She’s petite, bright eyed and energized.

She’s the new sparkplug at the Warwick Board of Canvassers who is already nailing down polling locations for the Presidential Preference Primary on April 2, 2024.

Krista M. Tracy was named this summer to fill the position of director of elections, a post that has been vacant since Kerry Nardolillo moved to Florida. A native of Levittown, PA, Tracy’s career in municipal government started in the Town Clerk’s office in South Kingstown in 2001. She hadn’t planned in going into government work, but a customer at the Wakefield bank where she was working suggested she “would be a perfect fit” for the post. That turned out to be the case. Tracy stayed at South Kingstown for nine years before leaving to be a stay at home mom for her two children.

Tracy’s experience in South Kingstown made her a good fit for a position in Charlestown where she held the title of building and zoning clerk as well as took on whatever else came her way. From Charlestown it was a step up to Westerly where Tracy was named the registered clerk of elections.

She was one of four or five applicants for the job paying $69,175 and one of two finalists to be interviewed by Mayor Frank Picozzi.’

“I was very impressed with Krista’s management abilities and experience and recommended her to the Board of Canvassers,” Picozzi wrote in a text.” She’s doing a great job.”

Comparatively Warwick is a big jump from Westerly. Westerly has 20,000 registered voters, whereas Warwick has more than three times as many. Westerly has seven polling locations and Warwick has 34.

With the assistance of her staff, Michael Rooney and Donna Collins, Tracy is getting the lay of the land from the southern most poll at the fire station in Potowomut to the most northerly serving voters in Pawtuxet. The east-west stretch is from Cowesett to Warwick Neck. She made a point of attending the Welcome to Warwick event hosted by the Warwick Public Library where nonprofits and community groups had tables.

With Oakland Beach School closed for renovations (the school is temporarily operating at the school administration building at the former Gorton Junior High School), Tracy was tasked with finding another polling location. The Oakland Beach branch of the Warwick Boys and Girls Clubs seemed like the ideal location. It’s across the street from the school, is handicapped accessible and has parking. But because schools are closed on election days, the club would be in full operation. Tracy met with Lara D’Antuono, executive director of the clubs. D’Antuono worked out a plan to keep a portion of the club open for kids while also serving as a polling location.

But, it’s not as simple as it sounds.

Polling locations require approval by the state Board of Elections. With her work in Westerly as well as in the clerk offices of South Kingstown and Charlestown, Tracy knows what is expected and the people.

In order to conduct elections, Tracy and her staff need to recruit 136 supervisors who are paid $175 for the day and 68 moderators and clerks who are paid for the day that starts at 6 a.m. and runs until after the polls close at 8 p.m. Tracy was confident that is being handled by her staff although they can always use more people. On Tracy’s list are high school registration drives – students can register at 16 when they get a driver’s license that will automatically become active once they are 18 – and reaching out to nursing homes and those voting by absentee ballot.

Asked about questionable signatures on voter nomination papers that became a hot issue during the First Congressional District race this summer, Tracy said while in Westerly nomination paper signatures were verified. She said with today’s technology where drivers’ license and ID are available, it’s not as difficult as it might seem.