Douglas County To Destroy Thousands Of Ballots
Updated: April 11, 2011
TUSCOLA - Thousands of unused ballots sit about a foot high on table in the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder's office. The county will shred $3,410.75 worth of leftover ballots in the next couple of months.
"We had three school questions and an interesting race in Villa Grove two write in candidates fighting really hard to get on the school board," Explained Jim Ingram who is the Douglas county Clerk and Recorder. "I guessed at 39 percent but gosh I guess after 21 years I guess my guessing is not too good because we only had 21 percent show up."
Out of 12,388 registered voters, only 2,643 filled out a ballot. The county said this isn't the lowest turnout it's ever seen, but it's still shocking.
"Sure it hurts, it's my tax dollars just like anybody else, but the law requires we prepare for 105 percent of the voters," said Ingram.
State law requires every county to destroy unused ballots so no one gets a hold of them. The county has to hold on to the unmarked ballots for at least six months before destroying them.
"I would have much rather had new equipment, could have bought two new voting machines for that," explained Ingram. "
He said it's not required to shred the ballots, some clerks just tear them in half. Ingram said destroying the ballots is typical, but costly.
The April 5, elections cost Douglas county about $26,430. Each ballot cost about $0.35, but with the 21.35 percent that voted, the county said it comes out to be $10.00 per voter.
"We had three school questions and an interesting race in Villa Grove two write in candidates fighting really hard to get on the school board," Explained Jim Ingram who is the Douglas county Clerk and Recorder. "I guessed at 39 percent but gosh I guess after 21 years I guess my guessing is not too good because we only had 21 percent show up."
Out of 12,388 registered voters, only 2,643 filled out a ballot. The county said this isn't the lowest turnout it's ever seen, but it's still shocking.
"Sure it hurts, it's my tax dollars just like anybody else, but the law requires we prepare for 105 percent of the voters," said Ingram.
State law requires every county to destroy unused ballots so no one gets a hold of them. The county has to hold on to the unmarked ballots for at least six months before destroying them.
"I would have much rather had new equipment, could have bought two new voting machines for that," explained Ingram. "
He said it's not required to shred the ballots, some clerks just tear them in half. Ingram said destroying the ballots is typical, but costly.
The April 5, elections cost Douglas county about $26,430. Each ballot cost about $0.35, but with the 21.35 percent that voted, the county said it comes out to be $10.00 per voter.
