Election panel aims to clear up woes
WAYNESBURG – The Greene County Election Board voted Wednesday to adopt three new resolutions aimed at curtailing problems that election director Frances Pratt said continue to arise at every election. The first resolution outlines the procedure for emergency applications for absentee ballots, which normally must be filed no later than 5 p.m. the Tuesday before the election.
The resolution states that in an emergency, the application for the absentee ballot can be submitted as late as 5 p.m. the Friday before an election.
Pratt said election officials always seem to encounter confusion among people who believe they can apply for an emergency ballot, but such a ballot does not exist.
“There is no such thing as an emergency ballot. It is just a misunderstanding of procedure,” she said.
Another resolution restricts the presence of constables to outside the polling place or room and requires them only to enter that space either to cast a ballot or to preserve the peace.
The third resolution will allow the county to increase the pay of boards of election when there are only three members working.
Pratt said the amount that would have been paid to a fourth person will be split evenly among the three workers, but only in cases in which every effort has been exhausted to find a fourth person.
“We will mostly operate with four,” she said.
“I don’t look for this to happen a lot, but it is getting harder and harder to get people to spend that much time at the district election board.”
The board also approved a political activity policy for employees of the election office and voted in favor of a price list for various reports and information that is available through the office.
Finally, the board heard from Jefferson-Morgan school director Mark Pochron, who said that the campaign finance violation he was accused of has been settled to the best of his knowledge, and he inquired if any future inquiries would arise from “the group of sore losers” he accused of using any means necessary to defame him.
Pochron was accused in February of failing to amend his campaign finance report after one of the vouchers he submitted did not clearly specify who had been paid an amount of money listed on that document. Pochron said he has complied with every written request and filed an amended report, but he said the yearlong “inquisition” continues.
He accused the people responsible for the allegation of using the county Bureau of Election and Registration to defame him and cause distress to his family.
The actions taken against him by residents of the district are nothing more than “small-town politics of school boards,” he added.
Pratt said she spoke with Assistant District Attorney Linda Chambers, who told her Pochron made the changes requested and that the issue should be reaching a conclusion.
Pratt took offense, however, at Pochron’s charges about manipulation of election office employees.
“The office has not and never has been used by anyone,” she said.
“I followed the procedures that were right at the time. I gave everyone time to comply, and this will be done again when it is deemed necessary.”
Although Pochron complied with the request to amend the report, resident Charles Barno said Pochron still had not produced a receipt proving who, in fact, paid for yard signs that were printed.
He said he just wanted to see the receipt to make sure that Pochron paid for the signs and not another individual, business or group.
Pochron agreed to provide a credit card statement with the sign purchase listed, which Barno said would satisfy him.
Pochron, however, said the requests have constantly changed, and he asked if Barno would be satisfied and finally put this matter to rest.
“There is no end to this. I have met every request; yet here I sit in front of the election board,” he said.
“This is just a huge fishing expedition.”
Pratt said once Pochron provides the statement to her, Barno can obtain copy to ensure this episode has reached its conclusion.