clem was elected to the elections supervisor position in 1996, and she remained in office for 14 years. In 2010, she resigned for health reasons, her husband said.
She led the county through three different voting changes, Swan said:
In 2000, voters cast ballots with a punch card, choosing candidates by punching a perforated box. This led to the infamous "hanging chads" — caused by an incomplete punch that incorrectly recorded a person's vote. During the 2000 presidential election, ballots with hanging chads were recounted by hand.
In 2002, the county moved to a touchscreen voting method in which ballots were cast when the voters selected choices on a touchscreen.
In 2008, the county changed again to an optical scan system, similar to how votes are cast today, Swan said.
"She worked through a lot of changes in the elections office," Swan said.
Clem also was instrumental in changing over to a statewide voter registration database in 2006, Swan said. The database was able to track voters who moved to a different county within the state. When the person registered to vote in a new county, information was moved over from the previous county's voter registration, Swan said. Prior to the database, it was difficult to determine whether people were registered in more than one county because each county had its own system, she said.
The 2004 presidential election was complicated by back-to-back hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in September.
"We had to scramble for polling places that year," Swan said, adding many polling places were damaged or unavailable.
Clem used her same strong work ethic to raise her twin daughters, Mary Katherine and Elizabeth. While working as the elections supervisor, Clem remained actively involved with school activities and the Mothers of Multiples group, her husband said. It's something her daughters remember fondly, he said.
"It seems our life revolved a lot around the kids," he said.
It was through her daughters that Clem met — and hired — Swan to work in the elections office, Swan said. The two knew each other because their children were the same age at Osceola Magnet School, Swan said. Clem needed someone to work in the elections office around the 2004 presidential election and asked Swan to apply.
Clem would later recommend Swan, then the assistant elections supervisor, to replace her when she resigned. Swan was appointed to the position in 2011.
"She was a great boss, a great friend," Swan said. "I'm really sorry we lost her. She did a lot for this community."
In addition to her husband and daughters, Clem is survived by stepsons Zander, Jeff and Chester and four step-grandchildren. A private memorial is planned.
Colleen Wixon is the education reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. Contact her at colleen.wixon@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Indian River County elections supervisor Kay Clem died June 9
