The Macon County Board of Elections approved the plan for the 2023 municipal elections during its July 18 meeting,
According to Macon County Board of Elections Director Melanie Thibault, early voting will start Thursday, Oct. 19 and continue through Saturday, Nov. 4. On weekdays, early voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on the three Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The two Macon County locations will be at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin and the Highlands Civic Center in Highlands.
The elections board also solidified plans for Election Day 2023, Tuesday, Nov. 7. The North Franklin, South Franklin and East Franklin precincts will vote at Franklin Town Hall. The polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The 2023 Election is a municipal election year, so it’s only for Macon County residents living in either Franklin or Highlands town limits.
Board member John Vanhook said combining the three Franklin precincts into one location will be more efficient.
Thibault reported that Keven Gabbard, a Highlands Board of Commissioners candidate, withdrew his name from that race earlier in the day after questions arose about his residency.
“We got some phone calls [Monday] questioning his residential address. I looked into it; the address that he provided on his voter registration and on his candidacy was an Airbnb,” Thibault said.
Thibault added that Gabbard said he was told all he had to do was stay there one night a month and he was fine as far as his voter registration and his filing.
After the phone calls and a Facebook post about it, Thibault said she made a “friendly call” Monday to tell Gabbard about the questions about his candidacy.
“He was upfront and honest about what he was told and what he registered as, so he thought about it last night, came in this morning, and withdrew,” Thibault told the board.
The board talked about the need to one day move the elections board office out of the Macon County Courthouse basement. The office can no longer serve as a voting center because of the metal detectors at the two public entrances to the building, plus the lack of ADA compliance.
Thibault said due to her needing to be at the Early Voting location and in the office, she will “burn up the roads” between the two locations during early voting and Election Day.
Board Member Gary Dills mentioned the former Macon Industrial Building, behind the hospital, as a possible location. Dills said the building would cost $4 million.
When asked about free photo IDs for the implementation of Voter ID which is to be available at every county elections office, Thibault said that is currently being set up. According to a notice from the state Board of Elections that was sent to local offices on July 24, the software to print the ID cards is set to go live on July 26.
The next scheduled Board of Elections meeting is at 3 p.m. Aug. 9.