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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAVER COUNTY.
I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTION FOR COUNTY TO ORDER THINGS RIDES FROM
UM, MINUTES FROM THE MEETING ON APRIL 27TH AND DISCUSSION ON THOSE.
SO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES.
ALL OPPOSED ABSTAIN ON JUNE 2ND, 2022 BOARD MEETING MINUTES.
UM, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MOTION TO APPROVE THEM ALL THE MINUTES? WE'LL HAVE A RECORD THAT WE'VE MET, BUT SECOND, SECOND ON FAVOR.
ON TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS, THE JUNE 22ND STATEWIDE PRIMARY, ANYBODY HAVE ANY LESSON LEARNED? QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, WAIT FORWARD.
ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ABOUT THAT'S WHAT I MEANT.
UM, ONE IS THE BALLOT ISSUE WITH REDISTRICTING, THE STATE IMPROPERLY UPDATED VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION, WHICH COSTS SOME VOTERS AND A FEW PRECINCTS TO GET AN INCOMPLETE BALLOT.
WELL, THIS ONLY AFFECTED BROKEN SIX PRESEASON 70.
WE FAILED AS A COMMISSION TO PROPERLY INFORM THE PUBLIC WHILE WE WERE INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE.
WE SHOULD HAVE INFORMED THE PUBLIC ON THE STATUS IN REAL TIME.
I THINK IN THIS SITUATION, TRANSPARENCY IS CREDIBLE.
THE STATEMENTS SUCH AS WE ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE WHERE INVESTIGATING AND REPORT AS, UM, AS WE RECEIVE INFORMATION WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
UM, I'VE CONTACTED THE PIO TO REQUEST MEDIA TRAINING FOR ALL OF US, AS WELL AS THE STAFF AND IN SITUATIONS WHERE THERE IS AN EMERGENCY.
WE CAN REACT WITH THE SAME VOICE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, GET THAT WORD OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ASK THE PIO SOMEONE IN AN OFFICE.
IF YOU PRESENT AT THE ELECTIONS FOR FUTURE ELECTIONS, UM, STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION.
I THINK AS A, AS A BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB COMMUNICATING WITH THE CITIZENS OF BUTTE COUNTY.
THIS INCLUDES UPDATES ON SYSTEM ERRORS, REPORTING AND ANY OTHER IRREGULARITIES, UM, EVERYTHING FROM SOUP TO NUTS WHEN IT COMES TO THE ELECTION PROCESS.
SO, UM, I RECOMMEND THAT WE IDENTIFY A STAFF MEMBER THAT WILL WORK WITH THE BOARD, MAYBE SOMEONE ON THE BOARD TO, UM, AS THINGS COME UP, CREATE THAT STRATEGIC MESSAGE.
ESPECIALLY HAVING A PIO ON HAND FOR THE ELECTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION, I'M SORRY.
IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER IN SCREEN ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? SANDRA? DID HE BAD READ THAT ARTICLE IN THE PACKET? THERE WERE A LOT OF ARTICLES, SO YES, YES, YES.
AND WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN IN FRONT OF THAT.
I THINK ACTUALLY IT WAS FUNNY CAUSE HE LIKES AND I'M SURE MOST OF THEM ARE TRUE,
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BUT IT'S, IF YOU REALLY THINK IT'S TRUE AND IT MAKES IT LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING.IT WAS THAT PEOPLE CALLING, THEY CAN BASICALLY SAY, WELL, THEY'RE SOMEWHAT LAUDERDALE SAY, AND I THINK THAT'S THE ISSUE RIGHT THERE.
THERE'S A MESSAGE OUT THERE AND WE'RE NOT PROVIDING A MESSAGE.
THEN THAT'S ALL THAT'S LEFT TO THE WEEK.
SO THE PUBLIC YOU THEY'RE LOOKING TO US, I THINK AS A BOARD TO COMMUNICATE WHAT'S GOING ON.
SOMETHING LIKE PALMAR LAST NIGHT SAID YOU'VE WATCHED VIRGINIA LECTURE ACTUALLY WATCH A LOT OF BRIGHT EAST AND HE SAID WOULD TURN IT ON.
SO I SWITCHED OVER AND HE SAID, WHAT TIME IS IT 15? YOU SAID, WHAT PERCENT GENIUS REPORT? I SAID 92.
AND HE SAID, YES, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S INHERENT IN CAROLINE'S REPORT.
I JUST GOT THE GENERAL FEELING THAT ALL OF US EQUALLY INFORMED ONE INFORMATION.
UM, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT INFORMATION WAS WITHHELD.
I'M JUST THINKING THAT THERE SHOULD BE A PROCEDURE FOR THE SHARING OF INFORMATION, THE BOARD MEMBERS, BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A GENERAL FEELING OF NOT KNOWING, NOT KNOWING WHAT THE RESPONSE OF THE LEADERSHIP WILL BE.
AND IF THERE IS A RESPONSE, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE AWARE SO WE CAN EMBRACE AND ENDORSE WHAT COMES FROM OUR LEADERS.
WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT EVERY WEEK IN THE MARINE CORPS, THEY HAVE A PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER AND A STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, AND BOTH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE UNIQUE RESPONSIBILITIES.
YOU KNOW, ONE HAS TO DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC AND, AND UM, BUT THE OTHER ONE IS IN TIMES OF CRISIS, THEY SHAPE THE MESSAGE AND THEY MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ELEVATED SO THAT EVERYONE IS SPEAKING THE SAME THINGS.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CREATE BELLIES.
AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HE'S LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND THEN MR. WEDGEWOOD, OH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT IN MY FIELD, SO WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND SPEAKING A STRONG MESSAGE AND SPEAKING THE TRUTH.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE OTHER PART OF IT IS WE'VE GOT TO BE TRANSPARENT.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD, IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO WORK ON THIS.
SO FOR THE 20, 22 NOVEMBER ELECTION, WE'VE GOT THIS DOWN WATCHING, WELL, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THE PUBLIC TO KNOW
UM, AND I GUESS THAT'S THAT'S UM, BECAUSE I, I KNOW GENE HAS BEEN, WAS UPDATED ON EVERYTHING FROM THE BEGINNING AND I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE POLICY IN PLACE, BUT THE LAST POLICY THAT THE BOARD OF THAT THEN WAS THAT EITHER MYSELF OR THE CHAIRMAN WOULD DEAL WITH THE MEDIA.
AND IF THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME OTHER CHANGES, THEN OF COURSE IT NEEDS TO BE INCORPORATED AS A BOARD POLICY.
BUT INITIALLY, UM, JEAN WHO IS THE BOARD CHAIR, WAS RESPONDING TO THE MEDIA AND OTHER QUESTIONS THAT CAME IN.
UM, SO YES, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, AS A BOARD GUYS, AS A BOARD, NEED TO DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES.
AND I THINK WE WOULD WELCOME GINA BECAUSE NO PHONE WAS BLOWING UP FROM EVERY ACTION.
ONCE WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND WE INVOLVED THE STATE AND, UM, IT SHOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
WELL, IN, IN GINA AND I WERE DISCUSSING THAT YET IT IS THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE POLICY AND YOU IMPLEMENT THAT POLICY.
SO US AS A BOARD, AND THEN I'M PUTTING THE ONUS ON US, WE DO HAVE A POLICY, BUT WHEN YOU'RE IN DIFFERENT PRECINCTS, SPREAD OUT OVER THIS LARGE COUNTY, YOU CAN'T DODGE A REPORTER, YOU KNOW, THE BIG TICKET ITEMS I'VE REFERRED THEM TO CHEAPLY.
SOMEONE JUST ASKED ME THE NELLA QUESTION, HOW'S YOUR ELECTION GOING? I'M NOT JUDGING YOU BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE WE'RE HIDING
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SOMETHING AND THAT'S, THAT'S AN ISSUE.AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO GO BACK TO A RULES COMMITTEE AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, I MEAN, EXPERIENCES, THE BEST TEACHER, RIGHT? AND I GUESS, LIKE WE SAID, FROM, FROM, FROM THE BEGINNING, EVERY LECTURE, WE LEARNED SOMETHING.
WE IMPLEMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO DEAL WITH SITUATIONS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO AGAIN, I THINK ON BOTH OF OUR BEHALF, I THINK THAT A THIRD PARTY, IT MAY NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA TO, TO HELP WITH THE VIDEO BECAUSE THEY CALL IT THE ALL ANKLES.
UM, AND WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES, WE HAVE ISSUES.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS EXPERIENCED IN THAT AREA TO HELP CRAFT A MESSAGE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE THICK OF THE FIGHT, IT'S HARD TO DISCERN.
SO I THINK A DISINTERESTED, THIRD PARTY IS TRAINED TO DEVELOP STRATEGIC MESSAGES WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO RESPOND AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE WANT THE SAME PAGE AS WELL.
AND THAT WOULD GO FROM OUR OFFICE TO THE BOARD AS WELL.
SO I THINK WE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND ONE INCIDENT TOO, IT'S LIKE AT THE ROTARY ON ONE DAY, WHAT THE, I MEAN, THERE WAS JUST SO MANY PROBLEMS WHERE, AND THEY COULDN'T ISSUE HAND BALANCE.
AND, UM, EVERYBODY WAS LIKE SORT, I'M LIKE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
I THINK THAT'S MORE ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, OH YEAH.
HOW HAVE YOU GOT THAT MESSAGE OUT TO THE PRESETS? THAT, THAT WAS Y JEAN KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ADVANTAGEOUS TO ANYONE FOR HER TO SEND OUT EMAILS.
CAUSE WE WERE OUT RUNNING FROM PRECINCT PRECINCT.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO CHECK HER EMAILS, BUT I THINK IF SHE HAD US ALL ON IT, YOU MIGHT SAY GROUP TEXT AND GET THE MESSAGE AND SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, AND THEN IF SOMEONE NEEDS CLARIFICATION, THEY CAN CALL JEAN DIRECTLY.
AND THEN I THINK THAT THAT'S ONE MODE OF TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT TO EVERYONE SO THAT IF SOMEONE'S EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE, THE POLL BOOK OR DO IT, I WON'T GET INTO ALL THE OTHER DISCREPANCIES RIGHT NOW.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT WOULD JUST KEEP US ALL INFORMED, JUST AWARE.
YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN SOMEONE'S ALREADY GOT A SOLUTION SET.
SO MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT FOR ME, IF THE PRESS COMES TO ME, I CAN TELL THEM WHAT'S GOING ON AT MY PRIESTS.
I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, BUT IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, MORE INFORMATION, CONCRETE ENERGY.
THAT'S WHEN I HAVE A VOTER COME UP TO ME AND ASK ME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE A SHORT ANSWER FOR, YOU KNOW, YES.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S BEING ADDRESSED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING.
IS THERE A PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
AND AFTER IF THERE'S, IF THERE ARE POLICIES THAT POTENTIALLY EXISTS, WELL, THERE'S NO MONEY.
THEY SERVE TO SUPPORT THE COUNTY FOR ALL THINGS INFORMATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CLASSES LIKE IN THE MARINE CORPS, THEY'LL HAVE CLASSES FOR SENIOR OFFICERS TO TEACH THEM HOW TO DEAL WITH THE MEDIA.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT TO SAY WHAT NOT TO SAY.
AND I THINK THAT TYPE OF TRAINING WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL TO ALL OF US.
UM, SO, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, PIO HAS AGREED TO HELP US OUT WITH THEM.
THEY WOULDN'T BE PUTTING OUT THE MESSAGES
THE SECOND ISSUE THAT I HAD, UH, VOTERS WERE NOT ABLE TO CHECK IN, UM, THE ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK HAD A COUPLE OF GLITCHES, WHICH PREVENTED A SMOOTH VOTING PROCESS, BUT WE DISCOVERED A CANDIDATE WAS NOT OFF THE BALLOT, WHICH AFFECTED SIX PRECINCTS.
THE STATE CREATED A SECOND DATABASE AND POLLING STATIONS WITH TWO OR MORE PRECINCTS.
THIS ADJUSTMENT PREVENTED THE COMPUTERS FROM TALKING WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THIS ALSO HINDERED COWORKERS FROM LOOKING UP CORRECT
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VALID STYLES FOR INDIVIDUAL FLOATERS.SECONDLY, THE FEATURE TO EXPAND THE DATABASE MALFUNCTION.
THIS PREVENTED PAUL CLERKS FROM INFORMING VOTERS OF THEIR CORRECT PRECINCT, WHICH RE WHICH ROUGHLY CAUSED 40 BALLOTS FROM NOT BEING COUNTED IN CANVASING HERE.
UM, THAT'S 40, TOO MANY, IN MY OPINION, AS A REMEDY BOOTY VOTERS WHO WERE REFERRED TO THE VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICE, UM, AND SUB SUBSEQUENTLY CHASTISED FOR DOING CELL.
IN FACT, SEVERAL CLOCKS WERE TOLD NOT TO SEND VOTERS TO THE VOTER REGISTRATION, THE REMEDY MORE INTENSIVE TRAINING ON WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO BETTER TRAINING ON HOW AND WHEN TO USE VOTER PAPER POLL BOOKS, BETTER COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN VOTER REGISTRATION, OFFICES ON ISSUES.
COUNTY-WIDE SO THEY ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO ASSIST POLL WORKERS AND VOTERS AND ALVIN ALPHABETICAL OR NUMERICAL LISTED BUFORD COUNTY ADDRESSES IN CORRESPONDING POLLING LOCATIONS IN CASE THERE'S A PROBLEM.
THEY CAN ALWAYS LOOK UP, UM, WHERE THAT INDIVIDUAL IS SUPPOSED TO VOTE.
AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST A MINUTE TEST RUN OF EACH POLL BOOK.
THE DAY BEFORE AT THE POLLING LOCATION TO OBJECT THE EQUIPMENT I HAD CIRCLED, THE ONE STATIONS YOU'D PUT MINT DID NOT WORK WHEN THEY FIRST OPENED.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY HAD TO RESORT FOR PROVISIONAL BALLOTS, WHICH THEY DIDN'T COUNT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, AGAIN, I THINK AGAIN, AS, AS A BOARD, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT THESE THINGS AND MADE SURE THAT, UM, THE EQUIPMENT IS RUNNING FINE AND THAT FOLKS KNOW WHAT AND WHEN TO DO THINGS.
UM, I THINK THE ALPHABETICAL LIST IS NECESSARY.
IT'S A SAFEGUARD MEASURE TO ENSURE VOTERS CAN BOOK THEIR BALLOT AND HAVE IT COUNTED.
THEN THE VOTER CHOSE NOT TO GO TO THE CORRECT PRECINCT.
AND THAT'S THE ONUS IS ON THEM.
I HAD A COUPLE OF THOSE THAT JUST REFUSED TO GO TO DUKE, UM, WITH DUE TO THE IGNORANCE ON OUR PART.
AND WE FELT THE VOTERS, THIS ALL COMES DOWN TO TRAINING.
UM, CAN WE IMPLEMENT THIS ROSTERS ALPHA, VERTICAL BOSTON AND BACK OF THE BOOK AS A TAB.
SO SAY JOHN SMITH COMES IN LIKE, THIS IS NOT YOUR PRECINCT.
THEY COULDN'T TELL HIM WHERE TO GO.
AND THEN BECAUSE THEY'RE, AND SO WHEN THEY WOULD SEND THEM TO THE VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICES, NO, NO, NO, NO.
THE WAY THE BOOK IS SUPPOSEDLY IS SO THAT THEY CAN BUILD UP
I PLANNED TO TOUCH
SO WHEN PEOPLE CAME IN, WE HAD A GAS STATION THAT SAID, HE SAID, DO YOU KNOW WHAT PRECINCT A BACK 50% OF THE PEOPLE DID? AND THE OTHER 50% HE WOULD SAY NO AGAIN, YOU KNOW? AND THEN I HAD THE FOUR BOOKS LIKE THAT, AND THAT WAS TAKING WAY TOO LONG.
SO LUCKILY THE REAL ESTATE GUY, I HAVEN'T HAD ONE OF MY APP.
I CIRCLED THEM AND I KNOW ALL THE STREETS AND PEOPLE COME IN AND SAY THIS, YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR PRECINCT QUESTION.
BUT HAD THE POLL WORKERS, IT HAS MAPS AND THEN FUNDING.
BUT IF THEY GET FILLED, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEM.
THEY ONLY HAVE MAPS FOR THEIR, THEIR PRECINCTS.
IF IT'S ANOTHER PRECINCT, THEY COULDN'T TELL THE VOTER TO GO TO WE ALL BRANCH.
I FIRST TIME HEARING THAT THE POLL WAS NOT EXPANDING THE SEARCH.
UM, I MEAN, THAT'S FOR THEM WHO THEY WOULD SEND THEM TO THE VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICE SO THAT THEY CAN FIND THEM MY PRECINCT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T DO IT IN.
AND SOME OF MINE ACTUALLY TOOK OUT THEIR PERSONAL PHONE CALLS AND WENT TO S S SEE, VOTES.ORG AND LOOKED IT UP THEMSELVES.
SO I HAD ONE WHOLE WORKER DEDICATED TO LOOKING UP ADDRESSES, BUT YEAH,
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I OVER PLANT TOUCH, THE POPE LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER FOUR PRECINCTS.I HAD TWO AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS THREE PRECINCTS THERE.
ONE WORD TWO DID NOT UNDERSTAND ONE WORD.
SO THEY HAD TO SAY, AND I WAS OVER HERE ON THAT PLANTATION SO I COULD HELP OUT IT.
WAS THAT A BIGGER PROBLEM? AND THEN, UH, YOUR, YOUR ROTARY, THERE'S MY MARKETING DIRECTOR.
SHE SAID, I HAVE NEVER LIVED THROUGH ME.
NOT SAYING YOU DIDN'T GET THE BOOK.
SHE'S NOT GOING TO VOTE, BUT I WOULD COLLEGE WORK AND THEY COULDN'T TELL HER SHE WAS IN THE RIGHT BRACELET HERSELF.
BUT FOR SOME REASON IT TOOK HER AN HOUR.
BUT SO WHO WAS TURNING THEM AWAY FROM THE OFFICE? SHE SAID THAT THEY WERE WRONG.
THEY WERE CHASTISED FOR CALLING THE OFFICE.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHEN THEY WOULD CALL US, THEY DON'T CALL US.
AND ACTUALLY SEND PEOPLE THERE.
AND THEY WERE, THEY WERE TOLD NOT TO SEND ANYBODY, SEND THEM TO ONE OF THE OPPOSITES GOING UP ON THEIR BOOKS.
SO THEY WERE TELLING THE VOTERS GO TO THE VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICE.
THEY CAN TELL YOU WHERE TO VOTE THERE.
WHY WOULDN'T THEY CALL? RIGHT.
THEY SHOULD HAVE CALLED THE CLERK OR SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE CALLED BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO UNLESS WE DO.
WE TELL THEM, DON'T SEND ANYBODY HERE UNLESS THEY COME IN AND FEEL SAFE.
THAT'S THE ONLY TIME THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO COME, BECAUSE EVERYTHING CAN BE HANDLED.
EVEN IF THAT PULLED IS OUT, THEY CALL US ALL THREE OFFICERS CAN GET ON GREMLINS.
AND WE TELL THEM WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO HOME.
THEY DON'T BECAUSE WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN ONE OF THE STORIES WE ALWAYS TEACH IS DON'T SEND THEM TO THE OFFICE.
SOMEBODY AT BUCK WALTER AND THE PERSON SENDS TO THE OFFICE, BUT WE SEND THEM BACK.
THAT IS WHERE YOU GO TO THE NEXT THING RIGHT THERE, BUMP WALTER.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO SEND THEM SOMEWHERE.
WE WANT THEM TO CALL AND WE CAN TALK TO THEM WHERE, AND THAT'S A ONE TIME THING.
HOPE WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
BUT IF IT DIDN'T WORK, THEN THE OTHER OPTION WAS TO CALL US NOT SENDING THEM TO US.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT TOO, BUT YOU'RE READY.
CAN YOU GET SOMEONE TO ANSWER THE PHONE? I MEAN, REALLY BECAUSE EVERYONE'S BUSY.
SO SOMETIMES IT'S BETTER JUST TO PHYSICALLY GO THERE BECAUSE I TALKED TO ALL THE STAFF ABOUT TURNING PEOPLE AWAY.
AND WHEN PEOPLE CALL CHANGE OF ADDRESSES, THEY WERE TAKING CARE OF IF THEY COME TO THE OFFICE TO VOTE.
AND I THINK THAT MAYBE THE COMMUNICATION IS IF THEY CAME TO VOTE, THEY CANNOT PUT THAT IN MY OFFICE.
THEY DIDN'T EVEN RELATE THAT TO THE STAFF AND STAFF WOULD NOT KNOW, CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT? WHATEVER THEY DID COME IN AND TRY TO VOTE.
WE TELL THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE VOTE DURING THE SHIFT CHANGE OF ADDRESS.
AND WE ASKED WHAT THE PRECINCT, AND IF THEY DIDN'T, WE WOULD PRINT THEM A NEW REGISTRATION CARD, USUALLY PERMANENT NEW REGISTRATION CARD, REGARDLESS UNTIL THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.
SO WELL, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL WHERE YOU GO.
WE'RE STILL TELLING THEM WHERE TO GO, JUST THAT THEY COULDN'T VOTE THERE.
AND THE OTHER THING YOU SAID WAS VERY INTERESTING IN MARIE HAD DONE.
SHE WAS PLAYING AROUND WITH IT.
CAUSE, UH, THE BARKER, I MEAN COLA, YOU SAID PEOPLE WERE LOOKING IT UP.
WE HAVE MAYBE SOME WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
IF SOMETHING GOES DOWN, WE HAVE THAT POSTER UP, THEY CAN PULL IT UP, SCAN IT, AND THEN THEY CAN FIND OUT THE SE AND THEY CAN FIND OUT WHATEVER I DO WITH THAT.
THAT'S IT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN POST THEM ON THE TABLE.
THAT'S A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE IT WAS, YEAH, THAT WAS JUST AN EXPERIMENT TO SEE, BECAUSE WE HAD PEOPLE WHO DID NOT KNOW IT THOUGH.
AND WE DID CHANGE A LOT OF POLLING LOCATIONS BECAUSE SCHOOLS ARE POLLS FOR RENOVATIONS.
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JUST SO THAT YOU ON RECORD.ANYONE WHO GETS THE CHANGE EMPLOYMENT LOCATION, THEY'LL GET A NEW REGISTRATION CARD, LET'S GO HAVE THEIR NEW POLLING LOCATION, NAME AND ADDRESS ON IT.
AND ALL THEIR DISTRICT INFORMATION WILL BE PRINTED, THE VOTER REGISTRATION AND SOMETHING TO APPRECIATE MY EXPERIENCES, WHAT I'M SAYING KNOW.
SO THEY COME ME AND I SAID,
THE PEOPLE SAID, WHERE'S YOUR PRECINCT GO? AND I ALWAYS GO UP HERE.
AND I WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING BETTER.
I SAID FOR THE POOR PRECINCT, SECOND THING, WHICH I DON'T KNOW, OTHER MORE BROWN THRASHER, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT CAR IS GOOD.
ACCORDING TO MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE, PRETTY SAFE.
VOTERS NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR EDUCATING THEMSELVES.
AND THERE'S A MESSAGE OUT THERE.
I HEAR THAT ALL THE TIME ON THE NEWS AND THE NEWSPAPER IS A GENERAL COMMUNICATION.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE OUR VOTERS TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION BEFORE THE ELECTION, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT I'M BUYING CAN BE ASSIGNED TO THAT PRECINCT.
THERE IS THAT ANY CONDITIONER ON HAD CHANGES IN PARTICULARLY IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS, WE HAD REDISTRICTING.
SO THEY MAY NOT KNOW THEIR, THEIR NEW DISTRICTS.
I MEAN, PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE THERE TO SERVE THE VOTERS.
AND SO ASSISTANCE WITH FINDING THE RECEIPT THAT THEY GET IS INCUMBENT UPON US.
AND I AM SO COMFORTABLE IN THE FACT THAT THIS OFFICE REALLY HAS ALWAYS TRIED TO, SINCE THEY COME DOWN, I AM SO COMFORTABLE IN IT, I GUESS, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE SO LONG, BUT THAT IS ONE PLUS I WOULD REALLY BEGIN THE STAFF THAT WORKS DOWN HERE.
I GUESS THE QUESTION I'VE GOT IS IF WE FIGURED OUT WHY THE POTENT BOOKS DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY, IT DIDN'T, HE HAD FOUR, SHE HAD A COUPLE THAT WE FIGURED OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS WHEN THE STUFF LEAVES HERE.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY SOWS, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH TESTING THEY CAN DO, AND THEY'VE DONE ALL THEY CAN DO.
WE CANNOT TURN IT ON AT THE PRECINCT THE DAY BEFORE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO OPEN UP CERTAIN THINGS.
WHAT HAPPENS IS WHATEVER THAT PROGRAM THAT COMES DOWN THE PROGRAMMING FOR.
CAUSE WE, I THINK WE GOT A VERSION, YOU GOT A SATURDAY, RIGHT, RIGHT.
BUT EPB, THEY GOT THE LAST VERSION OF SATURDAY.
AND THEN YOU SEE WHAT OUR LIMITATIONS ARE WHEN IT COMES DOWN AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THEY STAY HERE UNTIL YOU REALLY GET IT DONE.
THE ISSUE IS, WELL, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT, BUT ALL OF THE TESTING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE ON THAT, UH, VERSION OR WHATEVER, IS IT, AND THEN GIVE IT TO US IN THE MOST TESTED SITUATION.
DOES THAT MAKE EVERYBODY GET WHAT I'M SAYING? WHEN WE GET IT ALL THAT WE CAN DO, WE'VE DONE.
WHEN WE GET THAT VIRGIN AND INSTALL IT, WE CAN'T TURN IT ON BECAUSE OF THE SYSTEM, THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS, IT MAKES IT LIVE.
AND CERTAIN THINGS START COUNTING AND WE CAN'T DO THAT.
RIGHT? SO THE OTHER PART OF IT IS WHAT WE GET.
HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN FULLY TESTED BEFORE WE GET IT, BUT WE CAN'T RUN THOSE TESTS THAT WE THINK WE MIGHT WANT TO DO BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT WILL MESS UP.
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THE NEXT DAY WITH IT.
THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T TURN ON THE DAY BEFORE THE MINUTE YOU FIND IT LIVE, IT STARTS A PROCESS.
AND WE CAN'T START THAT PROCESS UNTIL ELECTION DAY SOLUTION FOR THAT
AND THESE ARE THINGS WE'VE BEEN MAKING NOTES OUT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE STATE NOW.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO
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AVOID ANSWERING QUESTIONS OR THAT WE HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, THE SAME QUESTIONS.
YOU ALL ARE ASKING ALL THE SAME ONES WE HAVE AS WELL.
AND THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE POSED TO THE STATE.
WE WILL HAVE A DEBRIEFING WITH THE STATE AND WE WILL TALK JUST LIKE WHAT YOU ARE TALKING TO US ABOUT TO THEM, BECAUSE THIS IS, IT'S NOT IN BUFORD.
SO, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT VISA BECAUSE BUFORD HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION.
AND I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT OUR REPUTATION TO BE TAINTED BECAUSE THE PROCESS IS NOT VETTED, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO BEING IMPLEMENTED.
SO, AND I KNOW THE ELECTION MORNING AND I CAN, AND I CAN, UH, I CAN VOUCH FOR THIS, THAT STAFF STAYED UPDATING ALL OF THOSE NPBS OKAY.
CAUSE THEY CAME IN ON SATURDAY EVENING, WHICH WE DID NOT PREFER, BUT THAT'S WHEN IT CAME IN, WE UPDATED THEM.
WHEN YOU GUYS TURNED IT ON, WHEN YOU SAW YOUR ISSUE IS WHEN WE KNEW THE ISSUE WAS THERE.
SO YOU COULD HAVE DONE ALL THE TESTING AHEAD OF TIME.
YOU WANTED TO, ONCE THEY SEND YOU THAT NEW RELEASE, YOUR TESTING IS OUT THE WINDOW DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE.
THIS, THIS, WE ARE LIMITED AS TO RIGHT.
THE MACHINE WOULD BE MANIPULATED.
AND THE TESTING THAT YOU'RE DOING, I MEAN, IT'S REPETITIVE TESTING LIKE SEVEN DIFFERENT BALLOT STYLES FOR EACH OF THOSE HUNDREDS OR WHATEVER.
AND THE EPB THING, YOU CAN TEST IT ONLY SO MUCH, BUT YOU CAN'T TEST IT WITH THE MODIFY ON, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, ONCE YOU CUT THAT MIND BY ON AND TESSA WITH MY BIOPSY, IF THOSE BOOKS IN THAT PRECINCT ARE GOING TO CONNECT.
SO YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL ELECTION DAY TELL THAT MORNING BECAUSE THEY SAID, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HE USED THEM AND THEY'D BE WORKING PERFECTLY BEFORE THEY CAN BUY THAT NOW AND A PUMP.
AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU THE OTHER DAY, SHE WAS CALM WHEN YOU HAD TO, WHEN WE WERE PRINTING THE, UM, THE HAIR ON THE BACK OF THE CAR.
NOW, BEFORE WE DIDN'T PRINT A HEAD OR A METAL CLIP, YOU PUT THE BLANK ONE AND YOU CAN PICK IT.
AND I MEAN, IT MAY BE SOMETHING WE MAY WANT TO LOOK TO WENT BACK TO THE LITTLE I'M SURE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, STATE COUNTY DIRECTORS, I'M SORRY.
AND THE STATE OFFICE ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT TRANSPIRED IN THIS PAST ELECTION.
AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE IS OUR EXPERIENCE TO, TO, UM, TO ADDRESS THE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT WE HAD FROM THAT STARTED WITH THE HILTON HEAD ELECTION.
THE TEAM SHOWED UP, YOU KNOW,
WHAT SHOWED UP ABSENCE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT I KNOW THAT
AND AGAIN, WE COULD REMEDY THAT, BUT WHEN DO YOU REALLY, WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S HAPPENING, SO IT TAKES A COUPLE OF VOTERS BEFORE YOU REALIZE THAT SHOULDN'T BE ASKED THE T THIS IS, THIS SHOULDN'T BE THAT.
AND THAT SPLIT UP, YOU KNOW? SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST LIKE TALKING ABOUT THE, OH, WAS GOING TO SOLVE ALL OF HER.
OR THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN NEITHER ONE OF THEM EVEN KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THEY WERE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT FROM THE STATE AND NONE OF US DO, BUT NOBODY DO IT'S OVER ALL THE TIME.
SO I DON'T THINK WE ALL SIT OUT THERE AND BEAT OURSELVES UP THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS.
CAUSE WE DOUBLED AND I GO WITH NOBODY EITHER.
BUT I THINK THERE'S A RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE SHARE INFORMATION
BUT I THINK THAT KEEPING EVERYONE INFORMED, UH
[00:35:04]
I'M BEING FUNNY.BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF IT WAS A LIGHT TURNOUT AND IT TURNED PEOPLE OFF LIKE THAT.
SO WHEN YOU ASKED HEAVY, SIR, WELL, WE HAVE TO, TO, UM, AS BOARD MEMBERS HAVE TO HELP OUR FULL MANAGERS TO KNOW THE ELECTION DATE, YOU CAN ALL MAKE PROCESS ONE PHOTO AT A TIME.
NOBODY IS GOING TO WALK UP TO THE TABLE UNLESS YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON TO APPLY AND GET PROCESSED IMMEDIATELY.
AND EVERY TIME YOU, THOSE FOR YOUR TIME, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE MINES AND WE HAVE TO BE PATIENT VOTERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE PATIENT.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A HUNDRED MACHINES LINE UP THERE TO ACCOMMODATE VOTERS.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF RULE.
AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF SPACE, BUT IT'S UP TO US TO ENCOURAGE OUR VOTERS.
THEY ENCOURAGE EVERY, AND WE SAY THIS, BE PREPARED TO WAIT.
AND WE TELL OUR POLL MANAGERS, THEY DON'T NEED TO PANIC THAT YOU CAN ONLY PROCESS ONE.
UH, AND JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT YOU SAYING, WHEN'S THE, WHEN HE 60 16, WE HAD LINES A MILE LONG AT SEVEN O'CLOCK AND WE HAD NOBODY COMPLAINING.
THE ONLY PERSON PLAYING WAS ONE WHO CAME UP AFTER SEVEN AND SAW THE LINE AND COULDN'T GET IN LINE BECAUSE WE TOLD THEM THIS WAS THE LAST PERSON, CHURCH, LORD, LORD OF LIGHT.
WE HAD PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET IN BLUFFTON, LOFTON CHURCH, ONLY THAT BLUFFTON APARTMENT.
AND FROM WHAT WALTER CENTER, WE HAD PEOPLE ON THE STREET ALL THE WAY DOWN THE ROAD WAITING THEIR TURN TO VOTE.
AND I, I ACTUALLY, I REMEMBER I TOOK SOME MORE MACHINES OVER, THIS WAS THE OLD SYSTEM AND I'VE EVER TAKEN MACHINES OVER.
AND I WAS JUST, SO I ACTUALLY GOT UP ON THE STEP AND SAID, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH.
AND THEY WERE JUST SMILING AND LAUGHING AND EVERYTHING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN AN ATTITUDE CHANGE.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY REALIZES THAT, BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE.
WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN JUST TO DO ATTITUDE CHANGE.
YOU'RE STILL DOING THE SAME THING.
WELL, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THE POOL BOOTH WORK THIS DIAMOND BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE CALL IT.
AND I HOPE WE GOT TO, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE MIND STANDING IN LINE TO VOTE.
WHAT THEY MIND IS FRUSTRATION THAT WE CAN'T TELL THEM WHAT SAYING ARE WE, YOU KNOW, THAT AND THERE IT WAS
THAT'S THE PROBLEM OF SENDING THEM TO THE OFFICE.
CAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO GO THERE AND FIND OUT THEY GOTTA BE SAFE AND YOU'RE GETTING BLOOD OR WHATEVER.
NOW, ANDREW, NO, THAT WAS BRILLIANT.
THAT'S A GOOD, WELL, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST, I'M SO SORRY.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DOING, UM, WHICH PART OF THE COUNTY'S LOOKING AT VOTER REGISTRATION CARD, BUT THERE PRECINCTS, I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD BE PREPARED TO SEND EVERY VOTER CARD.
AND THAT WAY THE VOTERS WILL HAVE NO EXCUSE, NOT KNOWING WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO GO.
IF WE SEND EVERYBODY UP A NEW VOTER REGISTRATION COTTAGE, 20, 23, UM, THAT, THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THAT EXCUSE ABOUT NOT KNOWING WHERE TO GO.
AND THEN WE NEED TO RUN SEVERAL AUDITS IN THE NEWSPAPER AND THE POST OFFICE IN PUBLIC PLACES POSTED.
I WOULDN'T GIVE UP, WELL, I HADN'T STARTED ONE WEEK.
LET'S SAY LOOPS CAME UP TO ME.
THIS WAS TWO, THREE ELECTIONS.
YOU DON'T TELL US WHERE TO GO VOTE.
I SAID, YOU READ THE NEWSPAPER, GO HOME.
IT'S BEEN IN THERE FOR, IN THE LAST MONTH.
AND THEY SAID, OH, SORRY, NO, WE GET FRUSTRATED.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK THEY'RE DOING, BUT WE GOT A LITTLE BIT, WHY DID THE VOTE BOOKS NOT WORK? DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHY? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ASK HIM? AND HOPEFULLY THIS NEXT WEEK, WE WON'T HAVE A BIG, NOPE.
[00:40:03]
I HAD THIS PROBLEM FOREVER.I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF A ONE TIME JIG.
AND THE LAST MINUTE WHERE GOT THIS LITTLE, WE'VE WORKED DEALING WITH TWO SEPARATE DATABASES AND THAT COULD, COULD HAVE BEEN THE REASON.
I DON'T KNOW, CAUSE I'M NOT A TECHNICAL PERSON.
AND UM, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE PAUL BOOK WAS NOT WORKING TO EXPAND.
UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HEARING THAT.
SO WE WILL CHECK INTO THAT, BUT I HAD SIX
YOU PROBABLY NOT THAT PERSON, MAYBE SOMEBODY UPSTAIRS, BUT WAS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THE
WE HAVE GOOD PERCEPTION, BUT I WAS WORKING ON
SO I WAS GOING AND TERRY AND SHE COULDN'T GET IT.
MY QUESTION WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE LOCATION.
THERE WAS, IF WE PICKED THESE BOOKS UP AND TOOK THEM TO THE POOR RAUL BEACH HOUSE, WOULD THEY WORK BACK? YEAH, IT COULD BE THE RECEPTION.
SOMETIMES WOULDN'T HAVE A ONE LEVEL IN THE BUILDING.
IT COULD INTERFERE WITH THE RECEPTION AND YOU'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE.
SO IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED THAT DAY.
WE JUST DO THIS WITH NEW COMMISSIONERS.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ANY OF THOSE SYMBOLS MEANT.
AND I LOOKED TO THEM AND AS I'M SURE IT'S LISTED SOMEWHERE, BUT I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT AT THE TOP OF THE PULL BOOK, YOU GOT SOME GRAINS AND SOME YELLOWS AND SOME REDS AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ANY OF THOSE MEANT.
SO I THINK WE NEED, WE NEED TO HAVE AN EDUCATION OF HOW TO, HOW TO READ EVERYTHING ON THE SCREEN AND YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING'S NOT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE EVEN KNOW IT'S CONNECTED? CAUSE I HAD SOME THAT WENT FROM GREEN TO YELLOW, GREEN TO YELLOW AND GREEN TO YELLOW AND UH, YOU KNOW, I CALL IT, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT I CALLED HER, YOU KNOW, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, AFTER THE MORNING WHEN I COULDN'T GET THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY WAS FINE.
I ALWAYS GOT SOMEBODY ON THE PHONE RIGHT AWAY.
BUT SO I DID CALL VERN AND HE SAID, WELL, IT'S OKAY.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST KEEP AN EYE ON IT.
AND IF IT GOES RED OR WHATEVER THE ISSUE WAS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IT, EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THAT SCREEN AND WHAT IT MEANS, I FIGURE IT OUT AND I MOVE THE MICROPHONE CLOSER.
IN FACT, IF WHAT, BECAUSE YEAH, YOU'D HAVE TO PLUG IT IN.
AND I WAS LIKE FROM THE FRONT DOOR HERE AND IT WOULDN'T FINE.
I MEAN, IT WAS, IT WAS AT A DISTANCE, RIGHT? CAUSE WE HAD SIX, SIX TURBO, SIX MACHINES IN THERE.
AND THAT WAS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ON THE WAY.
SO, AND EVENTUALLY THEY, BECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WHO WAS TOUCHING THEM OR WHATEVER SAID WE DID MOVE HER CLOSER, BUT THEY WEREN'T FINE.
AND THAT'S ALL I KNOW BECAUSE THE Y THE VERIZON SIGNAL IS NOT VERY GOOD AT WAY HALL.
AND WE MOVED IT BY THE FRONT DOOR.
HE SAID, ECO IN MED OVER HERE, ALL, HE COULDN'T GET ANYONE
THAT'S WHY WE HAD THEM OVER THERE.
AND THEN WE MOVED IT UP TO THE FRONT END, BUT IT WAS A LONG WAYS AWAY.
SO THE MACHINES WERE FINE TAKEN OFF.
WE JUST HAD TO GET THE ONE MORE ISSUE, VOTING UPDATES TO LATE BECAUSE OF THE SECOND DATABASE AND THE, TO COMBINE TWO DATABASES IS SIGNIFICANTLY DATA REPORTING, DELAYED A REPORT WHILE WE WERE INSTRUCTED NOT TO PUBLISH ANY REPORTS BY THE SEC, WHICH THE NEW ELECTION REFORM ACT DESIGNATED THEM TO CREATE STATEWIDE POLICY.
WE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST MADE A STATEMENT AS SUCH THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION, CREATED CONFUSION AND DISTRESS FROM THE VERY PUBLIC SUPPORT.
UM, THE REMEDY IS FULL TRANSPARENCY WITH THE PUBLIC.
IF WE WERE INSTRUCTED NOT TO POST READ
[00:45:01]
PLUS RESULTS, WE SHOULD HAVE STATED AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHY WE WEREN'T POSTING ANYTHING.WHY AT 10 30, WE'RE STILL AT 0% REPORTING.
UM, YOU, UNLESS YOU, TONIGHT, THERE SHOULD BE.
I THINK GOING FORWARD ON ELECTION NIGHT, AN HOUR, AFTER WE CLOSE THE POLLS, WE NEED TO HAVE AN HOURLY UPDATE, UM, ON THE HOUR, JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW, LIKE YOU WERE EXPLAINING, YOU KNOW, IN VIRGINIA 96% PROCEDURES REPORTING, AND THIS IS A NUMBER AND EVERYONE KNOWS THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO CHANGE.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT IT'S LIKE JUST FOR TRANSPARENCY AND JUST LETTING FOLKS KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING OUR LEVEL BEST.
WE ALL ARE DOING YOUR LEVEL BEST, BUT I BRING THESE THINGS UP NOT TO CHASTISE ANYONE OR TO PLACE BLAME, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE LOST A LOT OF CREDIBILITY IN THIS CLASS AS A BOARD, AND WE'VE GOT TO AMEND THAT AND WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION, IMMEDIATE ACTION TO REMEDY THAT.
AND TO LET THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN FOLKS KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT JUST RESTING ON OUR PUNCHES.
AND WHAT ELSE? UM, NO, I THINK TOO, AS I'M MOVING FORWARD, ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS IN A LOT OF THESE PLACES WAS PROBLEMS WITH THE POOL MANAGERS OR CLERKS.
I THINK SOME OF THEM WEREN'T NOT FULLY TRAINED.
AND MARIA AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT WORKING, WE'RE GOING TO START WORKING ON GOING BACK TO IN-PERSON TRAINING, UM, TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE CONFUSION THAT SOME OF THESE POOR MANAGERS AND CLERKS HAVE, BECAUSE IF, AND IF THE CLERK DOESN'T KNOW, WE'RE IN A WORLD OF HURT.
SO, UM, BACK TO BASICS, AS MARIE SAYS, TRAINING THEM, AND THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT YOU NEED TO BE TRAINED ON.
AND THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU NEED TO CALL SOMEONE DON'T REINVENT THE WHEEL.
IT JUST, CAN I ADD SOMETHING NOW, EVERY MILITARY OPERATION THERE'S A WASH, RIGHT? THERE'S, THERE'S LESS WAY.
SO EVERY, YOU KNOW, EVERY SPECIFIC, EVERY, EVERY BOARD MEMBER SHOULD HAVE A LIST OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN THEIR PRECINCTS, UM, WHETHER THEY WERE RESOLVED OR NOT JUST SO THAT WE CAN SHARE THEM AT A SEPARATE MEETING THAN A MORE MEETING, BUT JUST THE HOT WASH UP OF THE ELECTION TO SEE WHAT WE DID, LIKE WHAT WE DID WRONG, HOW CAN WE IMPROVE? YOU KNOW, AND THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
I MEAN, THAT HAPPENS WITH MY PRECINCTS.
THEY SEND ME LIST AFTER EVERY ELECTION.
AND I, I SHARED THEM WITH JEAN, BUT I THINK AS A BOARD, WE NEED TO DO THAT AND STARTING WITH THIS ONE.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL WAITING ON INPUT FROM MY QUIRKS, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT WAY, IF IT HAPPENS NEXT TIME TO YOU, YOU ALREADY GOT THE YELLOW, RIGHT.
AND, UM, SO YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT TO DO, RIGHT.
BUT IF WE DON'T SHARE THAT INFORMATION, WE ARE REINVENTING THE WHEEL EVERY SINGLE TIME.
TYPICALLY WE DO THAT, BUT IT'S USUALLY THE BONES.
AND THEN MAYBE YOU ARE GETTING INFORMATION FROM YOUR CLERKS OR YOUR WORKERS, WHICH IS FINE, AS LONG AS IT COMES BACK TO THE BOARD AS A WHOLE, SO THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH THE POLICIES OR PROCEDURES OR WHATEVER WE NEED TO.
BUT I, I, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM THAT NIGHT, WE KNOW THAT I FEEL THAT ALL MANAGERS, UM, NEED TO PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, HANDS-ON A LITTLE BIT MORE UNDERSTANDING IN THAT WE WAS TALKING ABOUT JUST GOING BACK TO THE BASIC, WHERE IS THE BLACK TRANSFER CASE? WHAT GOES IN THIS CASE? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, BUT EVEN THE TRANSFER CASE, EVEN WITH THAT, I HAD A COUPLE OF HER SHOW ME THINGS ON ONE LIST AND PUT ONE PLACE.
THEY WERE ON THIS OTHER, JUST PUT ANOTHER PLACE.
SO THERE'S CONFUSION THERE TOO.
AND THEN THERE'S THAT DEAL ABOUT THE TABS OFF OF THE BALLOTS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT FOR YEARS.
IT NEVER TELLS ANYBODY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE OR WIDER EAT MORE.
WELL, I WAS SURPRISED THAT, THAT, THAT ANYWAY, SOME OF THE ONE THING THAT WE NEED TO DO AS A BOARD, OR YOU NEED TO DO AS A BOARD WITH THAT, SOME PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO BE WORKING AT.
WE WERE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, YEAH, WHEN THEY CAME UP WITH ONE QUIRK, MAYBE THE WORK IS
[00:50:02]
FIRED BY THE COMMISSIONER, AND THEN THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED TO HIRE THAT SAME.I MEAN, THERE'S A REASON WHY THAT PERSON WAS LET GO.
SO, UM, AND I KNOW I WAS DESPERATE FOR CLERKS THAT I RAN HIS PRIMARY LAST TWO CLERKS, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BRING SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO TAKE SHORTCUTS.
UM, BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF MECHANISM IN YOUR DATABASE.
BUT THERE, THERE WERE PEOPLE IN, AND THEN GOD BLESS THEM.
THEY JUST USE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
BUT WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD THE, UH, THE CANNABIS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT ALL ILL SAVES AND THAT RIGHT THERE WAS A BIT TOUGH FOR ME.
IT'S A BIG ENOUGH, BECAUSE WE DO SO MUCH THIS INDICATOR AND A LOT OF THEM, THEY DID SOMETHING WE CAN TRAIN AND WE CAN TRAIN AND WE CAN TRAIN AND WE CAN TRAIN.
BUT IF SOMEBODY IS DETERMINED TO DO IT THEIR WAY ANYWAY, IT DOESN'T MAKE THEM DIFFERENCE.
SO, I MEAN, AND THAT, THAT ON THAT FIRST SET OF FIELD WITH ALL THOSE STILL SAVES, THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THING, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE, YOU SIT IN THE CLASS, YOU HEAR IT.
DO NOT GIVE SOMEBODY A VALID IF THEY'RE NOT A NEW PERSON.
AND MOST OF THEM DID, THE MAJORITY OF THEM DID GIVE SOMEBODY ABOUT IT.
THAT'S NOT A GUARANTEE, BUT SEE, GUESS WHAT? THEY CAN'T CHECK THEM IN THERE.
THEY'RE NOT THERE FOR THE SAME.
AND THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE WANT.
AND WHEN WE GET, WE, WE NEVER PASS OVER, FAIL SAFE WHEN WE TEACH.
SO WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS LIKE, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU TELL THESE PEOPLE NOT TO DO THAT, THEY STILL GO AND DO IT ANYWAY.
AND WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT THE LACK OF TRAINING IS ON THE STAFF.
IT'S REALLY, AND I, I COULD ONLY IMAGINE IF YOU'RE DOING THINGS ONLINE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT NETFLIX AND COOKIE DINNER AND IT'S ON IN THE BACKGROUND.
AND AGAIN, NOT EVERYBODY, BUT I'M SURE THAT HAPPENS TOO.
SO I THINK GOING BACK TO THE BASIS IN PERSON, YOU'VE GOT THEIR ATTENTION.
AND IF THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN STARE THEM DOWN UNTIL YOU GET THEIR ATTENTION.
THE FORTUNATE THING IS THAT MOST OF OUR WORKERS ARE THE ONES THAT TEND TO THEY DOING THIS FOR 10 YEARS, THE GUARD IS NECESSARY.
IT, AND I THINK THE OTHER ONES WANT TO DO IT.
YOU KNOW, TOO, BUT SO MUCH HAS CHANGED FROM THE TIME THEY WERE INITIALLY TRAINED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, UH, MODE MEMBERS, YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, DO NEEDS TO BE UPON, YOU KNOW, UP TO SPEED WITH WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO WE CAN'T WORK A PRIMARY THE SAME WAY WE WORK AT CHANNEL ALL OUR SPECIAL, RIGHT? SO THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE IMPLEMENT IN A TRAINING, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF ELECTION THERE IS.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU CAN'T TELL YOUR PEOPLE.
SO YOU CAN'T KEEP THEM ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW FOR YOURSELF, WHAT'S GOING ON, WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH ON THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION BACK THEN KNEW THAT WE'D GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
JUST ONE COMMENT ABOUT TRAINING, MAKE IT MANDATORY.
NOT MAKE, HAS IT BEEN OPTIONAL? HANDS-ON NO.
OH, HANDS-ON WHAT HAPPENS FOR THAT WAS FOR IF WE SAY HAPPENS, RIGHT? SO EVERY TIME AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER OUR CLIENTELE, THESE ARE VOLUNTEERS.
AND WE WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO COME TO THE TRAIN AND WE EVEN SAY, IT'S MANDATORY TRAINING FOR CLERKS, BUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY DON'T COME? RIGHT? AND THEN WHO YOU GOT TO DO THIS? I MEAN, I IT'S THAT, BUT I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING I HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE FORWARD GENTLY.
AND BECAUSE NONE OF THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE BEING PAID $135 OR $190 AFTER DO THIS.
SO WE WANT THEM TO BE TRAINED.
AND MOST OF THEM COME AND GET TRAINING.
[00:55:01]
WHICH A LOT OF THEM ARE DOING TRAINING AND WE TRY OUR BEST TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TRAINING, EVEN UP UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE PEOPLE.BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO WELL.
CAN WE SAY THAT IF YOU CAN'T MAKE TRAINING, THEN YOU CAN BE A MANAGER, BUT I'M GOING TO HAVE YOU AS A QUOTE, BECAUSE THAT WORK IS THAT'S THE DUDE, THAT'S THE PERSON IN CHARGE.
THAT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT SHOULD BE USEFUL.
I MEAN, IF I WANT TO THINK OF THE COMPLETE BULLET POLICY, THEN WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY FOLLOWED THE SAME POLICY.
IF YOU DON'T COME TO THE TRAINING, THEN YOU DON'T GET THE WORD OR YOU GET TO BE A FULL MANAGER AND NOT A CLERK.
IF MOM HAS THIS ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT I'M SAYING, PUT THEM ALL THIS BACK ON YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER, YOU DETERMINE IF YOU FEEL SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO TRAIN YOU OR BRING THEM UP TO SNUFF, OR EVEN IF WE COME TO THE LIBRARY ON THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION, IF THEY CAN MAKE IT THERE AND GET THAT TRAINING TIME.
BUT IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, I AGREE WITH YOU.
THERE ARE SOME SITUATIONS THAT COME UP AND THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS A GOOD CARD THAT YOU WANT TO KEEP AND YOU WANT TO DONATE YOUR TIME TO TRAINING THAT PERSON.
SO, BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT TO TELL.
SO IN ORDER FOR YOU TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO BE, AND WE WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING.
AND I SAY THIS TONGUE IN CHEEK, BUT ALSO FOR, WE WILL BE MORE THAN WILLING TO HAVE ONE SPECIAL JUST FOR ALL OF Y'ALL REALLY? ANYWAY, I'M JUST SAYING WE WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM HAVING A SPECIAL SESSION JUST FOR ALL OF YOU TO PUT YOUR HANDS ON AND EVERYTHING.
I HEAR YOU GO THROUGH IT HERE AND HERE WITH WHAT WE TELL THEM ALL THE TIME AND EVERYTHING.
SO YOU CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE WHEN YOU GO OUT.
BECAUSE JUST LIKE YOU SAID ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE GIVING THE SAME MESSAGE.
SAME THING NEEDS TO COME FROM ALL OF YOU OUT OF FEEL WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE IN YOUR PRECINCT.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, WENDELL TOLD ME THIS.
AND YOU CAN SAY, WELL, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAID, OR THAT IS BLEEDS YET.
THE QUESTION IN OUR RESPONSES, I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S A PROBLEM AS FAR AS LIKE, HOW DO I SEE, LIKE, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
LIKE WE SHOULD BE ATTENDING THESE IN-PERSON TRAININGS.
WE SHOULD BE ATTENDING THE VIRTUAL BREEZE.
I WENT TO THREE OF THE IN-PERSON TRAININGS, AND I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WENT TO ONE OR TWO OF THEM.
PEOPLE RECOGNIZE YOU AS A BOARD, AS A COMMISSIONER AND WHATNOT.
BUT NUMBER TWO, THAT WAY, YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S BEING TAUGHT TO THEM, THEREFORE YOU CAN ASSIST.
NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT NO, DON'T SIGN THAT SHEET.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I THINK THAT'S ABOUT THAT.
I THINK WE ALL WANT THE SAME PAGE.
SO CAN WE GO INTO
IT COULD BE RIGHT AFTER I'M FINISHED JUST RIGHT NOW,
[01:00:06]
JUST LIKEDO I HAVE A SECOND ADD THE EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER UNFINISHED? SECOND ON FAVOR.
WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THIS IS THE SALTMARSH AND ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND PRODUCTIVE HABITATS ON EARTH.
IT'S HOME TO AN INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY OF MARINA, VERTEBRATES, FISH, AND EVEN REPTILE SPECIES LIKE THIS DIAMOND.
PACTERA MANY OF THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE, GROW UP IN THE SPAR TYNA NURSERY BEFORE THEY MOVE INTO THE RIVERS SOUNDS AND OPEN OCEAN.
JOIN US FOR COASTAL KINGDOM, A FIELD TRIP TO THE LOW COUNTRY AND A CHANCE TO MEET SOME OF THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE.
BUFORD COUNTY IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND WE'LL KEEP YOU INFORMED THE COUNTY CHANNEL YOUR SOURCE FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BUFORD COUNTY, FROM COUNTY COUNCIL TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD SCHOOL, BOARD, AND LOCAL EVENTS, THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
WE'LL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF THE COUNTY CHANNEL SCHEDULE, GO TO BC GOV.NET, CLICK ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL AND CHOOSE YOUR SELECTION FOR LIVE COVERAGE IN BUFORD COUNTY MEETINGS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
IT'S THE COUNTY CHANNEL THAT'S MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
UM, THE BOARD WENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, BOTH ARE DECISIONS WERE MADE AT DURING OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO COMMITTEE REPORTS.
UM, RON, DO YOU HAVE ANY REPORTS FROM OTHER FACILITIES? I REPORT? IS IT I CAN'T CHASE.
ANYBODY DID EVER SEND AN ENGINEER THREE MESSAGES IN THE LAST WEEK, SO GOOD.
I HAVE NO REPORT TO MR. ROBLES COMMUNITY, TWO REASONS, ONE A CONTINUATION.
IF THE BOARD SEES THE PRACTICALITY OF DOING SO TO PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON WHAT IS AT THIS MOMENT, A REVISED OPERATIONS MANUAL IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS TODAY, IT SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT WE WOULD, UH, AS A LEAD EFFORT USE, CAROLYN'S RECALL A FRAMEWORK OR AN OUTLINE AND BEG, BORROW, AND STEAL TO GET BACK TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AFTER I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND HOW THAT, HOW THAT MOVES INTO THE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY, OBLIGATION, DUTY, ET CETERA, WE'VE DISCUSSED THOSE, BUT I'M BROUGHT IN TO PREPARE TO MEET ON FORMER THAT IS PUTTING THE FINAL TOUCHES ON YOUR STAND IS ALREADY PERHAPS A AND OBVIOUSLY BECAME WELL DEVISED BY THE CUSTOMER.
SO CONTACTING FOLKS WITH A LOT OF RULES COULD BE, WE CAN EVEN DO THIS REMOTELY ACTUALLY CAN WE'LL SEE.
AND THE OTHER PART WAS THAT YOU COULD TAKE THAT WAS PROVIDED BY TWO COPIES WILL BE GOING TO EACH OF THEM, EACH, EACH, EACH BOARD MEMBER, BUT THE RULES COMMITTEE WILL REPORT BACK A SUITABLE TIME AFTER THAT, TO PUT IT INTO PRACTICE AND EFFECT THE, UH, THE RULES AND FRAMEWORK OF THE OPERATION.
SO IF YOU FINISH WHAT WE'VE STARTED, WHICH I'M GUESSING WOULD BE ONE SESSION, AND THEN YOU CAN INTRODUCE THE COMMENT THAT COMES IN ON CAROLINE'S EFFORTS.
SO START THE BALL ROLLING SPECIFICALLY IN THE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY AND ELIMINATE THAT.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY SAID WE DON'T MAKE POLICY DECISIONS.
AND OUR FIRST BOOK AT THE NEXT BOOK AT THE MANUAL LEVEL, WE'LL SAY WE HAVE LOOKED AT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022, BUT THEN PUT THAT INTO THE MANUAL AS BEST WE KNOW HOW AND LESSONS LEARNED.
[01:05:01]
DEFINITELY.UM, THE ONLY NEW BUSINESS WE HAVE IS WE'VE GOT AN ELECTION TUESDAY, THE 28TH WE'RE READY OR NOT, UM, GET YOUR PULL LISTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND THE CANVAS HEARING WILL BE ON THE 30TH AT 10 O'CLOCK.
DO WE KNOW WHERE THAT'S GOING TO BE HERE? IT'S GOING TO BE A SORT OF REGISTRATION OFFICE.
UM, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY CLOSING COMMENTS, SIR, CERTIFICATION? DON'T SEND AN EMAIL OUT TO YOUR CLERKS.
YOU DID TODAY OR TOMORROW WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, YOU ONLY HAVING TO LEAVE PER PICK UP ANYTHING.
HE GOT TO PICK IT UP AND I LOCATIONS ON THE LEAD CLERK AS TO PICK UP DIRECTLY ON ONE WAY BACK WHEN COLBY BAG FOR LOCATION.
SO, SO THE BLACK BAG AND THE RED BAG, THERE WON'T BE ONE PER LOCATION, RIGHT? WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THE, ALL THE SIGNS STILL ALL IN ONE BUILDING.
WE HAVE TWO HIDDEN, CYPRESS IS FINE.
THERE'S TWO PRECINCTS THERE, BUT TO THEM, RIGHT, RIGHT.
SO IF YOU HAVE A MULTIPLE LOCATION, YOU'LL JUST GET ONE.
SO I STILL MAY JUST HAVE ONE CLERK COAT ON THERE, PICK IT OFF.
I DON'T GET ENOUGH FOR NOT ALL JUST HIDDEN CYPRESS SHOULD PICK UP IN CYPRUS.
NO, I'M SAYING ALL OF MAGNOLIA HALL HAVE ONE CLERK PICK UP EVERYTHING AND IT'S GOING TO BE ENOUGH FOR SIX PRECINCTS.
SO CO-LOCATED WE STILL HAVE OURS.
ARE WE STILL PLANNING TO GO WITH THE ELEMENTARY
WE MIGHT NEED TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
I NEED TO LIKE, FIRST OF ALL, DECIDE, WE'LL JUST WALLPAPER AND I NEED TO TALK WITH YOU AND, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE IT.
EVERYTHING'S NOT AS THIS PARTICULAR ONE.
SO I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF GETTING THE LEADERSHIP THERE TO AGREE, TO GIVE US SOME MORE SPACE, ET CETERA.
SO I'M JUST WANTING TO TALK WITH YOU BRIEFLY ABOUT THAT.
THIS IS JUST GOING TO HAVE THE CLERKS.
ALL THE CLERKS WITH TWO LEADS WHO UNDERSTAND, THEY KNOW WHO I DIDN'T REALIZE.
EITHER ONE OF YOU IS GOING TO BE REBECCA SMITH TAKING HER OVER THERE AND GOING THROUGH HER LUNCH YESTERDAY.
SHE'S
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CANCEL THE JULY MEETING THE
CAUSE WE HAVE AN ELECTION IN, UM, AUGUST 24TH.
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NO, NO, NO.GO TO BUFORD COUNTY SE.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM BLISS CALL TO ORDER IF YOU'D LIKE A DVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THIS IS LARRY ROLAND, AND THIS IS THE BUFORD COUNTY MOMENT.
ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING ARTIFACTS IN BUFORD COUNTY TO TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE ARE THE RUINS OF THE OLD SHELDON CHURCH.
THE PROPER NAME IS THE PARISH CHURCH OF PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH.
SOUTH CAROLINA PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH WAS FOUNDED IN 1745 IN RESPONSE.
IT WAS THE SECOND ANGLICAN PARISH IN THE BUFORD DISTRICT.
HELENA PARISH FOUNDED IN 1712, THE ORIGINAL PARENT PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH IN 1745 WAS IN THE MIDST OF AN ECONOMIC BOOM BECAUSE THE RICE PLANTATIONS SURROUNDED THE SITE ON HOSPITAL NECK, WHERE THE CHURCH EVENTUALLY WAS BUILT.
AND THOSE RICE PLANTERS WERE VERY WEALTHY IN 1745, THE COMMONS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHED PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH.
AND IN 1751, THEY LAID THE CORNERSTONE FOR PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH.
THE CHURCH WAS FINISHED BY 1755 AND WELL-APPOINTED, IT HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE FIRST OR OLDEST TEMPLE FORM, GREEK REVIVAL BUILDING IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
SO THAT RUINED IT SHELDON, WHICH FASCINATES PEOPLE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD FASCINATE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF A TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT BECAME ASSOCIATED WITH AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND AMERICAN PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH, OR THE OLD SHELDON RUINS WAS BURNED BY BRITISH TORIES DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN 1779.
IT LAY IN RUINS UNTIL 1826, CHARLES FRASER, THE FAMOUS LOW COUNTRY ARTISTS PAINTED A PICTURE OF IT IN 18, 19 AFTER IT WAS RESTORED TO USE AND SERVICES IN 1826, HE CAME AND LOOKED AT IT AND HE SAID, MY GOD, THEY'VE TAKEN A BEAUTIFUL RUIN AND TURNED IT INTO AN UGLY CHURCH.
SO THE UNION ARMY AND THE EVENTS OF THE CIVIL WAR RESTORED IT TO A BEAUTIFUL RUIN.
WE THOUGHT FOR MANY YEARS, THAT PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH HAD BEEN BURNED BY SHERMAN'S FORCES AS THEY MARCH THROUGH THIS DISTRICT.
THAT TURNS OUT NOT TO BE TRUE.
THE CHURCH WAS INTACT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR AND WAS DISMANTLED BY LOCAL FOLKS WHO USE THE PARTS OF THE CHURCH TO BUILD THEIR HOMES AND BARNS.
AND SO THE WOOD BASICALLY WAS TAKEN OUT.
THE ROOF, FELL IN THE CHURCH, BECAME A RUIN AND WAS IN DISUSE UNTIL MODERN TIMES.
IT HAS REMAINED AS CHARLES FRASER SAID A BEAUTIFUL AND ENTICING RUIN.
THIS HAS BEEN A BUFORD COUNTY WELLMAN TO SEE MORE BUFORD COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
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DR.TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TIMELINESS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION SERIES.
WHY NOW 12 YEARS OF BLACK FREEDOM FOLLOWED BY AN ALT-RIGHT ROLLBACK PRESIDENT IMMEDIATELY.
UM, FOLLOWING ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WHO REFUSED TO RENOUNCE WHITE SUPREMACY, A CONSERVATIVE SUPREME COURT THAT EFFECTIVELY UNDID THE POWER OF THE 14TH AND 15TH AMENDMENTS.
WHAT'S IT SOUND LIKE CONTEMPORARY TIMES, CONTEMPORARY TIMES.
SO IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WE COULD TEACH OUR FELLOW CITIZENS IN AMERICA ABOUT THE PERILOUS MOMENT IN WHICH WE'RE LIVING BY ANALOGY, THROUGH TELLING THE STORY OF RECONSTRUCTION AND ITS BACK.
AND I FIRST STARTED THINKING ABOUT IT AFTER THE HORRIBLE MURDERS OF, UH, REVEREND CLEMENTA PINCKNEY AND THE OTHER INNOCENCE AT MOTHER EMANUEL CHURCH BECAUSE OF JUSTIFICATIONS THAT DYLAN ROOF, UH, SUMMONED FOR HIS ACTIONS, UM, WERE VERY REMINISCENT OF RACIST RHETORIC ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR AND FALLING RECONSTRUCTION.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A HORROR MOVIE.
WHEN YOU THINK THAT THE VAMPIRES DID.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY COME UP OUT OF THE CASKET AND HE THINK, DAMN, I THOUGHT I'D PUT A STAKE IN YOUR HEART.
I THOUGHT THAT THE WORST AND MOST PERNICIOUS HEINOUS ASPECTS OF ANTI-BLACK WHITE SUPREMACY WERE LONG GONE.
AND THAT I WAS NAIVE ABOUT THAT.
AND WE'VE SEEN A RISE IN HATE SPEECH, ANTISEMITISM, ANTI-GAY ATTITUDES AND PEOPLE WHEN PEOPLE BECOME FRIGHTENED PARTICULARLY ABOUT THEIR ECONOMIC FUTURE, THEY LOOK FOR SCAPEGOATS AND THE SCAPEGOATS TRADITIONALLY HAVE BEEN JEWISH PEOPLE, WOMEN GAY PEOPLE.
AND OF COURSE IN THIS COUNTRY, PEOPLE OF COLOR.
SO IT'S A, A MORAL, UH, LESSON.
UM, LET'S SIT AND GO BACK TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE ROLL BACK TO RECONSTRUCTION.
RECONSTRUCTION IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF AMERICAN HISTORY, AND YET IT IS SO MISUNDERSTOOD.
WHY IS THAT? WHY IS IT THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PERIOD AND WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANT? WELL, W E W E DUBOIS WROTE A BOOK IN 1935 CALLED BLACK RECONSTRUCTION.
AND ONE CHAPTER IS CALLED THE PROPAGANDA OF HISTORY AND HE ANALYZES HOW WHITE HISTORIANS HAD WRITTEN ABOUT RECONSTRUCTION.
AND THAT WAS PART OF THE ROLLBACK TO CREATE A MYTH MYTHOLOGY, A BLACK INCOMPETENCE THAT BLACK MEN HAD BEEN ELECTED TO OFFICE AND COULDN'T PROPERLY SERVE THAT BLACK VOTERS HAD BEEN MANIPULATED BY NORTHERN SCALLYWAGS AND CARPET BAGGERS THAT BASICALLY THEY WERE TOOLS AND PAWNS THAT THEY WERE DISHONEST OF ROBERT SMALLS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST, UM, HEROES OF THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION SERVED FIVE NON-CONSECUTIVE TERMS IN CONGRESS BECAUSE HE WAS CONSTANTLY BEING ACCUSED OF STEALING MONEY AND MISAPPROPRIATING FUNDS.
THE WERE, UM, THERE WAS A MYTHOLOGY SANCTIONED BY THE DISCIPLINE OF HISTORY LOCATED AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CALLED THE DUNNING SCHOOL LED BY HISTORIAN PROFESSOR DUNNING.
AND THEY FOUND EVERY WAY TO REDUCE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BLACK PEOPLE.
AND THAT HAS ONLY BEEN UNDONE BY HISTORIAN SINCE DUBOIS PUBLISHED BLACK RECONSTRUCTION AND MOST NOTABLY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ANOTHER COLUMBIA PROFESSOR, PROFESSOR ERIC FONER WITH WHOM, UH, WE MADE A RECONSTRUCTION SERIES.
PLUS WE HAVE OVER 40 HISTORIANS DOING MODERN, UM, CUTTING EDGE SCHOLARSHIP ON RECONSTRUCTION THAT WHOM WE FEATURE IN THE SERIES.
SO IT'S VERY MUCH A COLLECTIVE, UM, SERIES, AND IT'S VERY MUCH A COUNTERPOINT TO THE RECEIVED INTERPRETATIONS OF RECONSTRUCTION FABRICATED BY THE DUNNING SCHOOL.
IT HAS A VERY SPECIAL MEANING.
WHY IS THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA? SO PIVOTAL TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF RECONSTRUCT SOUTH CAROLINA WAS GROUND ZERO FOR RECONSTRUCTION BECAUSE IT WAS A MAJORITY BLANK STATE.
THE, UH, THERE'S A FAMOUS 1872 LITHOGRAPH OF THE FIRST COLORED SENATOR AND THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF
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REPRESENTATIVES.AND THREE OF THOSE MEN IN THAT LITHOGRAPH WERE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA.
WHEN RICHARD T GREENER GRADUATED FROM HARVARD, THE FIRST BLACK MAN TO GRADUATE FROM HARVARD AND THE CLASS OF 1870.
WHERE WAS THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY? WAS IT IN NEW YORK? WAS IT IN BOSTON? WAS IT IN PHILADELPHIA? CHARLESTON CAME TO CHARLESTON AND WENT TO, UH, COLUMBIA AND SERVED ON THE FACULTY, UM, AND TOOK LAW CLASSES THERE.
THE, UM, A BLACK MAN FROM ENGLAND, FROM LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, ROBERT BROWN ELLIOTT CAME TO BOSTON IN 1867.
THE BRITISH NAVY COULD SMELL THE OPPORTUNITY HEADED STRAIGHT TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND WORKED FOR RICHARD HARVEY.
CAIN'S NEWSPAPER THEN WAS ELECTED TO CONGRESS, VERY ELOQUENT, MAN.
AND, UM, THIS WAS WHERE IT WAS THAT THIS IS WHERE IT WAS HAPPENING.
AND WHEN I INTERVIEWED REPRESENTATIVE CLIBURN HIS OFFICE IN THE, IN THE CONGRESS, HE'S LONG BEEN A STUDENT OF RECONSTRUCTION.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE A MUSEUM YOU GO IN THERE AND ALL THESE BROTHERS ARE ON THE WALL.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT SOUTH CAROLINA HAD A BLACK MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
YOU CAN'T IMAGINE THAT NOW SOUTH CAROLINA, EVEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY, IT WAS CALLED NEGRO COUNTRY.
UM, AND VERY SOON THAT WAS DISMANTLED.
SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT MANY OF THE MOST VICIOUS BATTLES OVER RACE OCCURRED HERE BECAUSE IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO CONTROL THIS BLACK MAJORITY.
I WENT TO CALHOUN COLLEGE AT YALE UNIVERSITY AND JOHN C. CALHOUN WAS AN INTELLECTUAL RACIST.
HE NOT ONLY WANTED SLAVERY TO CONTINUE, HE WANTED TO RESURRECT THE SLAVE TRADE.
HE WAS A, HE WAS A ROUGH BROTHER.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MOST SIGNIFICANT, UH, ASPECTS OF RECONSTRUCTION? THE REAL POSITIVES, THE ESTABLISHMENT, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BLACK SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS, UM, PARTICULARLY THE CHURCHES, FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS, SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE FACT THAT SO MANY OF THE SLAVES WANTED TO GET MARRIED AND LEGALIZE THEIR LOVE RELATIONSHIPS.
THE, UM, THE TAKING OUT OF ADS IN NEWSPAPERS TO REUNITE FAMILIES AND THE FACT THAT 80% OF THE ELIGIBLE BLACK MEN IN THE SOUTH REGISTERED TO VOTE IN WHAT I CALL THE FIRST FREEDOM SUMMER, THE SUMMER OF 1867 AND 500,000 OF THEM CAST THEIR VOTES IN THE GENERAL ELECTION OF 1868 FOR ULYSSES S GRANT.
AND PEOPLE FORM SCHOOLS HISTORICALLY BLACK.
WHAT WE NOW CALL HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES LIKE SHAW AND HOWARD, BUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND IN SOUTH CAROLINA, ALLEN AND BENEDICT AND CLAFLIN ABS.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT, THAT THE SLAVES HAD A HUNGER FOR LEARNING BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THE MOST VALUABLE THING THAT HAD BEEN KEPT FOR THEM WAS KNOWLEDGE OF READING AND WRITING.
AND THEY KNEW THAT WAS THE PATHWAY TO SUCCESS.
ISN'T IT INTERESTING THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION GREW OUT OF THIS PERIOD AND PARTICULARLY, UH, WAS SPEARHEADED HERE IN OUR STATE, BY ROBERT SMALLS, RIGHT THERE WEREN'T PUBLIC STATEWIDE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND THE RECONSTRUCTION GOVERNMENTS, PARTICULARLY, UM, IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND PARTICULARLY AS DESIGNED BY ROBERT SMALLS, UM, ESTABLISHED STATEWIDE PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, WHICH HADN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE, WHICH IS A SHOCK TO PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE BLACK PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE OF EDUCATION.
IT'S ALSO INTERESTING THOUGH, THAT THINGS LIKE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND CERTAINLY, UH, ENFRANCHISEMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ALL THESE POSITIVES THAT GREW OUT OF THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD ARE STILL UNDER ASSAULT IN MODERN TIMES.
AND IT'S, WE HAVE TO, UM, ANY SOCIETY IS JUDGED BY THE QUALITY OF ITS PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND WE, AS AMERICANS SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED AT HOW WE'VE ALLOWED OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE POPULATED BY BRILLIANT TEACHERS WHO ARE SO MOTIVATED, BUT THEY'RE UNDERPAID AND UNDER-RESOURCED, AND, UM, WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE, UM, A GENERAL IDEA THAT THE COLLAPSE OF RECONSTRUCTION WAS SOLELY IN THE HANDS OF THE SOUTH.
IT'S NO, THE COLLAPSE OF RECONSTRUCTION WAS A CONSPIRACY BETWEEN ECONOMIC INTERESTS AND POLITICAL INTERESTS IN THE NORTH.
AND IN THE SOUTH, THEY SAID 12 YEARS IS ENOUGH.
THERE WAS A PA ECONOMIC PANIC OF 1873, WHICH WAS CALLED THE FIRST GREAT DEPRESSION.
AND PEOPLE LOOKED AROUND AND SAID, WHY ARE WE SPENDING ALL THE MONEY ON THESE NEGROS IN THE SOUTH? LET HIM DRIVE.
AND THEY ACTED BARREL AS IF 200
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YEARS OF SLAVERY COULD BE WIPED OUT WITH NO REPARATIONS WITH, WITH, WITH, UM, NO BENEFITS GIVEN NO 40 ACRES AND A MULE, NO HELP.UM, THAT EACH OF THESE PEOPLE WERE ON THEIR OWN.
NOT ONLY THAT NEW FORMS OF OPPRESSION WERE INSTITUTIONALIZED, THAT PEONAGE SHARECROPPING THE RISE OF THE KLAN, THE RISE OF THE COOK TERRORISM.
AND SO VERY MUCH A RECONSTRUCTION IS ABOUT ISSUES THAT STILL ROYAL OUR SOCIETY TODAY, WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO BE A CITIZEN WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO BE AN AMERICAN.
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY? AND WHAT IS THE ROLE OF TERRORISM IN THE HEALTHY FUNCTIONING OF A DEMOCRACY? WHAT'S THE ROLE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN THE FACE OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF TERRORISM? HOW CAN WE HAVE THIS VERY BLATANT REMINDER FROM 150 YEARS AGO AND NOT BE MINDFUL OF ITS IMPACT TODAY? THAT'S WHY DYLAN MCGEE AND I MADE THE SERIES AND WITH PBS, WE'LL GET, AND I AM ON THE ROAD.
YOU KNOW, I FLEW DOWN TO BUFORD FROM HARVARD.
UH, I DID MY OFFICIAL DUTIES ON JUMPED ON JET BLUE AND CAME DOWN HERE BECAUSE I'M WANTING TO SOUTH CAROLINA SCREENING TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THIS IS GROUND ZERO, THAT THEN IS NOW, AND I WANTED TO DO ONE IN CHARLESTON, AND I WANT TO DO ONE AT THE PENN CENTER, UH, AS WELL.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNTRY UNDERSTAND THAT WE MADE THIS SERIES ABOUT THE CURRENT RACIAL CLIMATE IN THE UNITED STATES, THOUGH IT'S THROUGH THE MIRROR AND THE ANALOGY OF RECONSTRUCTION AND IT'S ROLLED BACK CALLED REDEMPTION.
WHAT IS THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS FOR YOU FOR THIS SERIES? UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT RECONSTRUCTION MODULES.
I WANT RECONSTRUCTION MODULES TO BE CREATED IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO THAT RECONSTRUCTION IS AS CENTRAL TO A COURSE IN AMERICAN HISTORY AS A CIVIL WAR IS OR WORLD WAR ONE AND WORLD WAR II RECONSTRUCTION WAS OUR FIRST EXPERIMENT WITH INTERRACIAL DEMOCRACY AND IT WAS CRUSHED.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO SURVIVE AS A SOCIETY IS IF WE FASHIONED FORUMS OF INTERRACIAL DEMOCRACY AND COLLABORATION THAT ALLOW A MULTIPLICITY OF VOICES, SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, ET CETERA, GENDER IDENTITIES, TO THRIVE AND LIVE IN HARMONY AND PEACE.
THAT'S MY GOAL IN CREATING THIS SERIES AND I HOPE PEOPLE WILL WATCH IT.
I CAN TALK TO YOU ALL DAY, ALWAYS IN PLEASURE.