PINE BLUFF -- Efforts by the Jefferson County Election Commission to merge some polling sites to save on election costs were stymied by disagreements between the two Republican commissioners and the lone Democratic commissioner.
The commission met Tuesday night in Pine Bluff to consider consolidating several polling sites in the county, a move that requires unanimous consent by the commission to move forward, but every proposal failed by a 2-1 vote.
The logjam prompted several heated exchanges between Commission Chairman Michael Adam and Commission Secretary Stu Soffer, both Republicans, and Commissioner Ted Davis, a Democrat.
Jefferson County currently has 39 polling sites. Soffer brought a proposal before the commission to reduce that number to 29 sites. The sites he proposed eliminating by consolidating them with other polling sites were Old Morning Star Baptist Church, Mount Harmony Baptist Church, Immanuel Baptist Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, New Town Missionary Baptist Church, the Pine Bluff school administrative office, Sherrill City Hall, Wabbaseka Community Center, Swan Lake Community Center, and the Linwood/Moscow Fire Department.
According to information supplied by Soffer to the commissioners, those 10 polling sites accounted for just 1,086 votes out of a total of 8,355 votes cast in the November general election. He said the closure of 10 polling sites would enable the county to reduce the number of poll workers it employs by 50.
"If we can come up with 10 polling sites, we can save a whole lot of money," Soffer said. Earlier, Soffer had said, according to his calculations, the county would save as much as $6,000 per election.
But each proposal made to eliminate polling sites was met with Soffer and Adam voting yes and Davis voting no.
At one point Soffer, clearly irritated, turned to Adam and said, "Would the chairman query Commissioner Davis as to whether or not he will favor any consolidation proposal?"
"I can hear him just fine," Davis countered, adding, "I'm going to wait and see if I hear anything that warrants my approval."
During a discussion regarding having the county judge look over the consolidation plan, Davis asked, "Is there any dictate in state law that says the county judge has to be involved in determining poll sites?"
"There is not," said Adam. "And I specifically told him during our meeting, and he told me he knows he is the county judge and not part of the election commission. However, I think for the cooperation of the county judge and the Quorum Court and due to the last two county judges that seemed to have a problem and tried to run the commission, I think it's better if we try to be cooperative and at least keep the information flowing."
"I thought we were asking for his insight, or his authorization to look at polling sites or look at precincts," Davis said. "What in state law allows the county judge to become involved in that process?"
"The question is not material because that's not something that was said," Adam said, cutting off a remark from Davis.
"Quit interrupting me when I start," Adam told Davis. "Just hold on. You are out of order again." At that point, Adam began banging his gavel on the table and pointing at Davis.
"Don't be pointing your finger in my face," Davis said. "I've told you about that before."
Shortly after, Soffer broke in, suggesting that the commission recess and have the county sheriff remove Davis from the meeting.
"You suggest having the sheriff remove me from the meeting?" Davis asked. "Are you kidding me?"
After the meeting, Davis said that in his view, the actions of Adam and Soffer amounted to an attempt at voter suppression.
"In the last three elections we had in Jefferson County, the county judge won by something less than 115 votes," said Davis. He said that if the polling sites proposed for closure are closed, it would have a negative effect mostly on black voters in the county.
"Ninety percent of the people in that area are African-Americans," he said. "It's really a law against the 1965 Voting Rights Act. If we do that, it changes the whole proposition of who gets elected in this county. Ninety percent of all the people who are going to be changed or suppressed or disenfranchised are going to be African-American."
Adam denied any attempt to suppress voters. He said the effort is to make sure the county can hold elections without going beyond the ability to pay for them.
"What we're trying to do is make this county great again," he said. "Pine Bluff and Jefferson County used to be top-notch. We're trying to prepare for vote centers. We're trying to plan ahead. If we close the sites today, we're not going to close a lot of them, just a couple, and they're real close together."
State Desk on 01/16/2019