Vote centers aren't the same as satellite voting

Monday, The Times published a letter from Hammond Republican Party Chairman Rob Pastore in which Pastore incorrectly stated Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita suggests "satellite voting" as a way to save taxpayer money.

The actual election reform Rokita is supporting is vote centers -- not satellite absentee voting -- and there are important distinctions that need to be clarified.

Rokita has, for several years, championed vote centers as a reform that would move Indiana's elections light years ahead of where they are now and increase election security -- all while saving taxpayers across the state millions of dollars.

Earlier this month, the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute released its study, "Vote Centers and Election Costs: A Study of the Fiscal Impact of Vote Centers in Indiana." Highlights of the study include:

* Vote centers will produce significant savings for all counties that implemented them.

* Vote centers give local election officials more flexibility.

* Vote centers produce immediate and long-term savings.

* Vote centers will significantly reduce the number of voting machines needed to conduct an efficient election.

Pastore is right to urge vigilance in the election process, and he should be pleased to know that vote centers add security on Election Day because it makes in-person voting easier and because each polling location is connected to the statewide voter registration database.

In response to Pastore's concerns about "satellite voting," Rokita does not recommend any changes to the current law that requires counties to offer in-person absentee voting in the weeks leading up to Election Day. In Lake County and many others, this option is offered at satellite clerk's offices.

Lastly, the vote centers section of our office's Web site -- www.in.gov/sos -- offers a simple description of the differences between vote centers and satellite absentee voting. I encourage readers to review this information so they can have informed conversations with their state legislators about how vote centers can help local governments control spending.

- Scott Bowers, Deputy Secretary of State and Chief of Staff for Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita