Elections office finds home

Voters will have more convenient access to services this week after the Kootenai County elections office completes its relocation.

The elections staff Monday began moving out of its cramped space across the street from the county courthouse – a location that had started out as temporary quarters but stretched out to several years, said Dan English, county clerk.

The old office was limited both in space and accessibility.

It had several uses before becoming the elections office and was not user friendly, said Susan Smith, an elections clerk assisting with the move.

Smith remembers it also has been used by doctors and prosecuting attorneys.

The new location on the corner of Third Street and Poplar Avenue near Interstate 90 offers better public access and should improve efficiency, English said.

The county is trying to make the move for as little money as possible, English said.

“It’ll be a first-class facility done economically,” he said.

“Everything about the move and the building (the new location) has been very economical.”

County commissioners bought the building a year ago, and the elections staff is moving the equipment itself, with help from the county maintenance staff and a work pool from the Sheriff’s Office.

The new office will offer the same services but have a better flow, officials said.

It has more parking and open space, with everything located on one floor.

Also, the new ballot-counting rooms have viewing windows.

The previous rooms were too small for people to watch the counting process without interfering, English said.

Sherry VanPetten, a full-time elections employee of 15 years, said this is the fifth time the office has moved.

“This is the best one (office) we’ve had,” VanPetten said.

“The other office had a lot of character, but it also had a lot of issues.”

The new one-level office will make it easier for workers to store voting equipment and offers more space for people who come to the elections office to vote.

In the old office during major elections, voters were practically falling over each other inside, and there were lines out the door.

Although long lines still can be expected during election season, the new office should make things run more smoothly, officials said.

“We think it’s going to work great, but there are always a few kinks,” VanPetten said.

English said the hours of operation and phone number will remain the same.

The new location will be open to the public Wednesday.