Cape County Commission approves website upgrade

Cape Girardeau County's website will be upgraded to make it easier for the public to access election results and other election information, officials said Thursday.

The Cape Girardeau County Commission voted to spend $4,500 to "build out" the site.

Element 74, which hosts the county's website, will perform the work, county officials said.

County Clerk Kara Clark Summers told the commission the existing website is "not browser or mobile friendly."

She added, "We want people to access the site, use the site."

Summers said the whole website needs to be upgraded, but that her office can't afford to pay for it.

The clerks said her office will pay for the upgrade regarding election information.

The improvements will allow people to readily access Cape Girardeau County election information and results on their cell phones.

In addition, the upgrades would allow people to fill out and submit certain election forms online, such as requests for absentee ballots and election-judge applications, Summers said.

"The absentee ballot request (form) is a big one" because the clerk's office receives so many ballot requests, she said.

Summers said the county's website is "very limited" when it comes to providing election information.

The county clerk said she has wanted to upgrade the site for several years. "I am excited about that," she said after the commission approved the project.

Summers said the improvements won't be in place for the April municipal and school board elections. But she said she hopes the "buildout" will be done before the August primary election.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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