After receiving what county officials describe as numerous requests from community members seeking answers about voting and the upcoming November election. Benton County Elections has now decided to hold a public town hall.
The town hall will run from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, October 8, at the Kalapuya Building, 4500 SW Research Way.
(Photo: bentoncountyor.gov/ballot drop box 4500 SW Research Way)
The town hall is more than a routine election-season presentation. In a September 23 report to the Benton County Board of Commissioners, Records and Elections staff said the event was being organized “due to numerous community requests.”
Benton County Clerk Darla Rush said her office has also noticed an increase in questions from voters.
“For weeks, the local and national news have been filled with conflicting information about vote-by-mail, and people are understandably concerned,” Rush said. “At the Town Hall, they can get facts about voting and be confident that their ballot will be received and counted.”
Minutes from a March 25 meeting show Rush updating county officials about election preparations and issues being monitored by her office. One very direct line in the county’s official meeting minutes states, “vote-by-mail has target on it.”
The same discussion shows that Benton County Elections was already considering how to communicate with voters if concerns continued. The Secretary of State’s Office had approached the county about collaborating on a video, according to the minutes.
The October 8 meeting will begin with a short presentation from Elections staff explaining election processes and timelines. Most of the two-hour event will then be reserved for questions from the public.
Rush said the goal of the town hall is ultimately to give voters a place to get answers directly from the people responsible for administering elections in Benton County.
This article was written by Jesse Grant, a contributor to The Corvallis Inquirer. Feel free to send us your stories or articles to publish at: editor@corvallisnow.com
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