Search for new, larger Floyd County elections office will begin mid-2021

Going into 2021, Floyd County Election Board members and office staff agree that one of the biggest changes that needs to be made is the location of the elections office.

Sitting in the bottom floor of the Floyd County Administration Building, the office lacks storage space and many residents and voters have voiced frustration in locating the office, as well as finding convenient parking.

Since the new voting machines have arrived, Elections Board member Melanie Conrad said the need for more space has gotten more apparent over the past year. She went on to say they can’t store all of the voting equipment in one spot and have some scanners stored at the county morgue.

“We were actually counting absentee ballots on fold out chairs and tables,” she said.

According to Conrad, the ideal place to set up the new office would be on property that is already owned by the county and includes a loading dock, since that would be useful to transport equipment to different precincts.

County Manager Jamie Mccord said they had been working on a space-needs study for the county just before the pandemic hit. However, they’re currently considering using the second floor of the Floyd County Department of Public Health on East 12th Street.

Some of the benefits of using the public health department include an abundance of parking and plenty of storage space.

The parking aspect would heavily come into play during early voting periods when a precinct could be set up on site.

Mccord said using the second floor of the administration building causes problems for county employees, who often find their offices blocked by the lines, and the crowds can be bothersome in a work environment.

According to Conrad, they’re still keeping their options open for possible locations. They would prefer a more central location in the county and she said she has had some people offer property for her to tour.

However, the search will be put on hold until they determine the fate of the position of the chief elections clerk, which will be the first thing they do after the runoff election is over.