Election Commission Task Force Dismantled Before Election

Former member believes the board should still be in existence

By Justin Pazera

CREATED Nov. 5, 2012

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  • A nine member board was dismantled after the election commissioner says it did its job Video by kmtv.com

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They made huge changes in the way some Douglas County residents will be able to vote but that election advisory board won't be around to see if more changes are needed. Michael Williams was one of nine who sat on that election commission advisory board.  It was created after commissioner Dave Phipps closed or relocated many of the county's polling places without any input. The task force was left to cleanup the mess. Williams says, "I think the task force was fairly effective. I think it was a good idea."

The group did end up adding about 30 polling places and re-instating some that were closed but the fallout continues months later. Election volunteer Sergio Sosa is trying to sort things out in South Omaha. Sosa says, "The level of confusion that we have right now I haven't seen it in any other election." Sosa says some of that comes from the debacled primary in Douglas County but he'll  try to make the best of it Tuesday by driving voters to their correct polling places. Williams just wishes the board was still in existence to see if the changes worked.

 
Williams says, "I don't think the mandate was thought beyond fixing the polling places that were closed and the fallout from that honestly."  Williams believes the election commissioner should be an elected position, not appointed by the governor. He also believes there should be a permanent  oversight board, involved in all future changes.