Monroe County Election Central staff told the Election Board on Oct. 2 that the county is planning to move its early‑voting operation from the old Johnson Hardware site to office space at the north end of the Showers Building, with a tentative move‑in date in February and construction finishing in January. Staff said that candidate filing for the primary would begin Jan. 6 and close Feb. 3, which could leave filing split between two sites if the Showers move‑in occurs after filing begins.
Election Central staff raised concerns about the short window for set‑up and asked the board to consider a backup site if construction delays prevent a February opening. The clerk’s office suggested the county’s convention center rooms — previously used for poll‑worker training — as a possible backup but cautioned that rental funding for a long early‑voting window is not currently in the election budget.
Clerk Nicole Brown and staff recommended early outreach to county facilities and to Richard Carter and the county’s facilities/construction contacts so the county can assess readiness and avoid switching locations during candidate filing. The board asked staff to invite relevant county construction and facilities contacts to the next meeting to discuss timelines and contingencies so early‑voting can be staged without disrupting candidate services.
Board members flagged the practical problem that holding candidate filing at one site for the primary and another for the general could confuse filers and urged clear advance notice and signage. No formal policy change was adopted; staff were asked to report back with site contingency plans and to bring county facilities representatives to a future meeting.