Campbell, county preparing new elections office

Three years ago this week, Joe Campbell informed the county commissioners that their elections department needed more space.

The wheels of government have moved slowly.

"This week, we're supposed to get plans back from the draftsman," said the elections supervisor. "I'll turn them over to Michael Wright." The county administrator will take those plans to the five commissioners and seek their permission to solicit bids.

Last year, the county bought three-fourths of the 16,000-square-foot Kenilworth Business Center, 4500 N. Kenilworth Blvd., at the point where the boulevard curves southeast toward the Sebring airport.

If the commissioners approve, the question then will be whether Campbell will move his entire office from the Government Center - where the clerk of courts could use more space - or whether a few staffers will remain at the current office to assist the public.

Bob Bullard, who then chaired the commission, didn't want the elections office to leave, Campbell recalled from the meeting three years ago.

"This building was built as one-stop shopping, where people could pay their taxes, get a tag and register to vote," Campbell said.

OK, but Campbell asked for permission to combine the four warehouses in Avon Park and Sebring he's been using to store machines, records and election day ballots.

Personally, Campbell sees no need for a Government Center office.

"They can register to vote online," he said Wednesday. "They don't need to come to my office to register. They can go to the Internet, print off a registration form, and mail it in.

"So very few people come in my office to register to vote," Campbell said. He currently leaves forms downstairs, in the tax collector's office, which people can pick up there.

Kenilworth Business Center

In February 2008, the commissioners signed a contract to buy 4500 Kenilworth Blvd. for $1,235,000. It is a series of showrooms, offices and bathrooms in the front of each unit. The back rooms - about 8,000 square feet, are all unfinished, Campbell said. They would be expanded for storage, training rooms for election day poll workers, and a vault to lock up sensitive records.

Most of the year, the meeting rooms will be available to other offices in the county, which is already using part of Kenilworth Business Center for storage.

"My main concern is at election time," Campbell said. "It's just chaos up here because there's no room. My biggest fear is that something would get mixed up."

Judge Peter Estrada presided over the canvassing board in 2004, and recalled the ballot boxes lined up in a Government Center hall. He assigned deputies to guard the boxes, meaning security is also a problem.

"We need serious space on election nights," Campbell told the commissioners three years ago. If a manual recount were ordered, his Government Center office would be inadequate, he said.

"There is no area whatsoever for a recount, unless you rent a room. And how would you feel if you heard the ballots were being moved?" Estrada asked in 2007.

On election days, dozens of people crowd the waiting area, and the canvassing board and election officials meet in his 3,000-square-foot, second-floor office and tabulation room to examine ballots. He is asking for a glass-walled observation room, where the public can watch - but not interfere - with the election.

"We looked at different counties, and we patterned it closest to Martin County," Campbell said.

Campbell said he has no idea what it will cost to remodel the building. Originally, he hoped to be in the building for the November election. Now, he's thinking 2012.