• Elections
• State of Indiana
• Federal

By Nathaniel Smith, Editor

On Thursday, September 19th, a group of community members and local candidates gathered at the office of the Clerk of Courts to witness the public testing of voting machines that will be used to determine the outcome of the 2024 elections. For decades, voting machines have made elections all across the world easier and more efficient. However, voter confidence has been dwindling at a rapid pace as of late, and some have been skeptical in regard to the election process as a whole. This is all the more reason to hold public testings and reinstate confidence into the community.

Led by Clerk of Courts Stephanie Rockey, this public test demonstrated how to properly use the machines, as well as how the machines react to various situations such as submitting a blank ballot or putting marks for too many candidates. Stephanie Rockey also described the straight-party ticket process, and how it does not necessarily mean the voter is locked into only voting straight Democrat or Republican.

“Say for instance you go to vote straight-party Libertarian, but you go back and vote for somebody in the Republican Party or the Democrat Party in another office. That trumps the straight-party ticket,” said Rockey. “So, any other offices that you didn’t pick will go Libertarian, and the two that you chose differently will override that portion of the straight-party ticket.” She also reminded attendees that straight-party voting does not cover non-partisan offices such as school board positions.

As per usual, voters have the option to write in their candidate of choice. However, not just any name can be written and counted as a legitimate vote.

“We see it all the time on election night,” said Rockey. “We get Mickey Mouse, celebrities, actors and actresses, and we have to inspect each one of those. I’ll then look at my certified list to see if the name is on it. If it isn’t on the list, the ballot will then be marked invalid.”

After being asked why the government instructs their office to test certain machines, Rockey simply said they have a list of their inventory and choose which machines to test at random.

“They have our inventory, and they do a random selection. We have a certain percentage of it that we have to use, and they email me a list prior to each election of the inventory percentage that we are required to test,” Rockey stated. “It’s usually 1%, but we normally do 2%. We even have to tell them exactly where our equipment is kept. We have to prove that it is safe and secure. That started back in July of 2018.”

Each voting machine tested during the public testing worked as expected without error and is ready for November 5th. So, make your way to the polls with confidence, because ensuring that our election process is fair, free, and as secure as possible is paramount.

Test #01

Test #02

• Public Safety
• Wellness
• Road Safety

The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) is encouraging parents and caregivers to take the time during Child Passenger Safety Week to make sure their child is properly secured in an appropriate car seat or booster seat.

The annual safety week, which runs this year from September 15-21, ends with a national car seat education event known as National Car Seat Check Saturday. Throughout the week, organizations across the state will be hosting child passenger safety events. During these events, certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will check car seats, let caregivers know if their children are in the right seats for their ages and sizes, and show them how to install the right seats correctly.

"A properly installed car seat is a child's best defense against injury in a crash,” said Devon McDonald, ICJI’s Executive Director. “Let's ensure every child is riding safely."

Statistics show that nearly 1 out of every 5 children aged 4 or younger who died in crashes from 2018-2022 were unrestrained. ICJI wants caregivers to know that it’s never safe to allow a child to ride in a passenger vehicle unrestrained, no matter how short the trip or how big the vehicle is.

When it comes to child passengers, there is a right seat for every age and developmental stage. No matter what the stage is, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can put parents’ minds at ease by discussing correct car seat selection and showing them how to correctly install that seat in their vehicle.

"Every child deserves a safe ride,” said Jim Bryan, Traffic Safety Director for ICJI. “We urge parents and caretakers to take advantage of the resources available to help them choose and install the right car seat for their child."

Safety checks are available year-round and typically take 20-30 minutes. Those visits can be conducted at one of Indiana’s many fitting stations, which can be found by visiting: on.in.gov/SafeKids.

• State of Indiana

STATEHOUSE (Sept. 17, 2024) –The following is a statement from Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch on the groundbreaking of the I-69 Ohio River Crossing. “As co-author of the Major Moves legislation as a state representative, it’s great to see continued progress toward the completion of I-69 with the groundbreaking of the Ohio River Crossing. Living in Evansville, I know the addition of this bridge will expand interstate connectivity in our state and increase accessible travel throughout southern Indiana.”

• Negotiation of Sale for Tract 31C
• Sewer Improvements Geotechnical Exploration Contract for Tract 19C
• 2024 Pavement Repairs Construction Contract
• RRCC Water System Resiliency Project – Division A Construction Contract
• Water Main Relocation Construction Contract – Tract 16D