More than 3,000 mail-in and absentee ballots have been sent to voters in Warren County.

Elections Director Krystle Ransom told the county commissioners on Wednesday that the last ballots were set on Monday.

“They’re coming back in,” she said. “We’ve seen a lot of people come in and vote in person.”

Ransom said the office is “just absolutely busy,” processing changes in address or party, seeing double the number of requests in September than August.

“Our phones are just ringing off the hook,” she said. “We are just seeing skyrocket(ing) numbers.”

CDBG PROPOSAL

A public hearing was held at the outset of Wednesday’s meeting regarding the county’s 2024 allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding.

Danielle Flasher, who is administering the CDBG program for the county, said the county’s allocation is approximately $237,000 and will be committed to a street restoration project on Sheridan St. in Tidoute.

She said the 2023 allocation was also dedicated to that project. The two years of allocations will pay for that project completely.

Flasher added that one other project proposal was received – reconstruction of High Street in Clarendon – and will be kept “on hold until next year’s funding consideration.”

JAIL ROOF GRANT

Grant Writer Kim Slocum presented a grant application totaling over $350,000 for replacement of portions of the Warren County Jail roof where the “flashing has shrunk and the membrane has cracked” causing a “potential safety risk.”

The grant proposal is through a program that allocates a portion of the state’s casino gaming revenue.

The commissioners approved a resolution in support of that application.

ELECTION COMMENTS

Jane Dunshie approached the commissioners during the public comment portion of the meeting to call for the commissioners as the county’s Board of Elections to consider implementing processes for voters to have the opportunity to cure defective mail-in or absentee ballots.

She cited a study that indicated that 36 counties “provide some kind of notice and curing.”

Warren County does not offer a curing process.

She said the three most often cited ballot deficiencies relate to the date, signature and use of the privacy envelope.

“It is my hope… (the board) will take a look at what other counties are doing (and) search for ideas that broaden what we do. In the end the number of denied ballots is small. (The) numbers could very well be greater this year.”