Carbon elections director reviews concerns
The Carbon County elections director clarified issues such as voter identification, absentee ballot mailings and poll worker behavior recently.
During the monthly meeting of the county election board on Thursday, Lisa Dart, elections director, responded to several topics discussed at May's election board meeting, which she was not present for.During that meeting, several county residents said that there were some issues when it came to the election process, including the behavior of some of the poll workers and the way the absentee ballots were mailed out.Dart said that after further investigation into the issue with poll workers, it was learned that it wasn't the workers making comments, rather just individuals who were at the polling places.Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard also pointed out that poll workers have an election day digest guide that helps them handle a number of situations and are well prepared.Dart also said the absentee ballots are sent out in one mass mailing, and not alphabetically or by municipality, as stated last month.The deadline to submit a request for an absentee ballot is Oct. 9.Dart said that the county then has until Oct. 23 to process and send out the absentee ballots.The topic of the new requirements for the voter ID at the upcoming presidential election also was discussed.Dart said that the state is still changing a few requirements and once she receives a final update, the information will be posted on the Carbon County website.She noted that in addition to the state offering residents free identification cards at the driver's license centers, they are looking into starting a program that would give residents who don't drive a ride to the centers so they could obtain their free ID cards.Again, she stressed that once information on this program, if it becomes available, will be posted on the county's website.For questions regarding obtaining an absentee ballot for the upcoming election, registering to vote, requirements for the new Voter ID law or on ways to become a poll worker during the elections, call Dart at (570) 325-4801 or visit