New phone system will aid county clerk during elections
Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Those trying to get ahold of the Washington County Clerk's Office during peak calling times during the election season now may get through faster.
"During the last election, we were so busy and our phones were so jammed that when people tried to call they kept getting a busy signal," County Clerk Karen Combs Pritchard said. "It was like you had to keep sitting there hitting redial over and over.
"I actually got the idea, ' Why could my office not have the queue, like larger businesses have ?"
The phone queue system now being used by the clerk's office is set up so the calls are answered in the order in which they come.
"What I'm mainly hoping for is when people do call they won't have to keep hitting redial," Pritchard said, even though they might have to wait a few seconds to get on the line.
On a normal daily basis, she said, people will not even know the queue system exists.
In citing the need for this system, Pritchard had in mind poll workers trying to get through to the office when something arises on election day.
With 58 polling locations, it is easy to see why the phones could get jammed up during elections.
Four lines are part of the queue system. They are typically ringing off the hook from 7 p.m. to about 7: 45 p.m. on election day, Pritchard said. The Friday and Monday before elections, before early voting ends, also are peak times, she said, especially for the general public.
"People are calling to make sure they're registered or make sure their address is correct," she said.
Members of the public who need to make sure they are properly registered will be automatically directed by the queue to go online to www. votenaturally. org, where they can check their registration information.
That way they can see if they are registered and will not have to wait to speak to somebody in the clerk's office during the heavy calling time unless they still need to talk to a person in the clerk's office to register or change their address.
In the meantime, Pritchard advises people to call the clerk's office prior to the days leading up to an election to see if they are registered. The cutoff for registration is 30 days prior to the election. For instance, those who are not registered for the primary may still register for the general election in November.
Registration is permanent as long as it is kept active by voting, Pritchard said.
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