Early voting sites in jeopardy amid budget feud - The Tennessean
The Davidson County Election Commission is prepared to cut the number of early voting sites in Metro's general election from 11 to one unless more funding is inserted into Mayor Karl Dean's proposed operating budget. The election commission voted 3-2 on Wednesday to operate only one early voting site ahead of Nashville's August election — the number required by state law — if the Metro Council approves the mayor's recommended budget without changes. The budget that Dean has introduced falls $868,000 short of the funding level the commission has sought. But Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling, a top Dean aide, slammed the election commission, accusing it of punishing voters to enlarge its funding. "Does the election commission have enough money to run the elections this summer. Dean's proposed budget would fund everything the election commission has asked for "as far as elections itself," according to Dean's administration, including all early voting sites. The mayor's office also noted that the proposed $5. 04 million 2015-16 budget for the elections office would be a 25. 5 percent increase over the current fiscal year. That's what prompted Wednesday's vote, according to Republican commission chairman Ron Buchanan, who made the motion for the elimination of early voting satellite sites pending more funding. Source: www.tennessean.com
