Jean Robb, who's running for Deerfield Beach mayor against incumbent Peggy Noland, called the Broward County Election Supervisors Office the other day with a strange question: Could she open and manage her own absentee-ballot drop boxes?
The answer was yes. But it was a slow yes.
At a time when election supervisors across the state have taken heat for making voting too difficult, vesting more responsibility in the hands of the people may somewhat ameliorate the problem. And more voting stations may increase the opportunity for people to exercise their democratic right while winnowing a few lines.
But it may also create some problems, said Mary Cooney, spokesperson for the Broward County Supervisor of Elections. "This wouldn't be the city doing this," she said. "This is a candidate.
"We don't know whether these boxes would be locked at night or if someone would be guarding them. If you were a voter, would you deposit your ballot there? There is no way for us to make it official. Jean Robb is a layperson.
"And I didn't give her the impression that we were in favor of this."
Her office mails out the absentee ballots on February 5.
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