In what may have been a first for Wood County, the election board met Jan. 24 at the county courthouse.

Elections Administrator Laura Wise said it is the only time the board has met in her 12 years overseeing elections.

Previously those duties were split by the tax assessor-collector (voter registration) and the county clerk (administering elections).

All election duties are consolidated under one office in counties that have administrators.

By state law the board has specific duties of selecting election judges and seeing that adequate supplies are made available.

Other duties are handled by the elections commission, which has as its chief job the selection of the elections administrator.

The commission includes the county judge, county clerk, tax assessor-collector and chairs of political parties.

The party chairs also serve on the election board, along with the county judge and sheriff, presided over by the administrator.

The group spent time discussing the upcoming party primaries, with the Democrats and Republicans holding separate elections, although they will share facilities.

Questions about having enough space at Quitman City hall were resolved by adding the use of the fire department meeting room at the east end of the building.

Discussion on getting supplies to and from the polls resulted in an agreement from Sheriff Kelly Cole that his officers would handle that duty, other than those items which must be in the hands of the election judges at all times (such as the ballots).

Wise said each party will be equipped with one poll book, one scanner (for recording votes) and one stand-alone unit, which is an electronic ballot-marking device required to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Any voter may use the device.

The party chairs indicated they will be completing lists of judges for approval by county commissioners.

Maddie Gibson, a former Democratic election judge who is running for Prec. 3 commissioner, said there will be people who don’t vote because of the separate primaries.

Previously when joint elections were held, all voters used the same locations and voting machines.

County Judge Kevin White suggested they be encouraged to utilize the early voting period Feb. 20 to March 1 at the elections office in Quitman.