Election Board says CoRec qualifies for early voting, no word on election day

After the Election Board visited the CoRec to test it's "viability" as a voting location Thursday, it is now ready to recommend the facility at next Friday's Election Board public hearing, Mike Smith, an Election Board member for over 40 years, told the Exponent Friday.

"They're gonna do backflips for us," Smith told the Exponent. "It's the best response I've ever had from Purdue in all the years I've ever worked."
If the Election Board confirmed, the CoRec will be available for the community and students to vote on Oct. 24.

During the visit, Smith said the board was looking for "security, technology, parking, handicap accessibility, adequate space to have an extremely large number of machines and anticipation of some queuing."

The university promised the Election Board that they would clear part of the CoRec's parking lot for voters, Smith said. Handicapped parking that is reserved for those with an "A" parking passes will also be waived for early voting.
"I think it's gold standard," he said.

A week ago, before Purdue announced their commitment to installing voting locations on-campus, Smith said Purdue had issues not just with the Purdue's buildings, but also personnel and Purdue Police.

Smith said last week that Election Board members at the event reported that Purdue police allegedly prevented the loading and unloading of election materials by limiting their time frame at the loading zone and not allowing the redelivery of supplies to the zone.

“The police stopped them, didn’t even understand what they were doing, didn’t even know it was an election day," he said.

Purdue police Capt. Song Kang said last week he did not recall a time PUPD has interfered with the loading and unloading of voting materials.

“We have provided extra patrol around the (voting) building, but we don’t typically monitor the voting site,” Kang said. “We typically do not touch any voting machines. I mean, there’s no need to.”

Smith deferred comment on this situation to Provost Patrick Wolfe. Purdue spokesperson Trevor Peters declined comment until after the Election's Board's public hearing or Wolfe were immediately available for comment.

"The Tippecanoe County Board of Elections and Purdue University are finalizing an agreement to use the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center for early voting, enhancing access alongside previously announced locations adjacent to Purdue University," said Tippecanoe County Clerk Julie Roush in a statement to the Exponent Friday.

Pending approval, 15 voting machines will be used at the CoRec, Smith said.
The CoRec is the only voting location that the Election Board and Purdue have currently focused on. Both organizations have not provided comment about on-campus voting locations.

In addition to the CoRec, the Election Board will also be recommending the McCallister Center in Lafayette as an early voting location.