MOORE — Cleveland County Election Board Secretary Jim Williams figured he could save 15 cents every time he notified a new voter by postcard rather than sealed letter.
But one resident chastised Williams and county commissioners for facilitating identity theft.
Norman resident Dave Moore e-mailed officials with a complaint that anybody could steal the notification card from Moore’s mailbox, “then go vote in my stead.”
Whoever thought this was a good idea “should be fired, because they don’t know about ID theft,” Moore said in the e-mail.
“Sorry to sound cranky, but, come on, you guys ... It’s 2012,” he wrote.
County Commissioner Rod Cleveland said Jan. 17 he was curious to know what the election board thought about this complaint.
Williams said that he is saving a bundle of money by mailing out 29-cent postcards, rather than a 44-cent letters.
“We send out 200 to 300 new voter cards weekly, “ Williams said.
“All this information — name, address and polling place — is public record anyway,” Williams said. “We’re trying to provide a public service, but you can’t please everyone.”
Williams said nobody else has complained about possible ID theft.
In fact, two new voters sent him thank you notes for mailing them cards that they can take with them along to the polling sites.
William’s said he will check with the State Election Board to make sure sending postcards is not a problem.
Old-time vote set
Cleveland County commissioners approved Jan. 17 a vote that requires little more than a few slips of paper and a tin can to elect three Fair Board members to new three-year terms.
On Feb. 11, which happens to be a Saturday, just about anybody who shows up for the old-fashioned elections can cast a vote held in county commissioners’ road crew barns.
Some years, there isn’t even a contested race.
“Other times, there might be cookies and cake,’’ said Denise Ellison, the commissioners’ executive assistant.
Vote totals usually are not large, and “it’s really a lot of fun,” Ellison said.
At 2 p.m. on election day, voters will mark slips of paper with their candidate’s name, and the ballots are put into something like a can or bucket.
The number of votes cast must total the number of those who sign up to vote, so no body votes more than once, Ellison said.
If a candidate protests a vote tally, each nominee can designate a representative who will recount the votes, under the watchful eye of the county commissioner in that district.
This election is done according to Oklahoma statutes, Commissioner George Skinner said.
State law stipulates that anyone seeking a slot on the nine-member fair board has to file for the post at the county treasurer’s office. The filing period began Monday and continues from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through Friday.
Posts that will be decided in the Feb. 11 vote currently are held by Chuck Calvert in County Commissioner District 1; Steve Mann, District 2, and Harlen Fipps, District 3.
The nine-member board’s duties are to provide from a free county fair each year. The board also contracts with those using the fairgrounds for events like flea markets once or twice a month and the farmer’s markets on Saturdays in the summertime.
Jail soap costly
The new Cleveland County jail is just about ready for occupancy in early February, although county commissioners had some questions Jan. 17, about why thousands of dollars will be spent on items like soap suds and light bulbs.
The commissioners meet as justice authority trustees when they deal with matters concerning the new jail.
Trustee Rusty Sullivan asked why jail officials want more than $7,000 for light bulbs and about $9,000 for laundry detergent.
“Does that not seem like a lot of soap?” Sullivan asked.
Another $6,000 will be spent on air filters.
Jail transition team coordinator Barbara McSwain explained that those items are being funded for an entire year.
Dave Batton, assistant district attorney assigned to county commissioners, noted that the City of Norman is in the process of issuing a jail occupancy certificate, the last official document needed for the jail’s doors to be opened.
Training of about 40 jail employees has been completed.
