For most people, the voting process is viewed as a one-day event.
Yet for those in charge of holding elections, voting day represents the end of a long process.
Even the simplest, least-complicated elections require months of preparations. The more time election officials have to make sure everything is in order come election day, the better and more fair are the elections. What happens behind the scenes in advance of election day is extremely important.
The upcoming Columbus municipal election is not one of those simple elections. Federally-required redistricting means ward lines in the city will change when the election cycle begins with candidate qualifying in January. Five of the city’s six ward boundaries will change, meaning some voters will be residents of different wards than they were four years ago.
Complicating matters is that the window for making sure voters are placed in their proper wards is shorter this year. The changes cannot be made until after November’s election. That gives election officials little time to make the adjustments.
The Columbus city council has had access to the proposed ward map since May. Typically, the firms hired to draw up these maps will allow elected officials to offer tweaks to the map, often for legitimate reasons. If you can avoid having residents who live next to each other or across the street from each other voting in different wards, it’s less confusing.
Now, three-and-a-half months later, the council still hasn’t approved the ward maps that will be used in the municipal elections.
During Tuesday’s meeting, vice mayor Joseph Mickens, who was presiding over the meeting in the absence of Mayor Keith Gaskin, said the council should be prepared to finally approve the map at its Sept. 3 meeting.
We strongly urge the council to make sure that happens
There has been ample time for council members to suggest changes. Further delays only serve to make the election more difficult for election officials, candidates and, most importantly voters.
The earlier the map is approved, the quicker potential candidates can make their plans. Without the maps, there may be potential candidates who don’t know what council seats they can qualify for. Election officials will have less time to make changes in voter rolls and perhaps, poll locations. Voters may not know what ward they belong to or where to vote. The prospects of voters being directed to another polling place on election day or being required to vote by provisional ballots increases.
In short, any unnecessary delay in setting the ward map makes voting more difficult in an era where even in the best circumstances voting turnout is far lower than it should be.
No one should want that.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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