Early voting is back in St. Charles on Thursday

ST. CHARLES COUNTY — The top elections official here said the polls will be open early Thursday morning, despite a request for a temporary restraining order filed by a local Republican committeeman.

Kurt Bahr, St. Charles County elections director, said his legal counsel reviewed court documents and said voting could proceed.

“This is not an order. It’s not a court order. It is a request for a court order,” Bahr said late on Wednesday. “Tomorrow the polls will be open. Nothing will change.”

Travis Allen Heins, of St. Peters, filed a request for the ban Wednesday, saying official “observers” or “challengers” were improperly prevented from observing polling places during early voting in St. Charles County.

His legal filing requests that early voting not proceed without spectators or challengers. Such observers were not allowed in by Bahr, saying they would only be allowed inside when ballots were being prepared or counted on Election Day.

But Bahr said observers and challengers, if required by a judge, would be allowed into early polling stations to observe.

Heins argued that election observers and challengers should be allowed access to early election polling stations because ballots are counted as they are entered into voting machines.

Heins said his restraining order was granted by St. Charles County Circuit Judge Daniel Pelikan. But Heins said he did not intend to block early voting and has no suspicion of wrongdoing. He just wanted to be there to observe the voting.

“I have no intention of interrupting any kind of vote,” he said.

Pelikan could not be reached for comment.

St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said late Wednesday that the county has not been served. He said he had also spoken with county attorneys and expected early voting to go ahead Thursday.

The area is one hotspot of early voting, with more than 70,000 votes cast by Monday.