Link

Social

Embed

Disable autoplay on embedded content?

Download

Download
Download Transcript


[00:00:02]

IT IS NOW TWO O'CLOCK, AND WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FOR JUNE, JULY 26TH BOARD MEETING, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO PUBLIC, WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY OF JUSTICE.

OKAY, WE ARE NOW AT PUBLIC COMMENTS.

DO WE HAVE ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY? IF SO, PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES PLEASE TO SPEAK.

THANK YOU.

I WASN'T ORIGINALLY PLANNING TO, BUT UM, MY NAME'S ANNE BANDER.

UM, I LIVE OUT ON LADIES ISLAND AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS BEAUFORT AREA.

AND I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO, UM, MARIE, HER ENTIRE STAFF JEAN FOR THE COMMUNITY FORUMS. I ATTENDED ONE LAST WEEK IN PORT ROYAL.

IT WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE.

THE MATERIALS WERE HUGELY HELPFUL AND I'VE SHARED IT WITH THE, UM, LEAGUE MEMBERS AND, UH, WITH .

AND, UM, I KNOW WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE IT WHEN WE'RE TALKING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT REGISTERING THEM.

SO APPRECIATED THEIR TIME, THEIR EFFORT, AND INITIATING THIS.

AND I WISH THE TURNOUTS HAD BEEN BETTER, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY WORD WILL GET OUT AND PEOPLE WILL AVAIL THEMSELVES OF IT.

SO THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, WE ARE NOW TO MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING AND I KNOW THE MINUTES WERE SENT OUT, SO I HOPE EVERYONE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ OVER THE MINUTES AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GET A MOTION PLEASE.

SO MAY OKAY.

I SECOND.

SECOND.

OKAY.

IT'S BEEN MOVED.

AND SECOND THAT THE MINUTES FOR OUR LAST MEETING, WHICH WAS JU JULY, JUNE 26, 20 EIGHTH.

BE ACCEPTED.

READY FOR QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

OKAY.

MOTION CARRIES.

YES.

OKAY.

NOW WE ARE DOWN TO DO WE HAVE ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE A COPY OF MY AGENDA WITH ME.

I DON'T THINK SO.

OKAY.

WE ARE MOVING RIGHT ALONG TO OUR COMMITTEE REPORTS.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

OKAY, NOW WE ARE READY FOR OUR, UH, FACILITIES COMMITTEE CHAIR.

WE HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING PER SE, BUT I HAVE SPOKEN TO STAFF TO GET, UH, SOME HISTORICAL DATA REGARDING, UH, FACILITY EVENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PAST.

I SEE THE WAREHOUSE WITH THE BIG ISSUE AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THAT.

SO AT SOME POINT, UH, ONCE WE, ONCE I GET A BETTER FEEL FROM THE STAFF AS TO WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THE WAREHOUSE, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I AM PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS WHAT KIND OF PHYSICAL AND TECHNICAL SECURITY AND ACCESS CONTROL ISSUES ARE GONNA BE IN PLACE.

SO I'LL BE WORKING WITH THE STAFF AND THEN THE COMMITTEE WILL MEET AT THAT TIME.

OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE AND I'M SURE THEY WILL GET WITH YOU.

UH, NEXT IS FINANCE COMMITTEE.

FINANCE COMMITTEE.

NO REPORT.

OKAY.

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.

OH, THANK YOU.

AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING WHEN WE MET HERE ON JUNE 28TH, UH, MS. SMALLS ASKED US TO TAKE A LOOK AT COMPLIANCE WITH, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION 7 7 9 10 A, UH, WHICH IS A SECTION OF THE LAW THAT REQUIRES EACH PRECINCT TO HAVE A VOTING LOCATION WITHIN THEIR PRECINCT AND OUR PAST PRACTICE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, THE GROWTH IN SOME PRECINCTS AND INCREASED DENSITY AND THE LACK OF APPROPRIATE VOTING LOCATIONS, OUR PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO POOL SEVERAL PRECINCTS INTO ONE LOCATION.

AND WITH OUR CURRENT SETUP, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE 13 LOCATIONS WITH TWO PRECINCTS POOLED.

WE HAVE SEVEN WITH THREE PRECINCTS, AND WE HAVE FOUR LOCATIONS WITH FOUR PRECINCTS POOLED.

SO WE, WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS THE COMPLIANCE ISSUE OF 7 7 9 10 A IN TWO WAYS.

ONE

[00:05:01]

IS OPERATIONALLY DOING OUR BEST TO FIND, UH, POLLING LOCATIONS WITHIN EACH PRECINCT, UH, BUT ADDITIONALLY, UH, WITH, FROM A LEGISLATIVE PERSPECTIVE.

SO THE COMMITTEE, UM, LOOKED AT OUR OPTIONS TO DO THAT.

WE HAD A, A WEBEX MEETING ON JULY 11TH, AND WE TALKED ABOUT A PROPOSED SOLUTION.

SO UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA LAW, UH, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE LEGISLATURE SETS THE POLLING LOCATIONS THAT THEY LIKE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THAT.

UH, MS. ANDINO IN 2019, I BELIEVE, UH, REQUESTED AN ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION ON WHETHER THERE COULD BE POLLING, UH, POOL POLLING LOCATIONS IN SOME CASES.

AND THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL, UH, OPINION CAME BACK SAYING THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW IS TO HAVE A, OF A POLLING LOCATION WITHIN EACH, UM, PRECINCT.

SO THE, THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR THAT THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO APPROVE POLLING LOCATIONS.

UH, BUT WE FOUND THERE WAS A PRECEDENT IN RICHLAND COUNTY.

UH, RICHLAND COUNTY, UH, WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD THIS PRECEDENT WHERE IF THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO APPROPRIATE POLLING LOCATION WITHIN A PRECINCT, THEY COULD POLL OR POOL POLLING LOCATIONS TOGETHER WITH THE LIMITATION THAT, UH, THE POOL LOCATIONS BE APPROVED BY THEIR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION.

UM, AND THAT, UH, NO POOL PRECINCT IS MORE THAN FIVE MILES AWAY FROM THE POLLING PLACE MEASURED IN A STRAIGHT LINE.

AND, UH, RICHLAND COUNTY IS, IT'S ABOUT TWICE THE SIZE OF BUFORT COUNTY, BUT THERE ARE SIMILARITIES.

THEY HAVE A MILITARY BASE, THEY HAVE A HIGH DENSITY URBAN AREA IN COLUMBIA, THEY HAVE SUBURBAN AREAS AND THEY HAVE, UH, RURAL AREAS.

SO NOT DISSIMILAR FROM US.

SO, UM, THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE DECIDED THAT WE COULD, UM, BASICALLY COPY THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY HAVE FOR LOCAL LEGISLATION IN, IN THEIR SECTION 7 7 4 65, WHICH LISTS ALL OF THEIR PRECINCTS.

UM, SO WHAT WE RECOMMENDED WAS A, AN AMENDMENT TO, UH, 7 7 1 10, WHICH IS THE DESIGNATION OF VOTING PRECINCTS IN BUFORT COUNTY.

AND AT THAT JULY 11TH MEETING, WE, UH, VOTED AND APPROVED THE ADDITION OF AN ARTICLE, UH, 7 7 1 10 D THAT SAYS, IF THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS OF BUFORT COUNTY DETERMINES THAT A PRECINCT CONTAINS NO SUITABLE LOCATION FOR A POLLING PLACE, THE BOARD UPON APPROVAL BY A MAJORITY OF THE COUNTY'S LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, MAY CO-LOCATE THE POLLING PLACE WITH ONE OR MORE OTHER PRECINCTS INSIDE THE COUNTY AND WITHIN FIVE MILES OF THE PRECINCT'S BOUNDARIES.

UM, SO THAT WAS, UH, WHAT WE AGREED IN THE MEETING.

UH, WE THEN, UH, DISCUSSED AND APPROVED A, A DRAFT LETTER FOR YOUR SUBMITTAL TO THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION.

UM, AND ON ON THAT WEBEX, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

AND, UH, WE HAVE A, A COMPLIANCE ISSUE WITH, I THINK IT'S SEVEN SEVEN 1000, WHICH IS THE, THE LAW FOR POOLING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS ONLY.

AND AT THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS MEETING ON THE 11TH, WE DECIDED TO MAKE THAT A SEPARATE ISSUE BECAUSE THERE IS NO LOCAL LEGISLATIVE SECTION IN, IN THE LAW THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO ADDRESS THAT.

WE NEED TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO LOOK AT, UH, THE MUNICIPAL SIDE.

UM, 7 7 7 1000.

UH, IT GIVES CONDITIONS FOR POOLED PRECINCTS IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, AND THEY REQUIRE THAT ANY POOLED PRECINCT HAS TO HAVE LESS THAN 500 VOTERS REGISTERED IN IT.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY PRECINCTS THAT SMALL.

IT ALSO REQUIRES THAT AT THE POOL LOCATIONS, THE TOTAL POOL REGISTERED VOTERS CANNOT EXCEED 1500.

AND THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE FOR US.

AND THE POOL MUNICIPAL, UM, POLLING PLACES CAN'T BE ANY FURTHER THAN THREE MILES FROM THE POLLING PLACE.

SO MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, AS YOU KNOW, ARE A LOT DIFFERENT FROM GENERAL SPECIAL AND PRIMARY ELECTIONS.

UH, ONE BECAUSE THE TURNOUT IS MUCH LOWER.

UM, AND ANOTHER REASON IS BECAUSE IN MUNICIPALITIES THERE MAY BE SPLIT PRECINCTS IN BLUFFTON, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE, UH, 14 PRECINCTS THAT FALL WITHIN THE BLUFFTON MUNICIPALITY.

ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THOSE IS A SPLIT PRECINCT.

SO IT'S VERY HARD TO, TO COME UP WITH THE NUMBERS.

AND THIS, THIS ALSO IS A STATEWIDE ISSUE.

SO THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, UH, COMMITTEE DECIDED TO SEPARATE THAT FROM THE FIRST ISSUE AND TAKE SOME MORE TIME TO LOOK AT IT.

SO, SORRY, THAT'S A LONG REPORT.

VERY GOOD.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? I

[00:10:01]

GOT ONE, MATT, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY THAT THESE, THE ADDITION IS 7 7 1 10 PART D OTHER THAN THE COUNTY DESIGNATION, IS THAT PARAGRAPH THE SAME WORDING THAT RICHLAND COUNTY HAS? IT, IT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN, IN THAT INSTEAD, UH, RICHLAND COUNTY SAYS THAT, UH, THE, THE BOARD MAY LOCATE AND, UH, WE AGREED ON LANGUAGE THAT SAID WE MAY CO-LOCATE JUST TO ADD THE CONCEPT OF BEING TOGETHER.

OKAY.

UM, AND WE ALSO ADDED A SENTENCE THAT SAID, OR, OR A PHRASE THAT SAID THEY WOULD BE CO-LOCATED IN ONE OR WITH ONE OR MORE OTHER PRECINCTS.

THE RICHLAND COUNTY LANGUAGE JUST SAID WITHIN THE COUNTY.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, EXCEPT YOUR REPORT.

YEAH, I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE REPORT OF THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.

I'LL SECOND THAT.

HUH? OKAY.

WHO SECOND? I DO.

OKAY.

IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED AND A MOTION WAS MADE BY LIZ JOHNSON AND SECOND BY DON LUCAS TO ACCEPT THE REPORT.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I WOULD THINK THAT NOT ONLY WILL WE ACCEPT BUT RECOMMEND A REFERRAL TO THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION.

WOULD THAT NOT BE APPROPRIATE? YES, I, THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT.

OKAY.

I AGREE WITH THAT.

I WOULD JUST ADD THAT I'LL AMEND MY MOTION TO SAY THAT WE ACCEPT THE REPORT AND RECOMMEND A REFERRAL TO THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

WITH THE AMENDMENT.

OKAY.

THAT REPORT WILL BE AMENDED.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

SAY AYE.

ANY NAYS? OKAY.

LET'S SEE.

LEMME FIND THIS, SEE WHAT'S NEXT.

RE-PRESENTING.

RE-PRESENTING.

WE, WE DON'T HAVE A REPORT AT THIS TIME.

OH, OKAY.

RE-PRESENTING.

DO NOT HAVE A REPORT AT THIS TIME.

THIS REPORT.

RULES COMMITTEE.

RULES COMMITTEE? NO.

OKAY.

NO REPORT.

OKAY.

I'M TRYING TO ATE.

HUH? THAT IS, YEAH.

YES.

AND HE'S NOT HERE.

HE'S NOT HERE TODAY.

OKAY.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY NEW BUSINESS? I HAVE AN AGENDA.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

NEXT WE'LL HAVE THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.

OKAY.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

I HOPE YOU ALL ARE ENJOYING A NICE WARM SUMMER WEATHER THESE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.

UM, OUR REPORT IS SIMPLE.

UM, WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TODAY ARE THE SAME TOPICS THAT WE TYPICALLY DO HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, ELECTION UPDATE, FACILITY UPDATES, AND, UM, MISCELLANEOUS UPDATES UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE SIDE OF IT.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, UNDER LEGISLATION, I JUST WANNA THANK THE BOARD LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THEY DID IN DRAFTING A PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO CORRECT THE ISSUE WE HAVE, NOT JUST IN BUFORT COUNTY, BUT ACROSS THE STATE IN REFERENCE TO POLLING, POLLING LOCATIONS BECAUSE, UM, WE ALL UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE THE LIMITATIONS WE HAVE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO FINDING POLLING LOCATIONS.

WE ARE STILL CONSTANTLY WORKING ON LOCATING NEW FACILITIES AND WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO, TO A DEGREE, BUT, UM, WE ARE STILL NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE, UM, MULTIPLE PRECINCTS IN A LOCATION IN ITS TOTALITY.

UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE DESPERATELY HOPING THAT THIS LEGISLATION CAN GET PASSED SO THAT WE CAN BE IN COMPLIANCE.

AND I WILL ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO TALK TO YOUR LEGISLATORS AND EN ENCOURAGE THEM TO, UM, PASS THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION, UM, TO CORRECT OUR SITUATION SO THAT WE CAN BE IN COMPLIANCE.

OKAY.

UM, TALKING ABOUT, WE HAD A SCARE CONFERENCE AND THE SCARE CONFERENCE, UH, IS A MIDYEAR SESSION THAT WE HAD BACK ON THE 13TH OF THIS MONTH.

[00:15:01]

IT WAS HELD IN BERKELEY COUNTY.

AND AT THAT SCARE CONFERENCE BUSINESS MEETING, WE DISCUSSED THE PRIORITIES FOR THE UPCOMING, UM, YEAR.

UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS OF COURSE THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED IS THE AMENDMENT TO SEVEN DASH SEVEN DASH NINE 10, WHICH IS, UM, POOLING POLLING LOCATION.

SO I'M, I'M JUST HAPPY THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY IS TAKING A LEAD ON THAT AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL TAKE ROOT AND BECOME EFFECTIVE FOR ALL OF, UM, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

OKAY.

SO, UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAIN PRIORITIES UNDER THE SCARE ASSOCIATION.

THE NEXT PRIORITY IS TALKING ABOUT ALLOWING POLL MANAGERS TRAINING TO BE CONDUCTED, UM, UP TO 60 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ELECTION.

RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW THAT WE CANNOT CONDUCT TRAINING FOR POLL MANAGERS NO MORE THAN 30 DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION.

AND IN SOME COUNTIES IN THE STATE THAT IS BECOMING OR IS A HARDSHIP.

SO THEY ARE ALSO REQUESTING LEGISLATION TO, UM, INCREASE THAT, UM, LENGTH OF TIME TO ALLOW FOR MORE TRAINING AND, UM, MORE DETAILED TRAININGS FOR POLL MANAGERS.

SO THAT'S THE SECOND PRIORITY FOR SCALE.

UM, THE THIRD PRIORITY IS OF COURSE, INCREASED POLL WORKERS PAY.

UM, THIS IS ALWAYS ON OUR, UH, PRIORITY LIST BECAUSE WE KNOW THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT POLL WORKERS ARE DOING ACROSS THIS NATION.

UM, AND ESPECIALLY IN OUR STATE BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH, UM, SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO TURN AROUND FROM THE TIME THERE IS ELECTION DAY TO THE TIME VOTES ARE CERTIFIED.

AND OUR POLL WORKERS HAVE BEEN SO DEDICATED AND, UM, I THINK WE JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THEY ARE WORTH A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT THEY'VE BEEN PAID OVER THE YEARS.

AND SO WE ARE PROMOTING THIS AS WELL.

SO THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR SCALE THAT WE INCREASE POLL WORKERS PAY.

AND WE KNOW THAT 2024, UM, IS GOING TO BE A VERY BUSY ELECTION YEAR AND WE JUST NEED TO, UM, HAVE THE INCENTIVES IN PLACE TO SHOW POLL MANAGERS THAT WE, UM, APPRECIATE WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

AND POLL WORKERS RECRUITING IS STILL GOING ON.

WE'RE STILL ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO BE POLL MANAGERS.

UM, TALK TO THE MEMBERS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY POLL MANAGERS.

TALK TO FOLKS IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

UM, LET THEM KNOW THAT WE NEED THEM TO BECOME POLL WORKERS IN OUR COUNTY.

ANOTHER PRIORITY KIND OF SO TO SPEAK IS THERE ARE SOME LEGISLATION THAT WENT THROUGH IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS GENERAL SESSION, UM, THAT DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH BOTH CHAMBERS.

AND SO WE ARE JUST ASKING AGAIN FOR SUPPORT FROM OUR LEGISLATORS FROM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DELEGATION TO SUPPORT SOME OF THESE, UM, BILLS THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.

8 77 30, I'M SORRY, H 37 34, UM, SS 4 0 6 AND H 34 75.

SO, UM, THESE ARE BILLS THAT WERE PROPOSED IN OUR LAST, UM, GENERAL SESSION AND SOME OF 'EM SCARE, WANT TO SUPPORT.

SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE SHOWING IT AS A PRIORITY IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.

ANOTHER PRIORITY IS, UM, TO MODIFY THE CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE FOR SPECIAL AND MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

UM, WHAT, WHAT A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T REALIZE IS THAT MUNICIPALITIES HAVE AUTHORITY OVER THE ELECTION.

UM, UNLESS THEY ARE, EVEN IF THEY'RE MUNICIPALITY, THEY FOLLOW A DIFFERENT SET OF CODES.

THEY UNDER THE FIVE DASH 1570 AND WE OPERATE AND RUN ELECTIONS UNDER SEVEN DASH 13 1 90.

SO MUNICIPALITIES HAVE SOME, UM, AUTONOMY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO RUNNING ELECTIONS.

AND WE ARE TRYING TO GET OUR LEGISLATORS TO JUST COME UP WITH ONE SET OF RULES FOR US TO FOLLOW, BEING THAT THE COUNTIES, UH, TYPICALLY THE ONE CONDUCTING ALL OF THE ELECTIONS.

SO WE JUST WANT TO ALL BE ON ONE PAGE.

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATES? YES.

IS THERE A, A, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THE MUNICIPAL MUNICIPALITIES IS ON A DIFFERENT

[00:20:01]

CODE, IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE IN, IN RUNNING THE ELECTION? UM, NO.

UM, THE, THE, THERE ARE SOME MUNICIPALITIES ACTUALLY DO THEIR OWN ELECTIONS.

UM, I MEAN WE, THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BOARD, THEY CERTIFY THEIR OWN ELECTION AND THEY ACTUALLY RUN THEIR OWN ELECTION.

THE COUNTY DOES NOT RUN THE ELECTIONS FOR THEM.

SO, UM, BUT THAT, THAT'S SO FEW.

AND, UM, I THINK THERE'S SOME LEGISLATION OUT THERE RIGHT NOW THAT'S TRYING TO DO AWAY WITH THAT BECAUSE OF THE SCRUTINY THAT GOES ALONG WITH ELECTION.

UH, WE ALL JUST NEED TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE SO THAT, UM, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA WILL BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY HOW ELECTION IS RAN BECAUSE IT'S ALL RAN THE SAME WAY UNDER THE SAME PROCESSES AND THE SAME PROCEDURES.

AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS, WHERE ARE THE GAPS IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING LOCATIONS TO ACTUALLY FOR, FOR VOTING? IS IT NORTH ABROAD? SOUTH ABROAD? A COMBINATION OF BOTH? IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH.

UM, YOU, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FACILITIES, RIGHT? UM, YEAH, IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH BECAUSE IT IS JUST , WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE FACILITIES OUT THERE.

PUBLIC FACILITY ESPECIALLY.

UM, WE RAN OUT OF PUBLIC FACILITY A LONG TIME AGO, SO WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT NOW IS PRETTY MUCH PRIVATE FACILITIES AND WE ARE NOT GETTING THE COOPERATION THAT WE WOULD LIKE AND WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THESE FACILITIES ARE PRIVATELY OWNED AND SOME OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE USED IN THE PAST ARE NO LONGER, UM, WANTING TO ASSIST IN THAT PROCESS OF SERVING AS A POLLING PLACE FOR ELECTIONS.

AND IT'S, AND THAT'S A VARIETY OF REASONS.

SO IT, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSED POLICY THAT YOU GUYS JUST APPROVE, THAT WILL HELP US BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE 126 POLLING PLACE.

IF THAT LAW DOESN'T GET CHANGED, WE WILL BE IN VIOLATION.

WHERE ARE THE AREAS SPECIFICALLY? 'CAUSE YOU SAID BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE BROAD, BUT CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICALLY ON THE AREAS THAT NEED MORE POLL LOCATIONS? WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO, UM, IS JUST TALK TO ALL THE, THE CHURCHES, THE LOCAL CHURCHES IN THE BEAUFORT AREA.

UM, LATEST ISLAND, UM, I THINK IN BURTON.

BURTON IN THE BURTON AREA.

UH, WE, WE'VE BEEN CALLING ALMOST EVERY PLACE WE CAN THINK OF.

THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.

UH, WE HAVE SOME OF, SOME SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS, UM, NEXT WEEK THAT WE GONNA GO OUT AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE BLUFFTON, UM, HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, RIGHT? HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY MM-HMM.

AND, UM, THIRD MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH IN BURTON.

SO YEAH, WE, WE HAVE SOME PLACES THAT WE STILL ARE LOOKING AT, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH.

MARIE, COULD I, COULD I ADD TO THAT? UM, THERE, THERE ARE FOUR LOCATIONS WHERE WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOUR POOLED PRECINCTS.

AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY TO FIND ADDITIONAL POLLING PLACES.

SO THAT WOULD BE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.

THE PLANTATION HOUSE CURRENTLY HAS FOUR PRECINCTS.

UM, BUCKWALTER RECREATION CENTER HAS FOUR, AND THOSE ARE FOUR GROWING PRECINCTS.

MM-HMM.

.

SO WE URGENTLY NEED TO FIND ADDITIONAL POLLING LOCATIONS.

PINCKNEY HALL AND SUN CITY, THEY HAVE FOUR.

NOW SUN CITY'S NOT GONNA GET ANY BIGGER.

UM, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S AT LEAST AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.

AND ALSO MAGNOLIA HALL IN SUN CITY, HAVE WE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH ANY OF THE P O A PRESIDENTS TO, TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THE DEPTH OF OUR PROBLEM AND TO SEE IF THEY CAN, WHEN, WHEN WE APPROACH THEM, WE, WE DO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT HAS HELPED OUT WITH CERTAIN GATED COMMUNITIES.

LIKE NOW GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

IF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY IN HAMPTON HALL, IF YOU KNOW ANY OF THE BOARD IN HAMPTON HALL, I MEAN HAMPTON HALL IS A PERFECT SITUATION FOR THE, FOR THE PEOPLE THERE.

THEIR ISSUE IS THEY DON'T WANT ANYBODY COMING FROM OUTSIDE.

AND THERE'S ABOUT 200, 150 TO 200 THAT WERE KEPT COMING FROM OUTSIDE, BUT IT'S ONLY ONE DAY.

BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE TONS OF GATED COMMUNITIES ON HILL HEAD THAT THE PEOPLE COME IN AND VOTE ALREADY.

SO I DON'T, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT EXCLUSIVITY THING THAT THEY FEEL THAT GIVES US A PROBLEM IN HAM HALL.

SO, YOU KNOW, HAMPTON HALL, IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A CONNECTION THERE, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT.

THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF A LOT.

PULLING OUT A BUCK, WALTER.

SO IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS. IT'S THE, THAT'S THE ONLY G COMMUNITY THAT WE KNOW SO FAR THAT HAS HAD AN ISSUE WITH US TRYING TO GO INSIDE.

SO HAMPTON HALL WOULD BE ONE PLACE THAT YOU WOULD SUGGEST TRYING TO RIGHT.

WE WENT TO THEM THREE YEARS AGO.

[00:25:02]

THREE YEARS AGO, AND THEY WERE EXCITED, BUT THEN THE BOARD, THEIR BOARD SAID, WELL, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE? AND, YOU KNOW, WE DID THE NUMBERS AND IT'S ABOUT, LIKE I SAID, 150 AT THAT TIME.

AND THEY SAID, WELL NO, WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANNA DO IT 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY COMING FROM OUTSIDE.

W WOULD IT BE HELPFUL FOR, FOR YOU ALL, OR MAYBE THE BOARD TO ASSIST YOU TO REACH OUT TO OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP INFLUENCE PLACES LIKE CAMPS AND HALL ACCESS? DEFINITELY.

DEFINITELY.

THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHY WE TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.

AND WE ARE ASKING YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS TO REACH OUT TO ANYBODY THAT YOU CAN THAT, UM, MAY HAVE SOME INFLUENCE ON, UM, FACILITIES AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST LIKE AN ONGOING THING.

IF WE, WE RIDE DOWN THE ROAD AND WE SEE A BRICK BUILDING, IT'S LIKE, I WONDER IF THEY'LL LET US COME IN.

YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST KIND OF AMAZING.

BUT WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.

WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO, ESPECIALLY FOR THE 2024 ELECTION, IS TRYING TO ELIMINATE THE LONG LINES THAT WE WILL HAVE AT THOSE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.

WE DON'T WANT OUR VOTERS TO BE FRUSTRATED STANDING IN LINE FOR TWO HOURS TO VOTE.

MM-HMM.

, YOU KNOW, AND UM, SO WE KNOW THAT THE TURNOUT IN 2024, AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT WE ARE PREDICTING IS GOING TO BE ABOVE AVERAGE.

AND, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO SET OUR SET UP BUFORT COUNTY IN A POSITION WHERE, UM, OUR VOTER EXPERIENCE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE PLEASANT.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE JUST OUT THERE BEATING THE BUSHES, TRYING TO GET FACILITIES.

SO WHEN IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU HAVE FOUR PRECINCTS IN A FACILITY AND YOU CANNOT PROCESS THOSE VOTER IN A TIMELY MANNER, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BOTTLENECK AT THE DOOR AND YOU'RE GONNA GET PEOPLE STANDING OUTSIDE AND YOU'RE GONNA GET THEM FRUSTRATED.

YOU'RE GONNA GET THEM, UM, DEHYDRATED.

AND, AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED, UM, IN THE PAST.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO AVOID THAT.

SO, UH, AS MUCH HELP AS WE CAN GET, WE WILL DEFINITELY ACCEPT.

AND, AND, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED TO ACCOUNTING COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'VE TALKED TO, UM, SOME OF OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION MEMBERS, UM, AND I THINK THEY'RE WILLING TO HELP US TO A DEGREE, BUT WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY REAL SERIOUS RESULTS YET.

OH, I'M SORRY.

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR HAMPTON HALL.

WHAT OTHER AREAS, WHAT PRECINCTS THAT WILL BE COMING IN THAT THAT'S BUCK WALTER TWO.

BUCK FOUR D BLUFFTON YOU MEAN? I'M SORRY.

WELL, YEAH, BLUFFTON FOUR D BLUFFTON FOUR THAT, AND THAT'S A HUGE CHUNK THAT WOULD COME OUT OF BUCK WALTER.

OKAY.

BLUFFTON FOUR D.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO REDRAW THE PRECINCT LINE SO THAT HAMPTON HALL WOULD ONLY HAVE HAMPTON HALL RESIDENTS? UHUH NO MA'AM.

NO MA'AM.

WENT THROUGH THAT.

YEAH, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THAT INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE 10 CENSUS AFTER THE 10 YEAR CENSUS.

YEAH, IT'S JUST, AND, AND, AND REALLY, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW THE ELECTED, HOW THE BOARD IS MADE UP, BUT THE RESIDENTS THAT KNEW ABOUT IT WERE EXCITED.

THE, THE, THE MANAGER OF THE CLUB WAS EXCITED BECAUSE ALL THEY HAD TO DO IS GET ON THEIR GOLF CLUB AND DRIVE DOWN TO THE CLUB AND VOTE.

YEAH.

AND THEY HAVE FUNCTIONS THERE THAT PEOPLE COME FROM THE OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME.

THAT'S WHAT USE.

SO WE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND, USE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY IT WAS SUCH A BIG DEAL.

BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE, AND AND ACTUALLY, AND I APPROACHED HER THIS TIME, I CALLED AND SHE, SHE LEFT A ME SHE SENT ME AN EMAIL.

WELL IF YOU STILL HAVE 150 PEOPLE COMING FROM OUTSIDE, I WON'T EVEN BRING IT UP TO THE BOARD.

LET'S SEE.

SO THIS IS THE ONGOING, UM, PROJECT FOR US AND WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BECOME ONE FOR YOU IS TO JUST CONTINUOUSLY JUST LOOK FOR FACILITIES THAT WE CAN USE.

AND I KNOW MR. WEDGWORTH HAS BEEN WORKING WITH SOME OF THE FOLKS ON HILTON HEAD AND UM, BUT HE, HE MADE SOME PROGRESS.

YEAH, HE MADE SOME PROGRESS.

WE HAVE A, A YES.

ONE.

YES.

AND MR. FORD AND MS. LENE, THOSE TWO.

YEAH.

UM, SO WE, WE'VE BEEN GETTING SOME YESES, BUT WE HAVE MORE NOSS THAN YESES RIGHT NOW.

OKAY.

AND TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE PHONE WITH THAT, LIKE WITH MS. MR. FORD? WELL, BOTH CHURCHES, WHAT WE TELL THEM WHEN WE GO THERE AS WELL IS WE'RE LOOKING FOR POLL WORKERS.

SO MEMBERS CAN SIGN UP TO BE POLL WORKERS AND THAT WILL BE THEIR PRECINCT TO WORK.

AND UH, LIKE MR. FORD, THE PASTOR'S WIFE WAS A CLERK AT THE LIBRARY.

WELL NOW SHE CAN DO IT RIGHT THERE AT THE CHURCH.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER BENEFIT FOR THE CHURCH.

LIKE THE CHURCHES THAT YOU GET US IN TOUCH WITH, THAT YOU CAN GIVE THE POLL WORKERS, UM, YOU CAN GET POLL WORKERS FROM

[00:30:01]

THE CHURCH AND THEY CAN STAY RIGHT THERE.

SO THEY'RE COMFORTABLE.

THEY KNOW THE BUILDING AND THE PROCESSES THERE BETTER THAN ANYBODY AND, AND IT'S KIND OF A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY WHEN THEY DO IT LIKE THAT.

SO, UM, AND ALSO LIKE VERNON POINTED OUT TO PASTOR HAY, UH, THAT'S EXTRA TIMES COMING IN .

OKAY.

WENDELL, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.

YES MA'AM.

BLUFFTON FOUR D UM, WHAT PART OF BUCK WALTER IS THAT? WOULD THAT BE, IT'S NOT SHELL HALL, RIGHT? IS IT? UM, WHAT'S THAT PINE AREA? WOULD IT BE? UM, WAIT A MINUTE, MS. ALI.

I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHERE EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE ASSIGNED, WE NEED A MAP TO DO THAT.

SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ALL OF THE LOGISTICAL PART OF IT WHEN WE HAVE THE NEXT, UM, PRE PRECINCT COMMITTEE, UM, IT WOULD BE LIKE A WORKING SESSION WHERE WE COULD SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT MAPS AND LOOK AT THE LOCATIONS OF, UM, POLLING PLACE, POTENTIAL POLLING PLACES IN THE AREA AND GO FROM THERE.

'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.

THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DOING.

WE WERE USING GOOGLE MAP AND JUST ZOOMING IN AND LOOKING AT THE AREAS.

WE COULD TAKE THE PRECINCT MAP AND PUT IT OVER THE GOOGLE MAP, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT, BUT WE CAN'T, SO WE'D SWITCH IT FROM SCREEN TO SCREEN AND SAY, OH, LOOK AT THIS PLACE HERE, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL GET THE NUMBERS AND WE'LL GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TRYING TO, LIKE SHE SAID, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE ONE PER ONE PER ONE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

BUT IF NOT, WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT AS CLOSE TO THAT LINE AS POSSIBLE.

WELL, THE REASON I ASK, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE MEETING, UH, THIS EVENING WITH ONE OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT LIVE IN HAMPTON HALL AND SHE ALSO HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT LIVES IN HAMPTON LAKES.

SO HAMPTON LAKE IS, UH, I'M CALLING HAMPTON LAKE, LITERALLY.

OKAY.

UH, LAKE AMENITY CENTER OR SOMETHING MM-HMM.

AND IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT, IT'S FIVE C OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

OKAY.

SO, SO THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER PRECINCT, PRECINCT SITUATION.

OKAY.

JUST IN CASE SHE ASKS WELL, WHERE WOULD THOSE VOTERS BE COMING FROM? I JUST WANT TO HAVE A LITTLE GENERAL IDEA.

DON'T HAVE TO, WE CAN SEND YOU, WE CAN SEND YOU A MAP, AN INDIVIDUAL LOCATION MAP SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT'S LAID OUT AT.

I'M JUST THINKING THAT THIS SESSION IS, IS NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT ONE TO DO THE WORKING ASPECTS OF IT.

SO, BUT ANYWAY, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING SO FAR AS, UM, POLLING LOCATIONS.

OKAY.

SO LET'S GO TO THE ELECTION SIDE OF IT.

WAIT A MINUTE, DID WE ANSWER ALL ALL THE QUESTION CONCERNING POLLING LOCATIONS OR LEGISLATIVE UPDATES? OKAY, SO LET'S GO TO THE POLL WORKERS TRAINING.

WE HAVE, UH, TWO TRAININGS LEFT FOR THIS YEAR RIGHT NOW.

UM, SATURDAY THE 29TH, WE WILL HAVE A POLL WORKER SESSION, NEW POLL WORKER SESSION FROM NINE TO ONE 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AT THE JOHN GALT OFFICE.

AND WE RIGHT NOW HAVE ABOUT 13 PEOPLE SCHEDULED.

SO WE HAVE ROOM FOR MORE.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE.

ALL THEY GOTTA DO IS GO ONLINE AND, AND, AND SAY, I WANT TO BE A, UM, A POLL WORKER AND SIGN UP.

YOU CAN SIGN UP ON YOUR OWN.

AND SO WE ENCOURAGING AGAIN FOR FOLKS TO COME OUT.

AND THEN NEXT SATURDAY, ON THE 5TH OF AUGUST, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER SESSION.

SO IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS SATURDAY, THEN MAYBE THE NEXT SATURDAY, NOT NECESSARILY YOU, BUT YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR COUSINS AND, UM, YOUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS AND YOUR UH, GOLF PARTNER AND ANYBODY YOU CAN THINK OF SEND THEM OUR WAY SO WE CAN TRAIN THEM TO BE POLL WORKERS.

WE GONNA NEED A LOT OF POLL WORKERS IN 2024.

OKAY.

UM, THIS IS, UM, FACILITIES, WE KINDA LIKE COMBINED IT WITH WHAT WE DID EARLIER, BUT, UH, WE HAD THIS LIST THE LAST TIME AND THE TWO NEW PRECINCTS THAT HAS CONFIRMED ARE MOUNT CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH ON HILTON HEAD AND THIRD MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH IN BURTON.

THEY HAVE AGREED TO BECOME POLLING LOCATIONS.

UM, FOR US NOW, WE STILL ARE WAITING TO DO THE ASSESSMENTS ON THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE COMPLIANT.

THIRD MACEDONIAN.

THIRD, THAT'S THE ONLY ONE.

THAT'S THE ONLY ONE.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT, GOOD.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A BIGGER LIST NEXT TIME, .

OKAY.

DO YOU, DO YOU WANT ME TO TRY TO GET CHERRY HILL SCHOOL BECAUSE WE USED TO VOTE THERE AND NOW EVERYBODY VOTED AT THE LIBRARY.

WHAT'S, WHAT SCHOOL IS THAT? CHERRY HILL SCHOOL, WHICH IS BELONG TO ST.

JAMES.

IT'S IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA.

SO

[00:35:01]

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, THAT'S MONTARY TO TAKE CARE OF IT.

NOW IS TWO B IS NOW GOING TO, THERE'S TWO B AND THREE B AND TWO B ONE WILL STAY IN THE LIBRARY AND I MEAN TWO B THREE B WILL STAY IN THE LIBRARY AND THEN TWO B WILL HANDLE THAT OTHER END DOWN TOWARDS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

OKAY.

AND THAT'S MOUNT CARY AND THAT COVERED IT PERFECTLY.

OKAY.

BUT WE'LL PUT THAT ON OUR LIST JUST IN CASE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE HAVE FACILITIES THAT ARE UNAVAILABLE ON ELECTION DAY AND, OR LIKE ON A SATURDAY BECAUSE OF OTHER, UM, UM, EVENTS THAT MAY BE GOING ON LIKE WEDDINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WE CAN ALWAYS USE ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS.

AND, UM, WE IS THAT THE, THE THE WOODEN BUILDING? YES.

THAT USED TO BE IN THE CHURCH YARD.

I MEAN, THAT WAS IN ST.

JAMES CHURCH RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.

IT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CHURCH.

THE BELONGS TO THE CHURCH.

OKAY.

THE FELLOWSHIP HALL.

WELL, WE HOPE THEY, WE HOPE WE DON'T USE THAT AS A FELLOWSHIP HALL, BUT THAT'S THE BUILDING.

OKAY.

UM, WHERE ARE WE WITH SPANISH WELLS? I THOUGHT THEY'D AGREED.

YES.

SPANISH WELLS IS, UM, BACK.

RIGHT.

SEE WE ALREADY HAD THEM AT THE POLLING PLACE.

IT'S JUST THAT THEY WEREN'T, WE WEREN'T USING IT IN THE LAST TWO ELECTIONS.

OKAY.

SO WE ARE JUST GONNA ADD THEM BACK TO THE LIST.

OKAY, GOOD.

THAT'LL RELIEVE THE PRESSURE OFF THE CHURCH, RIGHT? YEAH, WE'LL HAVE TO GRACE COMMUNITY, WE'LL HAVE TO.

SO YOU NEED TWO PRECINCTS THERE? YEAH, WE'LL HAVE A SPA.

ONE OF THEM WILL BE SPANISH WELLS AND THE OTHER WILL BE HIL HILTON HEAD 10, I THINK.

YEAH.

GRACE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? GRACE CHURCH.

HIL HEAD 10.

YEAH.

OKAY, GOOD.

MR. WEDGWORTH WAS DOING HIS HOMEWORK.

.

OKAY.

UM, ADDITIONAL STORY SPACE.

THIS IS FACILITY UPDATES.

UM, OF COURSE ON THE SEVENTH, I MEAN ON THE 10TH OF THIS MONTH, COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONTRACT FOR OUR EXPANSION.

UM, THE AMOUNT IS $385,000.

UM, AND I WILL BE GETTING A TIMELINE, MR. FORD.

WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE INCLUDED ON ALL THE CORRESPONDENCE THAT'S GOING THROUGH.

THANK YOU ON CONCERNING THIS.

SO, SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS Y'ALL.

EVENTUALLY WE WILL GET SOME ADDITIONAL SPACE AND BE ABLE TO EXPAND MANEUVER.

YEAH.

OKAY.

WE HAVE OUR BOARD WORKSHOP SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 1ST.

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT FROM 10 TO FOUR.

WE WILL HAVE LUNCH BREAK.

UM, WE HAVE SCHEDULED ACTIVE SHOOTER PREPAREDNESS WE WEBINAR COMING UP ON THE EIGHTH, AND THAT'S FROM 10 TO THREE.

UM, AND THAT'S BEING SPONSORED BY THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION AND THE CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY.

AND, UM, THIS IS, UH, AN ONLINE TRAINING.

UH, WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE IT IN PERSON, BUT WE STILL WORKING ON THAT PART OF IT.

BUT I THINK BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE A LOT OF CYBERSECURITY TRAINING.

UM, A A LOT OF, UM, CONCERNS ABOUT SECURITY AND SAFETY IS STILL FLOATING AROUND.

SO WE HAVE TO BE MADE AWARE OF IT, BE CONSCIOUS OF IT, AND BE PREPARED FOR IT.

UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SCHEDULE, UH, SCHEDULE, UM, C P R TRAINING.

AND ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY WHEN WE HAVE THAT TRAINING, THE BLUFFTON OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED.

AND I THINK THAT ANNOUNCEMENT IS ALREADY OUT THERE.

UM, RIGHT.

OR IT WILL BE, IT WILL BE OUT THERE SOON TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT THE BLUFFTON OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON AUGUST 16TH DUE TO TRAINING.

UM, MINETTE CONFERENCE? YES, MA'AM.

WAS HELD AT THE, UH, IN BERKELEY COUNTY AT THE BERKELEY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE.

YES, MA.

UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE AUGUST 1ST TRAINING FOR BOARD MEMBERS.

OH, THE LOCATION WILL BE AT THE JOHN GAULT OFFICE.

OKAY.

MARIE, I, I RECEIVED, UM, A PACKAGE A COUPLE DAYS AGO WHERE THEY WERE ASKING ME TO GO TO POLL POLL WATCHER CLASS ON THE 1ST OF AUGUST.

SO I, I CAN'T DO BOTH.

WE DON'T DO POLL WATCHERS CLASSES THAT MAY HAVE COME FROM A PARTY.

NO, THAT CAME FROM, I THOUGHT IT CAME FROM THE OFFICE.

WELL, IT IT'S THE BOARD WORKSHOP THAT'S

[00:40:01]

SPONSORED ON THE FIRST AUGUST 1ST, SO I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.

POLL WATCHER CLASS , WE DON'T DO THAT.

WE WATCH POLL WATCHERS .

OKAY.

SO I CAN PUT THE BOARD WORKSHOP IN THAT SPOT.

PLEASE DO.

UM, ON THE 13TH, WE, WE DID THE SCARE CONFERENCES WAS A ONE DAY CONFERENCE.

IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.

UM, WE DID HAVE MS. BEVERLY TO ATTEND.

SHE WAS THE, I THINK YOU WERE THE ONLY BOARD MEMBER FROM BEAUFORT AND FOUR STAFF MEMBERS WERE THERE.

AND UM, SO WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION AND THAT WAS INTERESTING AS WELL.

UM, WHAT ELSE DID WE HAVE? EXCUSE ME, MARIE? YES.

COULD YOU SHARE WITH US THE TRAINING MATERIALS FROM THAT SCARE TRAINING? UM, THE TRAINING WAS FIRST WE HAD KINDA LIKE SESSIONS.

WE HAD THE, YOU KNOW, HOWARD DID A PRESENTATION AND THAT WAS GENERAL INFORMATION, JUST SHOWING STATISTICS, WHATEVER THE CLASSES.

WE HAD TWO CLASSES THAT WAS DONE SIMULTANEOUSLY AND IT WAS ONLY OPEN TO, UM, STAFF AND DIRECTORS.

UH, WENDELL ATTENDED ONE OF THE CLASSES AND I THINK JEAN, YEAH, JEAN AND I WENT TO THE FOYER CLASS AND THEN THEY HAD A MEDIA CLASS.

BUT, UM, MYSELF AND CHRIS AND VERNON, WE DIDN'T ATTEND A CLASS BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY, WE ALREADY CERTIFIED FOR THIS YEAR.

I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION IS IF YOU COULD, UH, SHARE WITH US THE TRAINING MATERIALS THAT WERE USED.

I, I DON'T HAVE TRAINING THE TRAINING MATERIAL FOR ANY TIME THAT WAS RELEVANT.

OH, MAY I RESPOND TO THAT? MM-HMM.

HOWARD NOW DID SAY THAT HE WAS GOING TO SEND US A COPY OF HIS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND IT DID CONTAIN A LOT OF SIGNIFICANT DATES REGARDING THE PRE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE, PRIMARY AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WERE COMING UP IN THE STATE.

AND UH, HE SHOULD HAVE SENT IT BY NOW, BUT IF NOT, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE USEFUL.

YEAH, I, I'LL I'LL CHECK INTO THAT.

UM, RIGHT, HE DID SAY HE WAS GONNA SEND IT OUT.

UM, MAYBE HE DID.

ANYWAY, WE WILL, I CANNOT SHARE THE CLASS MATERIAL WITH YOU, BUT I CAN SHARE SOME OF HOWARD'S PRESENTATIONS.

GREAT.

ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE RELEVANT TO THE BOARD? OH YEAH, THAT WOULD BE, I THINK WE'D APPRECIATE SEEING THAT.

WE, WE DO HAVE IT.

WE HAD, WE HAVE HIS SLIDES GREAT.

YEAH, HE SENT IT.

WELL YOU HAVE IT CHRIS.

YOU SHOULD HAVE SENT IT TO ME.

I SENT IT TO HIM.

YEAH, WELL WE'LL SEND IT OUT TO THE BOARD.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

UM, AND UM, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS INTERESTING, IT, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH TALKING ABOUT THE ROLE OF SS E C AND THINGS THAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO AND WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AS UM, STAFF AND DIRECTORS.

SO YES, WE, WE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU.

THANK YOU.

UM, WE ALSO ATTENDED AN ELECTION SECURITY WORKSHOP ON THE 14TH, UM, IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.

AND THAT WAS SPONSORED BY CHARLESTON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND A GROUP CALLED THE COMMITTEE FOR SAFE AND SECURE ELECTIONS.

AND I HAVE SOME INFORMATION AT THE OFFICE THAT I WILL BE SHARING THAT WITH YOU ALL, UM, IN REFERENCE TO WHEN YOU COME TO YOUR WORKSHOP AND I ATTENDED THE US ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION, E A C, LOCAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, UM, ANNUAL MEETING ON THE 20TH THROUGH THE 21ST IN WASHINGTON DC LAST WEEK.

IT WAS A VERY GOOD SESSION.

OF COURSE THE CONVERSATION IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME EVERYWHERE YOU GO.

UM, I'M ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA IS TWO REPRESENTATIVE PER STATE AND I AM ONE OF THEM.

AND SO WE REPRESENTED SOUTH CAROLINA AS ONE OF THE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBERS.

AND LIKE I SAID, THE, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT SAFETY AND SECURITY ABOUT, UM, ON THE ELECTION IS, IS IN EVERYBODY'S, UM, CONVERSATION THESE DAYS.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID, I THINK IS GOOD WAS GOOD WAS THEY TALKED ABOUT THE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES ON CERTIFYING ELECTION EQUIPMENT BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THEIR, SO ONE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, THE SOUTH CAROL, I MEAN THE US ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION ROLE, THEY HAVE TWO CERTIFIED LABORATORIES THAT, UM, CERTIFY ELECTION MACHINES.

AND, UM, THEY TALKED ABOUT

[00:45:01]

THAT PROCESS IN, IN, IN DETAIL, UM, GENERICALLY BUT IN DETAIL THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT THEY DO TO MAKE SURE THAT ELECTION EQUIPMENT IS SAFE AND SECURE, UM, BEFORE IT GOES OUT, UM, IN THE COUNTRY.

SO, AND SO THAT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, BUT IT WAS, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS A VERY GOOD SESSION.

WE GOT TO EXCHANGE, UM, IDEAS.

WE, WE, WE HAD, UM, BREAKOUT SESSIONS TALKING ABOUT A VARIETY OF TOPICS AND OF COURSE YOU CAN ONLY ATTEND ONE SESSION.

SO I ONLY GOT TO TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SESSION THAT I WAS IN, WHICH WAS ABOUT HOW DO WE, UM, DEAL WITH THIS AND THIS AND MISINFORMATION ABOUT ELECTION.

SO, UM, OF COURSE WE KNOW WE ALL ARE DEALING WITH THAT SUBJECT MATTER ACROSS, NOT JUST IN OUR STATE BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THE STORY IS THE SAME.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE OR WHAT STATE YOU LIVE IN, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME SIM WE ALL HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH.

SO THE WHOLE IDEA IS HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR IT SO THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE ANSWERS WHEN WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH MISINFORMATION OR DISINFORMATION.

SO HOPEFULLY IT WILL NOT BE AS BAD AS WE ANTICIPATED, BUT WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED ANYWAY.

I JUST WANTED YOU GUYS TO KNOW ALSO THAT WE HAD PROMISED YOU YOUR POLL WORKER'S DATABASE AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THE 18TH AS THE DROP DEAD DATE FOR YOU TO HAVE YOUR, UM, POLL WORKERS' DATABASE IN HAND.

WHEN YOU GET YOUR DATABASE, WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU CONTACT YOUR POLL MANAGERS HOWEVER WAY YOU WANT TO DO IT BY EMAIL, BY SL SNAIL MAIL, UM, BY TELEPHONE CALLS TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES TO THEM AND LET THEM KNOW WHO YOU ARE, ESPECIALLY THE NEWER BOARD MEMBERS BECAUSE UM, YOU WANT YOUR POLL WORKERS TO FEEL COMFORTABLE, UM, AND, AND KNOW WHO THEY ARE TALKING TO WHEN YOU ARE CALLING THEM TO SERVE AS A POLL WORKER ON ELECTION DAY.

SO THAT'S MY REPORT UNLESS YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS.

ANY QUESTIONS? ANYBODY GOT QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, WELL NOW WE ARE DOWN TO CLOSING COMMENTS AND UM, ANYONE HAVE CLOSING COMMENTS? AND I'LL GO LAST I HAVE UM, ONE COMMENT.

I ATTENDED THE, UM, TRAINING, UM, THE PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL TRAINING IN PORT ROYAL AND I FOUND IT TO BE VERY INFORMATIVE AND THE ONLY SUGGESTION THAT I WOULD MAKE IS THAT WE HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL ONE FOR THE SHELDON UM, TOWNSHIP, THAT AREA OUT THERE.

I THINK WE COVERED ST.

HELENA, WE COVERED PORT ROYAL, WE COVERED UM, BLUFFTON AS WELL AS HILTON HEAD, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S A SECTION OF THE COUNTY SPARSELY POPULATED.

BUT I THINK THAT THEY WOULD BENEFIT, YOU KNOW, FROM HAVING THAT SAME INFORMATION.

UM, JUST A SUGGESTION, BUT IT WAS VERY WELL DONE.

I DID ASK FOR A COPY OF THE POWERPOINT , UM, JUST FOR MY INFORMATION, BUT UM, I JUST THINK IT WAS VERY VALUABLE TRAINING AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR, UM, GIVING UP THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO CONDUCT THESE COMMUNITY TRAININGS.

I SAW, UM, MARIE WAS OUT OF TOWN IN DC BUT I SAW WENDELL AND CHRIS AND UM, OF COURSE JEAN WAS THERE CONDUCTING THE TRAINING, BUT IT WAS, UH, EXCELLENT TRAINING AFTER JAMIE WAS THERE AS WELL.

HUH? JAMIE WAS THERE AS WELL? YES, JAMIE.

JAMIE WAS THERE.

OKAY, GREAT.

ALRIGHT, ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, SO I GUESS IT'S NOW ME.

WELL I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BOARD AND ESPECIALLY TO UM, OUR SECRETARY, UH, FOR DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB ON THAT LEGISLATIVE REPORT.

UM, I'VE READ A DETAIL, I HAD A LOT OF READING TO PUT ME TO SLEEP.

I WENT TO SLEEP, I WOKE UP 'CAUSE I WANTED TO

[00:50:01]

JUST GET, GET IT DONE, YOU KNOW, SO I HAD IT RIGHT THERE WITH ME AND, UM, VERY GOOD JOB.

AND YOU'VE GOT RIGHT ON IT.

UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE NEED TO, UH, GET THINGS MOVING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE UH, TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE AND WE DON'T WANNA BE LEFT OUT.

MM-HMM.

MM-HMM.

, UM, TO THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU TOO FOR, UH, ASKING GREAT QUESTIONS BECAUSE THAT WAY AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, UH, WHERE YOU GOING AND WHERE YOU WANNA BE WHEN YOU GET TO, UM, THAT POINT.

UM, MARIE, THANK YOU.

DID I ASK YOU WINDOW? YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE, WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACKING.

WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BECAUSE WE WANT TO REPRESENT OUR COUNTY, UM, MORE THAN A HUNDRED PERCENT.

WE, WE WANT TO BE UP FRONT SO WE CAN, UH, BE LEADING UH, THE OTHER AREAS.

MAYBE THEY'LL THEN WANT TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE PUTTING IN OUR SOUP TO MAKE IT SO GOOD.

.

SO, UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE BRAG ABOUT BUFORT COUNTY EVERYWHERE WE GO.

YES.

RIGHT.

BUT I DO, I DO WANNA ASK THIS, DID YOU ALL RECEIVE A COPY OF THE DRAFT OPERATIONAL MANUAL TODAY? YES.

YOU ALL DID.

OKAY.

SO WHEN MR. LEY COMES BACK, I'M SURE HE WILL HAVE A REVIEW GOING BACK.

OH, OKAY.

YEAH.

OKAY.

NOW, SO WE ARE DOWN TO NEXT BOARD MEETING.

UH, NORMALLY IN AUGUST WE, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING OF HIGH PRIORITY, WE UH, TAKE OFF THAT MONTH TO REGROUP AND GET READY TO HIT THE PAVEMENT BECAUSE WE KNOW WE HAVE ELECTIONS COMING UP, UH, IN NOVEMBER, MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS COMING UP.

SO GET A LITTLE BREAK SO THAT WAY WHEN YOU GET THAT LIST FROM MARIE, YOU WOULD'VE ALREADY EXHAUSTED YOURSELF BY CALLING THE POLL WORKERS TO UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ON BOARD.

HILTON HEAD IS NOT HAVING A MUNICIPAL ELECTION, BUT THOSE OF YOU FROM HILTON HEAD, YOU KNOW, COME RIGHT ON OVER TO BLUFFTON.

ACTUALLY WE HAVE A COUNTY WIDE ELECTION.

OH, IT'S COUNTY WIDE.

OH MY GOD'S RIGHT? WE HAVE FORGOT ABOUT THAT.

IT WILL BE ACCOUNTING WIDE ELECTION.

OKAY, WELL NOW I CAN'T USE ANYBODY FROM HILTON HEAD.

.

WOW.

.

I WAS ALREADY READY FOR THAT.

I WAS GETTING READY TO START RECRUITING .

OKAY, MY BAD.

OKAY, SO, UM, THERE'S NO BOARD MEETING FOR NEXT MONTH UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING OF GREAT NEED.

IF ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENT OR SUGGESTION, DO I NEED A MOTION TO UH, SAY WE WILL NOT MEET NEXT MONTH? SO MOVED SECOND.

ALRIGHT.

OKAY.

IT IS BEEN PROPERLY MOVED AND SECOND, THERE WILL NOT BE A BOARD MEETING NEXT MONTH.

UH, SO GET PLENTY OF REST.

SORRY.

SECONDED THAT.

OH, UH, I THINK THREE PEOPLE SAID .

EVERYBODY PICK ONE.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, SO NOW NEXT, UH, CAN WE GET A MOTION THEN TO ADJOURN? SO, SO MOVED .

OKAY.

I SECOND.

ALRIGHT.

MEETING HAS BEEN ADJOURNED AT 2 53.

THANK YOU ALL.

THANK.