Ascension registrar: Office renovations, expansions for early voting costing more than expected – The Advocate

Ascension Parish Registrar of Voters Shanie Bourg expects to be asking parish government officials for more money to finish renovations and expansions of her offices in Gonzales and Donaldsonville to better accommodate in-person early voting.

Bourg also told parish officials in a recent presentation that promised programs to expand voter registration to nursing homes and assisted living centers were put on hold last year.

COVID-19 concerns with vulnerable residents, as well as a state audit and other matters, led to the program delays, but at least some of them will be restarted this year, she said.

Bourg is a former Louisiana Secretary of State elections administrator who is in her first year as Ascension registrar. She took over from Robert Poche', the longtime registrar who retired in early 2021.

Bourg also said she plans to hire a new chief deputy who has experience with handling paper ballots and another civil service employee.

She suggested that having experience with paper ballots will come in handy when the state buys new voting machines.

Bourg said state law requires they incorporate paper ballots.State officials are current discussing their options for new machines.

Bourg, an Ascension native, has been adding paint and floors to her Gonzales office at the old courthouse annex on Irma Boulevard and trying to expand or reorganize both offices for early voting, she says.

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But the cost of furniture and building materials have gone up since last year. Bourg informed the Parish Council on Thursday, Feb. 3, that the $60,000 that she had set aside this year for her Gonzales office renovation won't be enough.

While Bourg told the council in a virtual meeting she is still working on the numbers, her presentation materials estimated the cost of expanding areas at the Gonzales office for early voting could run $15,000 to $20,000.

In Donaldsonville, Bourg is trying to repurpose a room in the next-door assessor's office and use it for early voting.

Unlike the Gonzales renovation, the work at this historic courthouse in Donaldsonville won't involve paint or new floors just new furniture to reorganize the entire office.

The room in the assessor's office is connected to the registrar's office by a door that had been blocked with furniture and cabinets, according to a slide presentation Bourg delivered to the council.

"I dont think it's going cost a whole lot just to put some new furniture in here to make it accessible for voters to access that room," she said.

For early voting currently, machines are tucked into one corner of registrar's small Donaldsonville office.

Bourg said she expected to make a formal presentation of her budget request to the council in a coming Finance Committee meeting.

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Ascension registrar: Office renovations, expansions for early voting costing more than expected - The Advocate