City wins as 2019 election cost was relative bargain

One man (or woman), one vote … at what cost?

For the Greencastle city primary in 2015, it was a hefty $24.45 per vote.

For the 2019 Greencastle general election, the cost was a relative bargain at a mere $4.35 per ballot.

The big difference? Vote centers mostly.

The $24.45-per-ballot cost in the 2015 city primary was probably a worst-case scenario.

Only 696 voters went to the polls that May in an election that cost the city $17,015 to determine just one Fourth Ward race -- between Democrats Tanis Monday and Benny Whitlock -- to set the party’s candidate in the fall election.

“The 2015 primary election only involved the City of Greencastle,” Putnam County Voter Registration Clerk Stacia Hathaway recalled for the Banner Graphic. “None of the other municipalities in Putnam County were required to have a primary so the base expenses like machine programming, poll worker training, IT on election day, election and poll worker salaries, polling place rentals, etc. were not split with any other town.

“We used all eight polling locations in the City of Greencastle for the election,” Hathaway said of the 2015 primary. “That would have meant 40 poll workers as opposed to the 12 we need for the three vote centers in the city limits now.”

In May 2015, only 696 voters went to the polls with all but one race uncontested in both parties. With 6,623 registered city voters at the time, that computed to a 10.5 percent turnout or $24.45 per vote cast.

That’s why City Councilman Mark Hammer was so excited to come across the $5,171.71 total cost for the 2019 municipal election while he was examining city claim ledgers at the December Council meeting.

”I think this is probably pretty good news,” Hammer said in addressing fellow Council members, claims documents in hand. “I mean, it still costs a lot per vote but it’s almost half what it used to cost.”

Going to vote centers, Hammer suggested, was a boon to the city.

“It saved us lots of money,” City Clerk-Treasurer Lynda Dunbar agreed in supplying verification of those figures.

The difference was that besides the three vote centers in Greencastle, for 2019 there were also five additional polling places open across the county.

“For vote centers to make that much difference for us was great,” Councilman Hammer said, acknowledging that wasn’t the case all across the county, particularly for voters in Roachdale and Russellville who had to journey to other locates to cast ballots.

For 2019, a total of 1,188 of the 8,860 registered city voters cast ballots. That computes to 13.71 percent turnout and $4.35 per vote.

“Saved us a lot of money,” Hammer reiterated.

As the discussion waned, Councilman Dave Murray couldn’t resist capitalizing on the elated Hammer essentially turning into a straight man.

“Are you saying you bought votes, Mark?” Murray joked, tongue firmly in cheek. “Sorry … “

Hammer, already festive in a light red suit, adorned with snowmen and Christmas trees, burst into laughter.

“I had to set them up for you to knock them down, didn’t I?” the longest standing member of the City Council responded.

“I’m kidding,” Murray assured as the matter went to its natural result, a unanimous vote to routinely improve monthly claims.