Newman needs 'crystal ball' to predict turnout
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

To predict what is needed for each election, Jasper County Clerk Debbie Newman needs a crystal ball.

Jasper County has 21 voting locations stretched across more than 70 miles north to south, and each location requires multiple visits to set up the machines and train temporary election workers.

Each precinct, and often each municipality like the city of Jasper, will have a separate, distinct ballot that may include state issues, county issues, precinct issues, school boards, hospital board or fire districts.

Last year, Buna ballots had to be separated according to water district, in order for those within that district to vote on incorporating as a city.

Then Newman has to figure, out the number of registered voters and how many ballots of each kind to order. Ordering too many is wasteful, but ordering too few "gums up the works" on election day.

If, for instance, there are a thousand registered voters in any given area, and past history says only 25 percent typically vote in an election, then it might seem logical to order 250-300 ballots. But if there is a hotlycontested office or controversial issue, election officials could run out of ballots and have to copy, and hand-number and record, more ballots.

Newman does have a "plan B" for every situation, and after eight years in office, she reckons she has had try them all a time or two.

"The weather can affect the turnout," Newman said. "But early voting has really made a difference in how we run elections. More than half the voters now take advantage of early voting."

If the early response is heavy, Newman can order more ballots and have them in a day or two. But even then, at the last minute a news article or something a candidate says or does may suddenly spark a biggerthan anticipated voter response.

Early voting,

voting by mail

Early voting for all locations takes place in the Jasper County courthouse annex Oct. 22-27 and Oct. 29-Nov.2, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Early voting is also available in Kirbyville, the Buna sub-courthouse and the Evadale Fire Hall Friday only, Oct. 26, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

According to Texas code, only specific reasons entitle a person to vote by mail: if you will be away from your county on election day and during early voting, are sick or disabled, are 65 years or older, or are confined in jail (but not convicted).

Voters have until Oct. 30 to request an application for ballot by mail from the county clerk's office, and the ballot must be received (not just postmarked) by close of business Nov. 6.

Security and logistics

County clerks are required by the state to complete at least 20 hours of instruction annually to keep up to date with rules regarding the performance of their duties. Elections are actually only a small part of those duties, but they entail some of the strictest rules and constantly changing regulations.

To ensure fair elections, there are layers of security to prevent tampering. The ballot boxes are numbered and sealed. At each location, there are election judges nominated from each party and approved by the commissioners' court.

In Precinct 5 at the Harrisburg VFD poling location, apparently both parties are comfortable with Todd and Molly Parsons serving as their judges, but at the other 20 locations their is a judge and an alternate from each party for each box.

An election school has to be conducted by the county clerk or by party chairs before each election.

"Around 125 people have to be organized and put in the proper voting locations to work for both early voting and election day, and they have to be furnished with all the proper materials to hold the election in their voting box," Newman said.

Election workers will provide a ballot and check off each voter. Texas is part of a pilot program to ensure that no voter can vote twice in different locations or different counties within the state; by 2008, that program should be nationwide.

Newman will review how to handle things like a "spoiled ballot." If a voter makes a mistake and wants to start over, the ballot number must be recorded and the ballot is put in a separate, sealed envelope. All paper records from each election are stored 18 months before shredding, in case a recount is necessary.

Keys to ballot boxes are given to the sheriff, or if the sheriff is up for election, to the county judge.

HAVA

The Help America Vote Act passed by Congress is a mixed blessing, according to Newman. It paid for the Automark machines, but it also means that schools, cities and fire districts are not able to hold elections without the electronic machines.

"This put more responsibility on the county clerk's office because all ballots have to be ordered by my office," Newman said. "Paperwork increased because the ballot printer will not bill those entities separately, and state law requires each entity to have a contract with Jasper County for each election."

Her office must also program, calibrate, charge batteries and test the machines for these various elections. At least HAVA paid for the trailer to deliver them. Newman said when she first took office, she used her horse trailer to deliver ballot boxes.

2008 a big year

Next year is a presidential election year. Newman's office is responsible for administering all county and state elections, including early voting, primaries and runoff elections.

Newman says 2008 should be an exciting year. "This will be the first presidential election since 1928 that there is no incumbent President or Vice President running for either party. The voter turnout is expected to be large for March, then there will be the school election, possibly a hospital election, possibly a runoff in April and then the November election.

"We will have what is expected to be one of the most popular and controversial presidential elections in a very long time," Newman said.

Get ready now

There are two things voters can do now to make the voting process easier:

Locate your voter registration card and be sure it is current. New cards are mailed every two years; if it comes back to the county clerk as undeliverable, your name goes in the suspense file. You will still be able to vote, but you will have to take the time to confirm your address when you vote.

If you can't locate your card, now is the time to request a replacement. You can vote without a card, using identification such as a driver's license, but again it will simplify the process to request a new card from the county clerk's office, rather than on election day.

"It is my job to make sure that, at least in Jasper County, everything goes as smoothly as possible for each and every voter and for the people working on election night," Newman said.

Election day is Nov. 6; voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

This is part three of a series by Jasper County Clerk Debbie Newman to inform and encourage people to exercise their right to vote. Email your questions on elections to reporter@jaspernewsboy.c om.