Satellite voting took place on campus two weeks ago for four consecutive days. Approximately 1,100 students exercised their right to vote between Oct. 18 and Oct. 21, with many students registering and voting on that same day.

It was quite a positive experience, determined to be successful and certainly to be repeated in my opinion. I would not have scheduled these satellite stations if I didn’t want to serve the student population with these opportunities to vote.

However, the last day of voting had a higher than anticipated turnout. The published and posted hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday processed more than 200 voters every day. The same hours applied to Thursday, and we had more than 300 voters by 2 p.m..

Then came that critical last hour. The decision to close the polls at the posted hour of 3 p.m. was mine, as was the staffing and ballot preparation for the day. For not being prepared for the increased participation, I take full responsibility. I extend my sincerest apologizes to the voters who waited in line and did not get the opportunity to vote that day.

The concerns of the day were high. As one other auditor explained, extending the hours beyond the legal publication can cause critics to cry foul. I had more satellite stations set for Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, as well as the hours available in the auditor’s office including Saturdays and the option of requesting an absentee ballot.

A main priority of the Commissioner of Elections is to preserve the integrity of an election. I would not intentionally jeopardize the process and subject the citizens of this county to a challenge of the results.

While providing a valuable service to the voters, satellite voting and its procedures need to work in collaboration with the other aspects of the election. The situation on the ISU campus on Oct. 21 has brought some new and needed attention for the several auditors who offer satellite voting.

I want to thank all the voters who turned out during these four days, with a specific statement to those who were still in line as the station closed: An auditor and commissioner of elections is your public servant and will respond to the needs of the citizens. This situation will not happen again.

Mary Mosiman

Story County Auditor

Commissioner of Elections