News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A bill that would allow Sunday voting has failed in the Elections and Campaign Finance Subcommittee.
Putnam County Election Commissioners expressed concerns about the bill when discussed during last week’s meeting.
Chairman Phil Adams said Sunday voting would make it harder to find election workers.
“We’d have to get workers that are willing to come in and work on a Sunday and we’ve got a lot of workers that go to church,” Adams said. “So can we get workers to go to church at another time, or forgo going to church to come work? That’s the problem we have is finding people that would do that.”
NAACP Member Anne Smith said the idea is supported by the organization to help bring more minority voters to the polls.
“‘Souls to Polls’ is something the NAACP has supported where you have Sunday… late afternoon voting after church,” Smith said. “That’s something the local NAACP is interested in.”
29th District Representative Mike Carter spoke against the bill when it was proposed last week.
“How do I sit here and tell Hamilton County’s election commission that I’m going to put this physical burden on them and not fund it?” Carter asked. “How are you going to fund Hamilton County’s additional costs when… the very same ladies and gentlemen who were there 25 years ago are still there now?”
The subcommittee noted the proposed bill sponsored by 86th District Representative Barbara Cooper would’ve added over $300,000 in additional election costs. Cooper noted that a revised version of the bill could resurface in the future.
