Quorum Court adopts ordinance allowing contracted election‑worker services, declares 'unusual circumstances'

The Randolph County Quorum Court voted to adopt an ordinance permitting the county to hire election worker services from contract providers and to declare certain staffing shortfalls "unusual circumstances" that allow contracting even when a contract provider has a familial relationship with a county employee.

The ordinance text, read before the court, cites the county's classification as a small class‑two county with dispersed voting sites and difficulty recruiting trained election day workers. It specifically references a current arrangement involving Elizabeth Ballinger, who contracts with the county to provide custodial services, and states the provision will apply to others in similar circumstances to ensure the election commission can staff operations.

The measure includes an emergency clause; the transcript records language making the ordinance effective retroactive to "1012020." Court members moved the ordinance through readings and adopted it by voice and roll‑call votes during the session.

The vote as recorded in the transcript shows Justices answering in the affirmative during the roll call; no formal 'No' votes were recorded in the segments that captured the roll call. The ordinance also contains language intended to limit conflicts when a county employee or official is on the ballot in a contested race.

The ordinance's adoption means the county may contract for election workers under the conditions defined in the text. The court did not record additional implementing details (procurement procedures, specific contract terms) in the meeting transcript; staff follow‑up will be needed to publish implementing rules and to confirm the effective retroactive date and how it will apply to any past payments or actions.