Lauderdale County supervisors and election commissioners are working to address the need for additional space as the commissioners look to keep the county’s election equipment under lock and key.
In a meeting Monday, Election Commissioner Gloria Dancy explained the commissions needs to the county leaders.
“Our concern is storage,” she said. “For years, we have worked out of the annex and the courthouse, and the reason is the annex has served as our storage and working place.”
Most of the county’s DS200 ballot scanning machines have already been securely packed away in their new space in the recently completed Lauderdale County Government Center, Dancy said, but approximately 15 machines used for training, counting absentee ballots and spare parts are still stored at the county annex.
Additionally, Dancy said, the election commission will need to get some shelving to hold its stock of express voting machines, which are used to help voters with disabilities fill out ballots, as well as secure transfer cases, signs and other essential election equipment.
Dancy said one potential solution would be to keep the commission’s current space in the old courthouse, which could be repurposed for storage. The old courthouse, which is now the Lauderdale County Archives and History, will remain an active voting precinct, she said, and the machines needed at that precinct could stay in that building.
Supervisor Josh Todd said there is also a good amount of unused space at the new Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department that might also meet the election commission’s needs.
Dancy and Todd, along with the other election commissioners and Supervisor Jonathan Wells plan to look at several available options next week to hopefully come up with a solution.
Moving is a big undertaking, Wells said, and addressing the election commission’s need for more storage is part of the move. He said he was confident a solution will be found that works for everyone.