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YOU ONLY TALK ABOUT PRIORITY, RIGHT? YES.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED.
IS THIS A SEPARATE MEETING? WE NEED TO, DO WE DO THE WORKSHOP? I CAN'T REMEMBER.
IT'S NOT, IS IT, IT'S, IS THIS A WORKSHOP? SO THIS IS JUST A WORKSHOP.
WE DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE.
JUST CALL ME ON AND THEN JUST PROCEED.
THE BOARD WAS REGISTRATIONS AND ELECTIONS.
WE ARE CALLING OUR WORKSHOP, UH, MEETING TO ORDER ON WEDNESDAY, UH, MARCH 27TH AT 3 0 2.
AND WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT PRIORITY NUMBER ONE ONLY.
UH, THIS IS, UH, A RESUMPTION OF A DISCUSSION THAT WE STARTED ON DECEMBER 6TH TO REVIEW ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY BOARD MEMBERS AT THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
AND THERE ARE SOME, UM, ISSUES ADDED AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE, PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
UM, SO THIS DOCUMENT IS BROKEN DOWN INTO THREE PRIORITY LEVELS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY, UH, TWO AND THREE ARE LOWER PRIORITIES.
AND, AND WE DISCUSSED BEFORE THE MEETING THAT MARIE AND HER STAFF WOULD ADDRESS PRIORITY TWO AND THREE ISSUES.
AND, UH, GIVE US, UH, JUST A WRITTEN DOCUMENT DESCRIBING HOW THOSE ISSUES WILL BE ADDRESSED AT FUTURE ELECTIONS.
SO FOR THIS MEETING, WE'LL JUST DISCUSS THE PRIORITY ONE ITEMS AS, AS MADAM CHAIR MENTIONED.
UM, AND WE CAN START AT THE TOP.
THE FIRST SECTION IS, IS PROCESS.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE ABOUT, UH, SIX PRIORITY ONE ITEMS THERE.
THE FIRST ONE BEING A DISCUSSION OF, UH, CLERK PICKUP, UM, THE DAY BEFORE AN ELECTION AT THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
AND, UH, UH, JUST BRIEFLY, THE DESCRIPTION, UH, WAS A DESCRIPTION OF SOME, UH, CHAOTIC, UM, PICKUP BECAUSE, UH, EPB TAGS WERE UNCHANGED FROM THE 2022 GENERAL ELECTION.
AND THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHICH EPS, UH, PEOPLE SHOULD BE TAKING.
SO, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, BY THE BOARD MEMBER WHO RAISED THIS ISSUE WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE INCLUDES UPDATING OF ALL IDENTIFIER TAGS OF THE, UM, E EQUIPMENT BOXES AND THE BBS.
AND ALSO TO POST SOME STAFF OR VOLUNTEERS AT THE EXITS OF THE PICKUP ROOM TO VERIFY THAT CLERKS HAVE TAKEN THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE A COMMENT THAT THIS ISSUE HAS ALREADY BEEN RESOLVED PRETTY MUCH EXCEPT FOR THE PART OF THE SOMEONE CHECKING THE SUPPLIES.
UH, WE USUALLY HAVE TWO STAFF MEMBERS AT DISTRIBUTION.
AND, UM, I THINK IF WE CAN GET A BOARD MEMBER TO AGREE TO, TO COME TO THE DISTRIBUTION, THAT WOULD HELP STAFF WHILE STAFF IS, UM, DEALING WITH THE PAPERWORK AND GETTING THINGS SIGNED OUT.
IF SOMEONE IS EXITING OR IF A CLERK IS EXITING THAT MAYBE A BOARD MEMBER CAN JUST VERIFY THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED AND WE WILL PROVIDE A LIST OF WHAT IT IS THAT THEY SHOULD BE, UM, THAT WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE.
UM, AND ALL YOU WOULD NEED TO DO IS CHECK IT OFF.
NOW, OUR SITU SITUATION RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL BECAUSE IF YOU CAN REMEMBER, DISTRIBUTION IS TYPICALLY TAKE PLACE ON A MONDAY, AND THAT'S THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION.
UM, ON MONDAYS IT WAS EVEN WORSE DOING THE PPPS BECAUSE WE WERE, WE HAD STAFF ACTUALLY WORKING, UM, AT EARLY VOTING SITES.
AND THEY WERE, SO WE HAD NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE AT THE DISTRIBUTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS CAME OUT AND HELPED.
AND THAT WAS GREAT WHEN THEY WERE HELPING PEOPLE LOAD UP AND CHECKING OFF WHAT THEY NEED TO HAVE, UM, BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE FACILITY.
[00:05:01]
IF YOU ALL WOULD AGREE TO HELP OUT ON THE, ON DISTRIBUTION DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT, UM, THAT THEY PICK UP THE CORRECT EQUIPMENT, EVERYTHING WILL BE LABELED.MOST OF THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN RESOLVED.
THE CORRECT LABELING HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE, SO THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE.
UM, THE, THE LABELING LABELING AT THE PPP, ACTUALLY IT WAS, UH, MUCH SMOOTHER DURING THE PPPS.
UH, BUT THERE WAS, UM, INCONSISTENCY IN THE LABELING.
THE BBS WERE LABELED BY LOCATION AND THE SUPPLY BAGS WERE LABELED BY PRECINCT.
SO THAT CAUSED SOME CONFUSION FOR CLERKS.
SO IF YOU COULD SOMEHOW YOU DECIDE WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, MAY I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE THING TO WHAT MARIE SAID.
UM, I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I GOT ON THE BOARD AND I NOTICED THAT MR. BACKER, HE CAME AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER AND I'M ALWAYS AT THE, UH, LEFT LIBRARY WHEN THEY'RE GIVING OUT SUPPLIES.
AND, UM, I DON'T JUST HELP MY POLL CLERKS AND CLERKS PICK UP THEIR BAG.
I ASSIST WHATEVER, WHOEVER'S THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, SO, IT'S A LOT THAT THEY HAVE TO GET.
SO I GO AND I LOOK AND I'LL ASK THEM, WHO ARE YOU PICKING UP? AND I'LL FIND WHERE IT'S AT FOR THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING.
SO, AS MARIE SAID, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE AS BOARD MEMBERS, UM, COULD DO THAT TO ASSIST, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT LONG BECAUSE THEY'RE ONLY THERE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
ONE OTHER THING TOO, ONE OTHER THING TOO.
YOU WERE SAYING THAT THE PPS ARE BY LOCATION AND THE BAGS ARE BY PRECINCT.
BECAUSE THE EPB CAN CHECK IN ANYBODY AT THAT PRE AT LOCATION AND THE BAGS ARE SPECIFIC TO THAT CLERK FOR THAT PRECINCT.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE LABELED LIKE THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT FOR THE CLERKS PICKING UP, THERE IS SOME CONFUSION.
SO IF THE EPB LABEL COULD INCLUDE THE LOCATION AND THE PRECINCTS AT THAT LOCATION, PERHAPS THAT WOULD HELP TO RESOLVE THE CONFUSION.
AND THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THOSE REALLY KIND OF NIPPY ISSUES THAT IF WE HAD CLERK TRAINING THAT YOU KNOW, IS NOT RELEVANT TO A REGULAR POLL MANAGER AT ALL, THAT YOU COULD POINT OUT WHEN YOU PICK UP YOUR THINGS, THESE ARE THE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR.
YOU KNOW, AND I SAY IT'S TOTALLY IRRELEVANT TO A POLL MANAGER, BUT FOR A CLERK IT'S CRITICAL.
AND A LOT OF THEM ARE KIND OF VAGUE ON THAT, I GUESS IS THE WORD.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT REAL SURE, SURE.
WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, WE'LL TRAIN THEM HOW TO GO DOWN THE CHECKLIST.
'CAUSE WE, WE PROVIDE THEM WITH A CHECKLIST DO OF EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED.
THE DROP OFF FACILITIES PREPARATION FOR THE NOVEMBER 23 ELECTION.
I KNOW THAT THE, THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON AT THE DROP OFF LOCATION AT THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THE CASE IN BLUFFTON.
THE LIGHTS WERE ON FOR THE PPPS.
UH, BUT THERE WAS STILL A VERY LONG LINE FOR CLERKS TO DROP OFF THEIR EQUIPMENT.
AND THE BOTTLENECK, THERE SEEMED TO BE JUST ONE PERSON CHECKING IN THEIR CLERK'S EQUIPMENT.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO, TO QUALIFY BOARD MEMBERS OR PERHAPS VOLUNTEERS TO BE SECOND AND THIRD CURBSIDE CHECK-IN.
WE, WE HAD, SO FOR THE PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE HAD POLL WORKERS THAT LEFT THINGS AT THEIR LOCATION AND WERE NOT INSTRUCTED TO GO BACK.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAD SPLIT THE LIST BETWEEN A STAFF MEMBER AND QUALIFIED VOLUNTEERS THAT WE HAD HAD TO HELP US.
UM, SO SOMETHING GOT LOST IN TRANSLATION AND THINGS WERE LEFT.
SO PRIOR TO THESE ELECTIONS, WE ACTUALLY TALKED TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE GOING TO BE THE OUTSIDE CHECK-IN AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY NEEDED TO TAKE TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WE HAD ONE PERSON THAT KNEW EVERYTHING THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO SO THEY CAN ENSURE IF A CLERK LEFT SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO GO BACK.
AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, UM, I, I KNOW YOU SEE THE BOTTLENECK, BUT I THINK PART OF WHAT Y'ALL'S CONCERN WITH US AND STAFF AND HOW WE DO THINGS IS THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING AND IT'S DONE RIGHT.
AND SOMETIMES WE GONNA HAVE A BOTTLENECK BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT FAST IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
WE TOOK THOSE PERSONS ASIDE LIKE GENE SAID AND SAY YOU WILL DO IT FROM NOW ON.
AND WE'D SAY TAKE, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY HAS TO GO BACK, YOU TELL 'EM TO GO BACK.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, NO FAN OR, BUT ABOUT IT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT STUFF BACK.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE THUMB DRIVES.
SO THAT'S WHY WE, YOU WILL SEE BOTTLENECKS.
I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT YOU WILL SEE A BOTTLENECK 'CAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT RIGHT.
BUT AN HOUR BOTTLENECK FOR SOMEBODY STARTED WORK AT FIVE 30 IN THE MORNING THAT MORNING.
[00:10:01]
WE UNDERSTAND THAT'S A LONG DAY FOR STAFF TOO.BUT EVEN STILL, WE WERE ONLY THERE AN HOUR IN HILTON HAD.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM IS EVERYBODY GETS THERE AT THE SAME TIME.
SO YOU SAYING IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO TRAIN A SECOND CHECK-IN PERSON TO MAKE SURE THE CLERKS HAVE BROUGHT EVERYTHING THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO? IT IS.
WE DID TRAIN A SECOND PERSON AND THAT'S HOW THINGS FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SO WE DECIDED THAT ONLY A STAFF WE USE THE STAFF WOULD DO THAT.
'CAUSE THEY'RE, HOPEFULLY THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS HIGHER.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO WE DID THAT ON PURPOSE.
SO Y'ALL ARE PROPOSING NO CHANGE TO THE DROP OFF METHOD? YES.
IT USED TO BE A LOT WORSE THAN IT IS.
YOU THINK IT'S BAD? NO, IT WAS A LOT WORSE.
THE CHANGES THAT WE HAD MADE TO GET IT TO THIS POINT.
UH, THE THE CLERKS REALLY DO LIKE IT.
THEY COME IN AND TELL ME HOW FAST IT'S, SO I DON'T, I, I THINK IF EVERYONE, WE HAVE CHECKLISTS AND I, I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST GET FRUSTRATED WITH THE CHECKLIST.
BUT EVERYONE, BEFORE THEY EVEN LEAVE THEIR POLLING LOCATION, PUT EVERYTHING BACK WHERE THEY NEEDS TO GO, THEN THE CHECKLIST WILL HELP THEM STAY ORGANIZED WHEN THEY GET TO THE DROP OFF SITE.
WE GOT A INSIDE CHECKLIST AND A OUTDOORS CHECKLIST AND THE FOLKS OUTSIDE IS WHERE PEOPLE WERE JUST COMING AND DROPPING THINGS IN THE, IN THE VEHICLE.
AND, AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT BECAUSE WE GOTTA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED, I THINK ALREADY SOMEBODY LEFT THE EPB AND WE DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND WHEN WE WERE CHECKING THEM IN.
THEY HAD ALREADY DROPPED OFF THEIR EQUIPMENT.
NOBODY CHECKED THEM IN AND THEY WERE GONE.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE BBS BACK AT NIGHT BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER, THEY HAVE NOT MASTERED THE PROCESS OF TURNING THEM OFF.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T SHUT 'EM DOWN.
UH, LET ME, CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING? I'M GONNA MAKE IT VERY QUICK HERE.
AGAIN, THAT GOES BACK TO THE BOARD MEMBERS VISITING.
I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH ME, BUT I TRY TO DO LIKE A LITTLE FIVE O'CLOCK RUN THROUGH ALL OF THE LOCATIONS I HAVE AND SAY, OKAY, DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO CLOSE? WHERE IS YOUR CLOSING PAPER? I WANT THAT RIGHT THERE.
YOU KNOW, ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.
HAVE YOUR CLOSING PROCEDURE AND YOU FOLLOW IT STEP BY STEP AND, AND YOU WANNA HAVE NO PROBLEM.
NOW IN BLUFFTON, I'M NOT SAYING THAT AT THE LIBRARY AND THAT ALL THESE OTHER PLACES AT ALMOND ROAD, THEY'RE PERFECT, BUT I MAKE SURE THAT TWO PEOPLE ARE COMING TO BRING THAT SOMETHING BECAUSE THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.
IT SHOULDN'T BE ONE CLERK, THE LEAD CLERK AND NOBODY ELSE.
AND THAT WAY THINGS WILL GO SMOOTH BECAUSE THE CLERKS ARE GETTING PAID TOO TO BE A CLERK.
SO THEY SHOULD BE THERE AND NOT ONE PERSON.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT ONE PERSON GOING INSIDE AND ONE ON THE OUTSIDE, THINGS SHOULD GO SMOOTH, I BELIEVE.
CAN I HAVE IT MAKE A SUGGESTION? YEAH.
BECAUSE TO WHAT YOU SAID, MARIE, PEOPLE TURN 'EM OFF, YOU KNOW, THEY TURN OFF THE POWER, BUT THEY DON'T SHUT THEM DOWN.
AND I'VE SAT THERE NOW I GUESS FOR TWO ELECTIONS IN THE OFFICE AND YOU KNOW, I GO DOWN THE LITTLE CHECKLIST OF WHEN THEY CALL IN, YOU KNOW, AND DID YOU SHUT OFF YOUR EPB? INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING WHATEVER I SAY, UH, DID YOU DO A, B, C WHEN YOU SHUT DOWN YOUR ELECTRONIC PULL BOOK? AND MAYBE THEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST TURNING OFF THE POWER WOULD BE MORE APT TO SAY, OH, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, THAT THAT HELP.
OH, I NEED TO GO BACK AND DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY CALL IN CHANGE WHAT WE SAY.
SO IT DOESN'T JUST SAY, DID YOU TURN OFF YOUR EP BS? OR IF THEY CALL IN
AND LET ME TELL YOU JUST FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, I DID, SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE EPB AND IT'S A BIG DEAL BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE THINGS SHUT DOWN, NOT TURNED OFF, SHUT DOWN.
AND WHAT ME AND GENE TRAIN IS, WHAT IS THE EPB? IT'S A TABLET OR A COMPUTER.
HOW DO YOU SHUT DOWN YOUR COMPUTER? OH, WE GO DOWN TO THE SHUTDOWN, PUSH SHUT DOWN AND THEN IT TELLS US TO DO THIS.
I SAID THAT'S THE SAME THING YOU DO WITH THAT.
THEY THINK YOU JUST PUSH THE ORANGE BUTTON AND THAT'S IT.
NO, THAT IS NOT HOW THEY SHUT IT DOWN.
BUT THAT'S WHY, AND I, AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THEY CALL LIKE WHEN THEY'RE JUST OUTSIDE THE DOOR AND SAY, I'M, I'M COMING IN.
BUT IF THE ONES THAT DO CALL AHEAD OF TIME INSTEAD OF SAYING, HAVE YOU SHUT, I THINK WHAT WE SAY IS, UH, IS IT CHRIS THAT HAVE YOU SHUT DOWN YOUR EPV? I DON'T REMEMBER.
IT'S SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
BUT IF YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, DID YOU DO STEP ONE, STEP TWO, STEP THREE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CLOSED UP YOUR EPV, YOU MIGHT GET FEWER ROOM BACK IN THAT WERE JUST THE POWERED OFF.
I THINK EVERY, LIKE I SAID, EVERY ELECTION IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
AND WE, WE LEARN FROM EVERY ELECTION.
SO WE HAVE HAD IN THE LAST THREE,
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FOUR ELECTIONS, NOT EVERYONE, SOME, MOST OF THEM ARE SHUTTING DOWN THE, THE EPPS, BUT SOME OF 'EM AREN'T.SO AGAIN, THAT'S A PART OF THE TRAINING PROCESS.
BUT WE DO NEED TO REITERATE WHEN THEY CALLING IN THAT THEY FOLLOWED THAT PROCESS.
SO IF ADDING A COUPLE MORE SENTENCES TO SAY, DID YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, PRESS THE, UM, I I MEAN THE OFF BUTTON OR YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE PROCESS IS TO SHUT IT DOWN, WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ACTUALLY SHUT IT DOWN AND NOT JUST SHUT IT OFF.
I WAS JUST THINKING THAT WE COULD JUST INCLUDE THAT AS A TRAINING ISSUE WHEN WE DO THE HANDS-ON CLERK TRAINING.
YES, WE HAVE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO.
THEY JUST DON'T ALWAYS LISTEN.
UM, THE, THE FIRST PART OF THIS ITEM 1.2 IS LIGHTING TURNED OFF AND AREAS WERE DARK AT THE POST-ELECTION DROP OFF AREAS.
WAS THERE A PROCEDURAL OR A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE CHANGED TO ADDRESS THIS? OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK BACK IN 2023, UM, WHEN WE MOVED TO THE NEW FACILITATOR OFTEN, UM, WE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE LIGHTS WERE ON.
LET THIS, BECAUSE SEE WE, WE MOVE LOCATION.
BUT NOW WHERE WE ARE, WE DIDN'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE LIGHTS.
SO WE HAVE TO PHYSICALLY REQUEST THAT THE LIGHTS ARE ON, UM, BEYOND THE CUTOFF TIME, WHATEVER, WHATEVER.
I THINK WHEN THE DARKNESS COMES ON THAT THE LIGHTS COME.
SO THAT'S A NEW PROCEDURE SENSOR.
IT'S, IT'S, UM, YOU'VE ADDED A REQUEST TO YOUR PROCEDURE? WE HAVE TO, YEAH.
WE HAVE A REQUEST TO THE PROCEDURE, TO THE FACILITIES REQUEST TO TURN THE LIGHTS ON OR KEEP IT ON.
WE HAVE A TRAINING ROOM THAT DOES THE SAME THING.
THE LIGHT SHUTS OFF AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.
SO IF WE ARE IN THE ROOM, WE GOT EIGHT O'CLOCK WE DOCTORS.
SO WE LEARN FROM THOSE MISTAKES AND THEN WE MAKE SURE WE REQUEST THAT THOSE LIGHTS STAY ON.
SO YOUR, YOUR FACILITIES CHECKLIST.
UM, INCLUDES CONFIRMING WITH THE FACILITIES THAT THE LIGHTS WILL BE ON.
I DON'T THINK IT'S ON THE CHECKLIST, BUT WE CHECK CHECKLIST,
UH, NEXT, UH, ITEM 1.3, CHAIN OF CUSTODY FOR THE ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS.
SO WE, WE DID TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT AT THE, THE LAST WORKSHOP ABOUT CLERKS PICKING UP THE BBS THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION AND STORING THEM IN AN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN LOCATION AND WITHOUT PHYSICAL STORAGE CONTROLS.
ANOTHER ISSUE WAS IN THE PPPS THERE WAS AN EPB THAT WASN'T SECURED IN A VEHICLE AND ACTUALLY TUMBLED ONTO THE PAVEMENT.
SO THERE'S SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY FOR EPS.
AND A SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO DELIVER AND STORE THE EPS TOGETHER WITH THE ELECTION DAY VOTING EQUIPMENT RATHER THAN HAVING THE POLL CLERKS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
WE, WE NEVER LEFT THE EP BS BECAUSE IF YOU ARE LOCKED OUT, WE, WE TAKE CERTAIN SUPPLIES HOME WITH US AND, AND YOU HAVE TO START AT SEVEN
IF YOU GOTTA START AT SEVEN O'CLOCK AND YOU DON'T HAVE ALL YOUR EQUIPMENT, THEN YOU KNOW THAT MIGHT BE AN ISSUE.
UH, WE HAVE PAPER BOOKLETS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE EPB CAN TURN ON WITHOUT POWER, DOESN'T IT? DON'T WE HAVE SOME DO THEY CHARGE IT UP? YEAH, THEY'RE CHARGED.
BUT THE OTHER THING TOO, THE, THE ONE YOU SAID THE EPB TUMBLED ON THE PAVEMENT ON THE WAY TO DROP OFF, YOU MEAN IT JUST FELL OUT OF THE PERSON'S CAR? YES.
WELL, I MEAN WE, NO, IT'S AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT, BUT IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF AN ISSUE WITH CHAIN OF CUSTODY FOR THE EP BS.
SO ONE ISSUE IS THAT IF, IF A POLL CLERK IS TAKING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EP BS, WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY ARE LOCKING THEIR CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY OR THEY'RE GOING TO WALMART AND LEAVING THE EPB IN THE BACK OF THE CAR.
WE HAVE NO CHAIN OF CUSTODY ONCE THEY PICK UP THOSE EP BS THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION.
SO WE HAVE TO WA WE HAVE TO WEIGH THE, THE CHALLENGES OF BEING LOCKED OUT OF THE FACILITY AND NOT HAVING THE EBBS WITH, UH, 12 HOURS OF UNKNOWN CHAIN OF CUSTODY OF THE EPB IN THE CLERK'S
[00:20:01]
CAR.I HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD AS FAR AS THE EP BS, AND THIS GOES BACK TO WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THEM TURNING OFF, IF WE HAVE THE, WE CAN'T CLOSE OUT THE ELECTION ON ELECTION NIGHT TILL THEY'RE ALL LOST.
SO IF ALL THE CLERKS LEAVE THEM AT THEIR LOCATIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTY AND THEY'RE NOT OFF, THEN STAFF ARE DRIVING ALL OVER THE COUNTY TO GET INTO THESE LOCATIONS AND TURN THEM OFF.
'CAUSE WHAT HAPPENS NOW IF THEY'RE NOT OFF IS WHEN THE TRUCKS COME IN, MIKE AND VERNON PULL 'EM OFF THE TRUCKS AND WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THEY'RE TURNED OFF.
THEN WE'VE GOT STAFF DRIVING ALL OVER THE COUNTY, WELL INTO THE NIGHT FINDING PPS TO TURN 'EM OFF.
AND YOU'RE SAYING IF THE PPS ARE NOT TURNED OFF, THEN THE POLES ARE NOT NOT CONSIDERED CLOSED.
WE, WE KNOW AND THE STATE KNOWS THAT THESE BBS ARE STILL ON.
WHAT HAPPENS IS, EVEN IF THE MIFIS TURNED OFF YEAH.
IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION, WHAT HAPPENS IS ON ELECTION NIGHT, THE TRUCK COMES IN AND, AND, AND THIS IS BEYOND AT THE DROP OFF.
THIS IS BACK AT THE MAIN OFFICE.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHATEVER TIME THAT TRUCK GETS IN, MIKE IS SITTING THERE WAITING FOR THE TRUCK BECAUSE HE KNOWS ON THIS TRUCK I GOT FIVE EPPS THAT AIN'T TURNED OFF.
SO I HAVE TO GO AND WE TELL THE KIDS ALL, WHEN YOU SEE THIS ONE GIVE IT TO MIKE.
WE SEE THIS ONE GIVE IT TO MIKE 'CAUSE HE HAS TO GO IN AND, AND MANUALLY SHUT IT DOWN OR WHATEVER.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF THE EPB.
UM, I KNOW AT THE LAST CLASS THAT I TAUGHT, YOU KNOW, THIS QUESTION CAME, WE CAME, WE TALKED ABOUT THE EPPS AND I SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IN REFERENCE TO 'EM.
I SAID, SOMEBODY SAID, WELL, I AIN'T GOT NO GARAGES.
YOU TAKE IT IN THE HOUSE OR YOU LOCK IT IN YOUR TRUNK.
THE THING IS, DO NOT LEAVE IT IN THE SEAT OF THE CAR OR IN A VIEWABLE POINT OF THE CAR BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT OBVIOUSLY THAT'S, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHY SOMEBODY WOULD GO AND GET A BIG BLUE BOX OUTTA SOMEBODY'S CAR, BUT I SAID, DON'T LEAVE IT VIEWABLE, ALWAYS LOCK IT EITHER IN YOUR TRUNK, PUT YOUR CAR IN THE GARAGE, OR TAKE IT IN THE HOUSE.
SO WE HAVE ADDRESSED IT WITH THEM AND MOST OF THEM DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
AND AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE THING THAT MARIA ALWAYS SAYS AT SOME POINT, AT WHAT POINT DO WE TRUST OUR PEOPLE TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT? IF THEY'RE SIGNING ON TO BE CLERKS, WE GOT TO GIVE THEM SOME WHAT I THINK THEY SHOULD NOT BE A CLERK IF WE CAN'T TRUST THEM.
AND AT THE SCARE CONFERENCE, THERE WAS AN EASY VOTE REPRESENTATIVE AND TURN YOUR MIC ON.
AT THE SCARE CONFERENCE, THERE WAS AN EASY VOTE REPRESENTATIVE, AND ELIZABETH AND JIM THAT I'M AWARE OF, HAD A CONFERENCE, HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM, AND HE TALKED ABOUT THERE IS, UM, AN E UH, BASICALLY AN INVENTORY TRACKING SYSTEM THAT YOU CAN PURCHASE WHEREBY, YOU KNOW THE EXACT LOCATION OF EVERY EPB AND I'M GONNA TURN OVER YOU AT THAT POINT.
BUT THE QUESTION WOULD BE HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST? UH, I TALKED ABOUT IT BRIEFLY WITH VERNON AND HE SAID HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET US PLACED IN A HYPOTHETICAL PILOT PROGRAM TO SEE HOW THIS WORKED.
THAT WOULD BE FREE AS LONG AS THE PILOT RAN ON.
UM, DO YOU WANT THAT? IF WE HAD A, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER VENDORS WOULD OFFER IT, BUT BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, A SYSTEM THAT TRACKS BY GPS EXACTLY WHERE THESE POLL BOOKS ARE.
IF OUR CLICK PICKS IT UP AND THEN GOES TO PUBLIX AND THEN RUNS TO WALMART AND GOES OVER TO THE FRIENDS FOR DINNER WITH THOSE THINGS SITTING IN HER CAR, WHICH WE MAY OR MAY NOT THINK IS APPROPRIATE, AT LEAST WE KNOW AT ALL TIMES WHERE THESE ETVS WORK.
WENDELL WILL ADDRESS THAT EASY VOTE.
HAS EASY VOTE, HAS A TRACKING SYSTEM IN THE SENSE THAT EVERY, WHEN YOU PUT ALL, SAY FOR INSTANCE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE EQUIPMENT TO, UH, ARTS AND ARTS COUNCIL BUILDING, RIGHT? OKAY.
WHERE YOU SCAN EQUIPMENT UP ON THE TRUCK, IT BECOMES A PACKAGE WHERE ALL OF IT IS TOGETHER.
WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THE GUYS TAKE IT OFF THE TRUCK, WE SCAN IT OFF THE TRUCK.
BBS AS FAR AS TRACKING IT THAT WAY, THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO THAT POINT YET.
WELL, THEY TOLD US THEY HAD A GPS NO, THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT.
THE STATE GOT EASY VOTE BECAUSE THEY SAW HOW WELL IT WAS WORKING WITH US AND A COUPLE OF OTHER COUNTIES WE WOULD AND ONE OF THE FIRST COUNTIES TO GET IT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN WE TELL THEM, HEY, CAN YOU GET IT TO DO THIS OR CAN YOU GET IT TO DO THAT? THEY WILL START WORKING ON THAT BECAUSE THEY KNOW IF WE'RE TELLING THEM, THEY SAY, WELL, IT'LL BENEFIT EVERYBODY IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THE INVENTORY IS, IS, IS, IS UNDER,
[00:25:01]
UNDER THAT.NOW IF THAT PARTICULAR ITEM, OR IF THAT PARTICULAR MODULE OR WHATEVER GETS PICKED UP, I'M SURE THAT THE STATE WOULD REALLY LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE THE STATE WOULD BE, AND THEN THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE STATE WOULD PROBABLY TAKE ON BEFORE YOU TRY TO SAY EACH COUNTY TRIED TO PICK UP THAT BILL.
THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK.
SO WELL, AND I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHER VENDORS THAT HAVE IT.
THEIR SALES PERSON SAID IT WAS A DONE DEAL, READY TO GO, READY TO BE PURCHASED.
AND I MEAN, HE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T DISCUSS COST BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS APPROPRIATE.
I DIDN'T KNOW ENOUGH TO EVEN DISCUSS COSTS APPROPRIATELY.
I WAS WITH, WITH, UH, JIM AND I, I KNEW THAT, UH, MATT AND HERBERT HAVE REALLY SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE OUR EQUIPMENT IS.
AND I KNEW WE WERE SCANNING THEM IN WHEN WE GO SOMEPLACE.
BUT IF WE COULD FIND SOMEBODY FOR A PRICE THAT IS AFFORDABLE, THAT IS GPS ENABLED, THEN WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT IS.
BECAUSE AFTER IT'S SCANNED IN, IN THEORY IT SHOULDN'T BE MOVED.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IT HASN'T.
AND THOSE EPPS JUST GO FLOATING ALL OVER WITH OUR CLERKS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SOME CLERKS, AND I'VE HAD CLERKS THAT WORK FOR ME WHO SAY, OH, I PUT MINE IN MY GARAGE, THE GARAGE DOOR SHUT, I LOCKED MY CAR.
YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SAY, OH, I TAKE IT INSIDE MY HOUSE.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S SOME MORE SECURE AND I HAVE OTHER ONES THAT SAY, I DON'T HAVE A GARAGE.
I LOCK MY CAR, BUT IT'S SITTING DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET.
AND I, I I, I'VE HEARD THEM TELL ME THAT, AND I SPECIFICALLY SAY, IF THAT'S THE CASE, EITHER TAKE IT IN THE HOUSE OR PUT IT IN YOUR TRUNK OR WHATEVER.
IT'S NOT VIEWABLE GIVES THE OPPORTUNITY MORE THAN ANYTHING.
NOBODY, I DON'T REALLY FEEL THAT SOMEBODY'S GONNA WALK OVER AND POP SOMEBODY'S TRUNK ON PURPOSE TO TRY TO FIND A EPB.
BUT I'M SAYING AS FAR AS G UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD INVESTED IN CELL PHONES SO WE COULD TRACK THE EQUIPMENT AS IT WENT OUT TO TELL US WE WERE GONNA GIVE EACH DRIVER A CELL PHONE AND HAVE THEM TELL US WHERE, WHEN THEY SCANNED THE THING OFF THE TRUCK, WE KNEW, WELL, THEY DROPPED IT OFF RIGHT HERE OR THEY DROPPED IT OFF RIGHT THERE.
NOW IF, IF THERE'S SOME, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU TALKED TO, TODD OR PATRICK OR WHOEVER YOU WERE TALKING TO, I DON'T HAVE THOSE NOTES WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY, THEY'RE DOWN.
WELL, WE WILL GET THE FIRST OF IT.
WE WILL GET THE FIRST IF, IF IT IS ME AND VERNON ARE GOING TO KNOW BEFORE, ALMOST ALMOST ANYBODY ELSE ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, WOULD IT NOT SUFFICE TO JUST SIMPLY ASK THEM TO PLEASE LOCK THIS IN YOUR TRUNK? YEAH.
UNTIL YOU OPEN IT UP FOR THE SEVEN O'CLOCK FIRST VOTER UNTIL YOU GET IT THAT NEXT MORNING.
CAN WE JUST AGREE THAT THAT'S A VIABLE, THAT'S WHAT LINDA WAS JUST SAYING, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TRAINING OUR CLERKS TO DO, UH, BECAUSE OF THE SAME COMMENT THAT MS UM, JOHNSON JOHNSON MADE.
SO PEOPLE ARE JUST LEAVING IT IN THE CAR AND WE ARE ALREADY INSTRUCTING THEM.
IF YOU'RE LEAVING IT IN THE CAR, MAKE SURE IT'S LOCKED IN THE TRUNK.
WE JUST GONNA REITERATE THROUGH TRAINING.
LET'S SPECIFICALLY TELL THEM TO LOCK IT IN THE TRUNK AND THEN IT WOULDN'T GIVE THEM A CHOICE OF IT BEING INSIDE THE INTERIOR.
YOU KNOW, PASSENGER SIDE, DRIVER'S SIDE BACK SEAT SPECIFICALLY.
TELL THEM TO LOCK IT IN THE TRUNK.
I I HAVE A QUESTION AND MAYBE MS. PERKINS CAN HELP WITH THIS.
THE QUESTION, UM, IS IT A BEST PRACTICE WHAT WE'RE DOING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WHERE WE ALLOW THE, UH, EP BS TO BE PICKED UP BY THE POLL CLERKS AND BE OUT OF OUR CONTROL FOR 18 HOURS? IS THAT A BEST PRACTICE IN SOUTH CAROLINA? SIR, I WAS A FORMER POLL WORKER BEFORE I WAS A DIRECTOR AT NEWBURY COUNTY AND BEFORE I WENT TO THE SEC, THE PRACTICE THEY ARE CURRENTLY USING IS WHAT WE DO ACROSS THE STATE.
I TOOK IT IN MY HOUSE IF I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THAT NIGHT, IF I WORKED ALL DAY, IF IT WASN'T LOCKED IN MY TRUNK, I TOOK IT INTO MY HOUSE.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE TEACH EVERYONE IN THE STATE.
SO THAT'S THE STATEWIDE PRACTICE.
AND FOR THOSE CLERKS WHO CAN'T FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AND THEY TELL YOU THAT THEY DIDN'T DO THAT, THEN YOU NEED TO ELIMINATE THEM FROM BEING A CLERK.
AND THAT WAY WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE BEATING A DEAD HORSE.
BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE CREATING THEIR OWN RULES AND THEN THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, WE'LL FIND SOME MORE CLERKS AND, AND TRAIN THOSE ONES TO BE CLERKS.
OKAY, ITEM 1.4 IS A CHAIN OF CUSTODY OF ELECTION DAY EQUIPMENT FOR DELIVERY.
SO, UM, ELECTION DAY EQUIPMENT, THE BMDS AND DS TWO HUNDREDS WERE DELIVERED TO UNSECURED AND OR UNKNOWN LOCATIONS.
[00:30:01]
PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUALS CONTRACTED BY THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, NOT A COMMERCIAL DELIVERY SERVICE OR ACCOMPANIED BY STAFF.SO THE, THE, THE QUESTION OR THE COMMENT HERE IS THAT ELECTION DAY EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE PERFORMED UNDER A CONTRACT SUITABLE FOR THE NATURE OF THE EQUIPMENT AND FOLLOWED DOCUMENTED PROCEDURES INCLUDING SOME SCREENING AND BACKGROUND CHECKS OF PERSONNEL WHO DELIVER THE EQUIPMENT TRAINING FOR DELIVERY AND PICKUP, DOCUMENTED CHAIN OF CUSTODY AND ANY APPROPRIATE LEGAL AND COMMERCIAL TERMS WITH THE DELIVERY PEOPLE.
SO, BUT ISN'T THAT OUR DELIVERY PEOPLE? WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY ELSE, RIGHT? WELL, WE DON'T USE A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY PER SE.
WE, WE'VE BEEN USING THE SAME DRIVERS PRETTY MUCH FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO.
UM, THESE PEOPLE ARE TRAINED, THEY KNOW WHERE THE LOCATIONS ARE.
THEY ARE, THEY SIGN AN OATH JUST LIKE POLL WORKERS DO.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OTHER ROUTE, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE CAN'T GO THERE, BUT THAT WOULD INVOLVE OUR PROCUREMENT, PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
PROCESS BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH A CONTRACT, FEW RESOURCES.
AND SO, UM, ELECTIONS ARE SO SPORADIC THAT IT, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT THAT WAY, BUT IF, IF THAT'S THE BOARD WISHES, WE CAN LOOK INTO IT.
BUT I KNOW IT'S GONNA COST US A WHOLE LOT MORE.
AND, AND AGAIN, AND HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS.
WE TRUST THE FOLKS THAT WE ARE USING NOW.
THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
AND I THINK THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED, UM, WAS ISOLATED THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER, UM, SEA PINES.
AT SEA PINES, WHERE THE LADY WHO WAS RECEIVING THE EQUIPMENT WAS NEW AND THE UM, SHE DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT NEEDED TO BE SECURED.
AND UH, THE ROOM THAT THE, THE, THE, THE, THE DRIVERS NORMALLY DROP IT OFF AND WAS IN USE, SHE MADE A, A COMMITMENT THAT SHE WOULD PUT IT IN THE OFFICE AND, UM, SHE WENT HOME AND FORGOT TO PUT IT IN THE OFFICE.
AND THEN ONCE IT, ONCE IT FINALLY GOT IN THE OFFICE, WE COULDN'T GET IN THE OFFICE TO GET IT OUT
SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT WAS, UM, ONE OF THOSE THINGS, AND I THINK AGAIN, THAT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.
BUT WE HAVE A RULE IS WE TRY TO GET OUR EQUIPMENT BEHIND TWO LOCKS, THE ENTRY LOCK TO THE FACILITY AND A CLOSET IF POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ATTEMPT TO DO ALL FACILITIES.
SO, BUT WE TRY TO PUT IT OUT OF SIGHT FROM ANYONE ELSE IF THERE ARE NOT A CLOSET AVAILABLE TO STORE THEM IN.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, UM, ELECTIONS ARE UNDER A LOT OF PUBLIC SCRUTINY.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE JUST SAID ABOUT THE PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE.
DO WE HAVE DOCUMENTED A, UM, DELIVERY PROCEDURE FOR PEOPLE AND DOCUMENTED OATH AND A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SOMETHING THAT HAS, HAS SOME LEGAL TEETH TO IT THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE PUBLIC SCRUTINY THAT WE HAVE REGARDING CHAIN OF CUSTODY? I BELIEVE THEY SIGNED AN OATH, DON'T THEY? THEY SIGNED THE OATH.
THE, THE, THEY SIGNED THE SAME, THEY COME TO TRAINING.
VERNON HAS A TRAINING SPECIFICALLY FOR ALL THE DRIVERS TELLING THEM.
AND LIKE I SAID, SOME OF 'EM ALREADY KNOW THE ROUTES.
THERE'S GONNA BE NEW TRAINING BECAUSE WE GOT NEW PLACES NOW.
BUT THEY COME TO TRAINING, THEY SIGN AN OATH OR WHATEVER THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY GET, THEY SIGN AN OATH SAYING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO ALL THE THINGS JUST LIKE THE POLL WORKERS OR WHATEVER DO.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IT IS DOCUMENTED, THE TRAINING? YES.
WE CAN DOCUMENT IS DOCUMENTED, THE OATH IS DOCUMENTED.
ANYTHING THAT WE CHANGE OR WHATEVER, WE WILL PUT ALL OF THAT ON PAPER AS WELL WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THEM MOVING STUFF AROUND.
UM, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? SO WE WOULDN'T BE TOO LONG, THESE BUILDINGS AND THESE POLLING LOCATIONS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, CAN WE FIND OUT BEFORE WE EVEN GO OUT THERE AND MAKE A TRIP TO DO A DA, UM, IF THEY HAVE ALL THESE THINGS IN PLACE, LIKE WHERE ARE YOU GONNA LOCK UP ALL THESE STUFF? BECAUSE THAT'S A PART OF THE ASSESSMENT.
MS. ALI, WHEN WE GO OUT, WE, THE FIR ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ASK THEM, DO YOU HAVE A CLOSET WE CAN STORE THE EQUIPMENT IN? MM-HMM.
AND, UM, WE GO CHASING, LOOKING FOR CLOSETS AND THEY OFFER US, UM, OPTIONS, OFFICES AND, AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THERE ARE FACILITIES THAT WE, WE USE THAT MAY NOT HAVE THAT.
MATTER OF FACT, ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE JUST LOOKED AT DID RED.
THE ONLY, UM, OPTION WE HAD WAS
[00:35:01]
TO PUT IT IN THE KITCHEN BEHIND THE COUNTER.BEHIND THE COUNTER WHERE IT'S NOT THIS OUT OF SIGHT BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY ONE DOOR, THERE WAS NO CLOSET.
AND I'M NOT CALLING THE NAME 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO YEAH, I'M, I'M PRAY ON IT.
'CAUSE OTHER THAN THAT, WE WILL ALWAYS, WE'RE GONNA ALWAYS HAVE A ISSUE THAT SOMETHING WASN'T STORED PROPERLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE EQUIPMENT.
AND THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GONNA GET IN THERE IF SECURITY LETS YOU IN.
UNLESS OF COURSE IF SOMEBODY BREAK IN, WHICH, UM, SECURITY WOULD COME RUNNING.
SO, BUT, UM, I WISH EVERYTHING IN THE ELECTION WOULD BE PERFECT.
AND WHEN WE ARE WORKING WITH OTHER ENTITIES, UM, I, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, SOME OF THESE FOLKS ARE BENDING OVER BACKWARD TO ACCOMMODATE OUR NEEDS AND OUR REQUEST.
AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF CONTROL OF HOW FACILITIES ARE BUILT, MAINTAINED, AND WE JUST DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY.
CAN I JUST ADD ONE LITTLE TIDBIT? ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THE CHECKLIST FOR, FOR THE POLLING LOCATION EVALUATION IS, DOES THIS FACILITY HAVE A SECURITY SYSTEM? AND I THINK THAT THE MOST, THE ONES THAT WE SELECT DO HAVE SECURITY SYSTEMS. IS THAT CORRECT? MOST OF THEM DO.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD KIND OF TAKE CARE OF THE STORAGE.
BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, A SECURITY SYSTEM IS JUST, IT IS JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE.
IT DOES NOT PROHIBIT ANYBODY FROM COMING IN.
OF COURSE, THE ALARM WOULD GO OFF AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY SCARE THEM OR FRIGHTEN THEM.
BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE EVERY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IS SECURE AND, AND WE HAVE TO TRUST THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH.
UH, SO IN SUMMARY, THIS, THIS ITEM WAS ABOUT EQUIPMENT DELIVERY.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FACILITIES MAY BE OUT OF OUR CONTROL, BUT WITHIN OUR CONTROL IS THE ABILITY TO TRAIN, UH, HAVE AN OATH SIGNED BY THE DELIVERY PEOPLE HAVE A CHECKLIST THAT DOES THINGS LIKE RECORD WHO RECEIVED THE EQUIPMENT AND WHERE IT WAS, AND WE CAN DOCUMENT ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S WITHIN OUR CONTROL TO DOCUMENT THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY.
AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE DO ALL OF THAT? YES, SIR.
AND IT'S ALL DOCUMENTED? YES, SIR.
AND, AND, AND WHEN THERE IS A PLACE THAT THEY GO TO AND, AND, AND THEY CAN'T GET IN OR THEY DON'T HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY SAY, LIKE THE ROOM IS VACANT, I MEAN, UM, OCCUPIED, THEY WILL CALL BACK AND SAY, THIS ROOM IS OCCUPIED.
WHAT, WHAT DO I DO WITH THE EQUIPMENT? AND THEN WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT A REMEDY FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH SEA, WITH SEA PINES.
THAT TIME, IF WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THAT, IT WILL BE PUT INTO PLACE.
IT IT IS IN PLACE OR YOU WILL PUT IT IN PLACE.
THEY, THEY TAKE THE OATH AND EVERYTHING, BUT I LIKE YOUR THOUGHT OF WHO, WHERE, WHO, WHO PICKED UP THE EQUIPMENT, WHO, WHO SIGNED, WHO'S SIGNED, MENT, WHOEVER.
WE WILL HAVE ALL THAT PUT IN PLACE WHO SIGNED TO PICK IT UP.
I'M STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT WHETHER WE HAVE A DOCUMENTED PROCESS IN PLACE OR IF WE WILL PUT IT IN PLACE.
WELL, THAT'S A VERNON QUESTION.
DID I, I I REALLY DON'T, YOU KNOW WHEN WENDELL SAID WE DID, I THOUGHT HE, YOU KNEW WE DID, BUT UM, I, LIKE YOU SAID, IF WE, IF IT'S NOT, I KNOW THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DO WHEN WE DO DELIVER THE EQUIPMENT, WE MAKE SURE THAT IT GOES, GOES BEHIND CLOSED DOOR.
NOW IS THAT WR WRITTEN IN A DOCUMENT? I, I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT, BUT I KNOW THAT'S A PROCESS THAT WE USE TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN A CLOSET SOMEWHERE IN THAT FACILITY IF POSSIBLE.
AND YOU CAN VERIFY WITH BY NUMBER.
SO WE'LL WRITE IT UP AT THIS TIME.
THAT'S CHAIN OF CUSTODY FOR ELECTION DAY ARTIFACTS.
AND THE ISSUE THAT CAME UP HERE WAS, UH, DS TWO HUNDREDS THAT WERE AT SWAP LO, OR I SHOULD SAY THE, THE THUMB DRIVES IN THE DS TWO HUNDREDS WERE SWAPPED AT TWO LOCATIONS.
SO A SINGLE TECH PERSON SWAPPED THOSE THUMB DRIVES OUT.
AND THE COMMENT IS THAT JUST LIKE WHEN WE ARE, UH, UM, ASSISTING A VOTER AT A V MD, WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO POLL MANAGERS PRESENT.
IT SEEMS THAT A GOOD PRACTICE WOULD BE TO HAVE TWO PERSON TEAMS THAT ARE MOVING ANY ELECTION ARTIFACT FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER.
THE LOCATION, THE THE TECHS ARE TRAINED TO DO SPECIFICALLY THAT A LOT OF THE BEST WAY TO PUT THEY'RE IN CLASS.
[00:40:01]
ALL THEIR STUFF IS DOCUMENTED.THAT'S, AND THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN INCIDENT REPORT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO FILL OUT AN INCIDENT REPORT FORM THE CLERKS CALL US, TELL US WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
WE CALL THE TECH AND WE TELL THE TECH, HEY, SO-AND-SO GOT Y'ALL GOT THE WRONG THUMB DRIVE THE TECH SAY, OKAY, FINE, I WILL GO AND SWITCH IT OUT.
I THINK, AND, AND, AND MSRE CAN CORRECT ME IF WHAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS HINDERING THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD IN AN EFFICIENT WAY BY WAITING FOR TWO PEOPLE TO COME TO DO IT, TO CARRY THAT THUMB DRIVE FROM ONE PRECINCT TO THE OTHER WHEN THAT TECH CAN GO PICK IT UP, TAKE IT OVER, SWITCH 'EM OUT, AND KEEP ON WITH, BECAUSE YOU'RE HOLDING UP THE, THE B THE DS, WHAT IS IT? THE, YOU'RE HOLDING UP THE SCANNER AND THEN WE'RE MAKING MORE EMERGENCY BALLOTS NOW BECAUSE THE SCANNER'S NOT WORKING RIGHT NOW.
SO FOR EFFICIENCY OF THE PROCESS, THERE'S NOTHING, I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTING THAT TECH TO TRY TO DO BETWEEN ONE PRECINCT TO THE NEXT BECAUSE THOSE ARE SECURED ENCRYPTED THUMB DRIVES AND NOTHING CAN BE PUT ON THEM OR IT CANNOT BE BROKEN OR WHATEVER.
OTHER THAN THE, THE, THE SOFTWARE AND THE FIRMWARE THAT'S INVOLVED WITH IT AS FAR AS THE SCANNER'S CONCERNED AND AS FAR AS HOW IT WAS PROGRAMMED.
BUT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE RIGHT THING AT THE RIGHT PLACE IN AN EFFICIENT, TIMELY MANNER WITH PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE VETTED AND TRUST TO DO THE JOB.
SO I'M, I I THINK THE ISSUE NOW COMES AND WHAT DO, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT, WHAT IS THE, THE, UH, WHAT AVENUE ARE WE TRYING TO TO MEET MORE THAN ANYTHING? I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY, IN ANY INTEGRITY OF EQUIPMENT LOSS.
UH, ALSO, LIKE I SAID, THE TECH IS PERSON THAT IS SIGNED ON EVERYTHING TO DO THE JOB AND TO DO SPECIFICALLY THAT.
AND WE DON'T WANNA HOLD UP PEOPLE VOTING, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA SAY, WHY CAN'T I PUT MY BALLOT IN THE SCANNER? WE HAVE TO WAIT AND TO GET ANOTHER PERSON TO GO WITH THAT TECH, MEET HIM THERE AND DO THIS.
WE'RE JUST HOLDING UP THE PROCESS.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE TECH DOING THAT WORK IS MORE PRACTICAL AND MORE EXPEDIENT.
UH, WE HAVE TO BALANCE THAT WITH PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND THE ACTUAL SECURITY OF MOVING AN ELECTION ARTIFACT.
WHAT'S THEIR PERCEPTION? WELL, WHY CAN'T I PUT MY BOILER IN THE SCANNER? WHY DO I HAVE TO PUT IT DOWN HERE? WELL, WE GOTTA WAIT FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO MEET THIS OTHER TEXT SO THEY CAN COME AND BRING THE CART AND SWITCH IT OUT.
I MEAN, WE'RE WHAT WE'RE TALKING, AND THAT'S NOT A COMMON OCCURRENCE.
THIS IS ONCE AGAIN, THOSE THINGS THAT HAPPENED HIT OR MISS.
WE TALK, WE'RE DEALING WITH PEOPLE, BUT IT'S NOT A THING OF ANY, THERE'S, I DON'T PERSONALLY, THIS IS MY, ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS MY TAKE FROM BEING AROUND THE TWO GUYS THAT WORK WITH ME AND, AND DOING THIS KIND OF WORK AND MEETING AND KNOWING ALL THE TECHNICIANS THAT DO THIS KIND OF WORK.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE TRADE OFF IN EFFICIENCY AND SCRUTINY OR WHATEVER, I THINK PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKE, OH, THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF IT.
THE GUY CAME AND SWITCHED IT OUT AND THIS IS WHY.
WHAT'S NEXT? OKAY, NEXT ITEM IS ITEM 1.6, ANOTHER CHAIN OF CUSTODY ISSUE.
THIS IS POST-ELECTION ARTIFACTS.
UH, THIS IS ALSO, UH, POSSESSION BY A SINGLE PERSON OF, OF ARTIFACTS, THE BALLOT BIN, THUMB DRIVES AND OTHER PO POST ARTIFACTS, UM, IN THE SOLE POSSESSION OF THE POLL CLERK.
SO, AND HERE, AND HERE AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE BOARD MEMBER.
THE BOARD MEMBER NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR POLLING LOCATIONS AND THOSE CLERKS KNOW WHAT THEIR JOBS ARE.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT DOING IT, THEN THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE CLERKS.
IF YOU GOT A LEAD CLERK AND YOU GOT TWO MORE CLERKS IN THAT LOCATION, ONE OF THOSE CLERKS NEED TO GO WITH THAT LEAD CLERK.
AND THAT'S WHAT I SAY TO MINE.
SO EVERYBODY SHOULD BE SAYING THE SAME THING BECAUSE IT'S, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT RIDING IN THE SAME VEHICLE? NO, NO, I'M THE SAYING FOLLOWING.
AND, AND IF YOU'RE HAVING SOMEBODY GOING THERE BY THEMSELF, THEN WE AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SAYING TO THAT LEAD CLERK, THAT'S YOUR LAST CHANCE TO BE DOING THIS.
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A SECOND PERSON.
AND ALL OF THE CLERKS NEED TO KNOW THAT FROM THE START THAT SOMEBODY, ONE OF THEM GOT TO GO WITH THE LEAD CLERK.
WHAT IS WHAT, WHAT ARE, WHAT IS THE, WHEN I READ THIS, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU SAYING THAT IS NOT BEING DONE THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE DONE? ARE YOU SAYING THAT LIKE FOR INSTANCE, IF IT'S A ONE, IT'S A SINGLE LOCATION, YOU'RE SAYING TWO PEOPLE SHOULD BE WITH THAT CLERK WHEN THEY BRING THAT CLERK, WHEN THEY BRING THAT BALLOT BOX IN.
AND, UH, BECAUSE AS FAR AS WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, IT IS OUTLINED TO THEM WHEN THEY'RE TRAINED, IT'S
[00:45:01]
OUTLINED TO THEM ON WHAT GOES WHERE YOU BRING THIS INSIDE, YOU GO PULL UP, BRING THIS INSIDE, THE GUYS WILL TAKE THIS OFF THE TRUCK.I MEAN, ALL OF THAT IS OUTLINED FORM.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE YOU SAYING IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION THAT SHOULD BE DONE AS NOT BEING DONE OR COULD BE DONE BETTER.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
ARE YOU SAYING SOMEBODY SHOULD, IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE TWO PEOPLE CARRYING THE STUFF BACK.
IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? OR, UH, I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE PROPOSING A SPECIFIC SOLUTION TO THIS.
THERE'S A PUBLIC PERCEPTION ISSUE AND IT, IT COULD BE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS WHO SAY, WELL, THERE'S A POLL CLERK WHO'S DRIVING A BIN OF BALLOTS AND A THUMB DRIVE AND SOME BAD GUY COULD ADD BALLOTS TO THAT BIN OR COULD MODIFY THE THUMB DRIVE.
I KNOW PRACTICALLY SPEAKING THAT THE SECURITY IS THERE ON THE THUMB DRIVE IN, IN THE BALLOT BOX.
SO THIS IS MAYBE MORE OF A PUBLIC PERCEPTION ISSUE.
HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD THE PUBLIC KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S TRANSPIRING WHEN THE POLLS ARE CLOSED? IF THE PUBLIC KNOWS WHAT'S TRANSPIRING AFTER THE POLLS ARE CLOSING, THEY CAN BE THAT DETAILED, THEN THAT MEAN WE HAVE SOME TYPE OF INSIDE JOB GOING ON BECAUSE THEY SHOULD NOT BE ON THE OUTSIDE.
I KNOW I SAW MY VOTE GOT CAST, I AM HAPPY.
OKAY, NOW EVERYBODY HAVE A JOB TO DO.
SO FOR THOSE LOCATIONS MAY HAVE ONLY JUST A CLERK AND IF THEY HAVE A POLL WORKER, IF THE BOARD FEELS AS THOUGH THAT MAYBE A POLL WORKER SHOULD GO WITH THEM, I'VE ALWAYS WENT, WHEN I WASN'T EVEN A CLERK, I WENT WITH THEM BECAUSE MY CLERK SAID, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO WITH ME? AND I'VE WENT WITH THEM, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THESE THEORIES BECAUSE HOW WOULD THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHO IS GOING TO TAKE THE BENCH? ANYBODY IF THEY KNOW, IF THEY KNOW ALL OF THAT, THEN WE GOT A BIG PROBLEM.
I MEAN, I'M, THAT'S JUST ME SAYING IF THEY KNOW ALL OF THE INS AND OUTS, THEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM PERIOD.
BECAUSE SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN TO THE PERSON WHO'S FOLLOWING THAT PERSON AND THAT ONE PERSON MAY STILL HAVE TO GO TO THAT DROP OFF LOCATION.
IF YOU'RE TRAVELING, YOU'RE FOLLOWING SOMEONE, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
SO I DON'T, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST ME.
WHY, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE ON THE OUTSIDE IS THINKING THAT SOMETHING FUNNY IS GOING ON WITH THE THUMB DRIVE AND WITH THE BALLOT BOX.
BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? THOSE BLUE BOX, THEY'RE SEALED AND LOCKED AND IT GETS THERE.
AND WHEN IT GETS THERE TO THE LOCATION, I DO KNOW BECAUSE I'M THERE AND I'M WATCHING THEM CHECKING TOO.
AND THEY DO CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE SEALS ON THOSE BOXES WHEN I'M THERE.
AND I, LIKE I SAY, I DO WHAT I KNOW I NEED TO DO BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY FOLKS AIN'T MESSING UP.
AND IF THEY DO MESS UP, I CORRECT THEM RIGHT THERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, BETTER, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS LOCKED BEFORE YOU GET HERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE GOT TO DO AS BOARD MEMBERS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HELPING OUR CLERKS AND OUR POLL WORKERS SO THAT WAY WE WOULDN'T HAVE ALL THESE, UH, FOUR OR FIVE PAGES OF HOT WASH STUFF THAT IS GOING ON.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY ON HERE.
I MIGHT, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE GOT TO DO.
WE WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB.
WHY DON'T WE, AND I'M DONE, WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON TO ITEM 2.1.
THIS, THIS ISSUE IS POLL WORKERS WHO ARE, WHO CANCEL OR ARE NO SHOWS.
AND WE, WE'VE GUESSTIMATED THAT THERE'S A 10 TO 20% DROPOUT, RIGHT? DROPOUT RATE, UH, THE TWO WEEKS BEFORE ELECTIONS.
AND SOME SUGGESTIONS HERE ARE TO PLAN TO OVERSTAFF BY SOME DETERMINED PERCENT COULD BE 10 OR 20% BY PRECINCT OR LOCATION.
AND SECONDLY, I THINK THIS IS MS. JOHNSON'S SUGGESTION, HAVE A LIST OF FLEXIBLE OR FLOATER WORKERS WHO ARE WILLING TO CHANGE THEIR LOCATIONS ON SHORT NOTICE.
WOULD THAT HAVE HAPPENED? I'VE DONE THAT TOO.
I'VE CALLED AND HAD SOMEONE TO LEAVE FROM BELFAIR AND COME TO THE LIBRARY.
I, I, I THINK I KNOW WITH, UM, ME AND JEAN, I, I KNOW LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THE, UH, WHICH ONE WAS IT? I THINK IT WAS THE 13TH ELECTION ON THE 13TH.
YOU KNOW, I WAS HIGHLY OVERSTAFFED WITH A LOT OF THE PLACES.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF I HAVE A CO-LOCATED PLACES LIKE SUN CITY.
I HAVE 40 SOMETHING WORKERS OUT THERE.
SO I MEAN, WE, WE DO PLAN THAT NOW.
I DO OFFER WHAT I DID, WHAT I DID WITH THE SUN CITY CU, I SAID, HEY,
[00:50:01]
I GOT THIS MANY PEOPLE OUT HERE.ANY OF Y'ALL WILLING TO WORK IN BLUFFTON? I MEAN WORK IN BLUFFTON FOR ME OR WHATEVER.
AND I HAD A FEW PEOPLE WHO DID.
AND SOME OF 'EM SAID, WELL, I'M NOT GOING BACK.
I LIKE, I LIKE BEING OUT HERE.
SO WE TRIED TO OVERSTAFF, WE ALWAYS TRIED TO OVERSTAFF.
UM, ESPECIALLY NOW WHEN WE GOT LIKE, WHEN YOUR BREAKOUTS WITH THE SINGLES DOWN, WE DEFINITELY GONNA OVERSTAFF DO EVERY, MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO OVERSTAFF OF WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, BUT, BUT YEAH, THAT IS ALWAYS SOMETHING WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT'LL MOVE FOR US.
DO YOU THINK YOU COULD, OH YEAH, I'LL COME OVER LIKE WE, UM, SEE BROOK OR SOMETHING YOU HAD SOMEBODY MOVE.
WE ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK, UM, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE AFRAID AND WORRIED AND CONCERNED, BUT I THINK JUNE AND NOVEMBER PEOPLE GONNA BE COMING OUTTA THE WOODWARD TRYING TO WORK BECAUSE THESE ARE THE BIG ELECTIONS.
WENDELL AT SOME PLACES, I KNOW YOU'RE OVERSTAFFED.
BUT I CAN SAY THAT IN BOTH OF THE PPPS, UM, WHEN THEY, WE HAD THE DEMOCRATIC ONE, I GOT THERE BEFORE SEVEN O'CLOCK AND WELL, BRANCH HAD TWO PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND I HAD TO CALL AND GET SOMEBODY.
AT FIRST I CALLED EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WAS ASSIGNED THERE AND SAID, WHY AREN'T YOU HERE? AND BY AND LARGE WHAT THEY TOLD ME WAS, WELL, I GOT A PHONE CALL AND SAID THAT, SAID, UM, I DIDN'T TAKE THE TRAINING SO I CAN'T WORK.
SO I CANNOT SPEAK TO ACTUALLY WHAT HAPPENED.
AND THEN I CALLED AND GOT SOMEBODY FROM A PRECINCT THAT WAS A BIT OVERSTAFFED AND HE CAME OVER, UM, WHEN THE REPUBLICAN PPP CAME AROUND, I'M SORRY JEAN 'CAUSE I'M THROWING YOU UNDER THE BUS, BUT IT WAS THE EXACT SAME PEOPLE THAT WERE ASSIGNED TO WHALE BRANCH.
ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE NO SHOWS AT THE DEMOCRATIC PPP WERE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SHOWN.
AND I LOOKED AT THE LIST LIKE THREE DAYS BEFORE, TWO DAYS BEFORE.
AND UM, WE MOVED, MY HUSBAND HADN'T BEEN ASSIGNED THAT TIME AND I PUT MY HUSBAND IN BECAUSE HE'S A TRAINED COWORKER.
AND THEN ON THE MORNING OF THE ELECTION, THERE'S THREE PEOPLE SITTING THERE AND I GET A CALL AT FROM DALE AND THEY HAVE ONE PERSON THERE, THE CLERK.
AND SO WE CALLED AROUND AND I GOT THE YOUNG MAN WHO'D MOVED BEFORE AND HE CAME IN AT, BUT I ENDED UP MOVING FOUR OR FIVE POLL WORKERS BETWEEN THOSE TWO ELECTIONS TO STAFF AT THREE PEOPLE.
AND THAT WAS TWO TIMES IN A ROW.
AND ON THE PAPER IT HAD A LIST OF PEOPLE.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH DALE WAS THE CLERK CALLED ME AND SAID, LISTEN, UH, LIZ, THESE PEOPLE HAVE, I'VE CALLED THESE PEOPLE AND THEY SAY THEY CAN'T WORK.
AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE MADE IT WORK, BUT ONLY BY PULLING PEOPLE IN AND WE DON'T NEED TO DO THIS TWO ELECTIONS IN A ROW.
AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO RUN AN ELECTION.
THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE NOT TRAINED, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE TRAINING THE DAY BEFORE.
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT FOR THE DEMOCRATIC ONE, BUT FOR THE REPUBLICAN ONE AND DIDN'T EVEN GET BACK TO THE OFFICE UNTIL NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY ATTENDED OR NOT THE NIGHT BEFORE.
AND I, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHO CALLED HIM.
BUT THEN FOR THE REPUBLICAN ONE, IT WAS THE SAME PEOPLE AT THAT POINT, YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHETHER THEY WERE TRAINED.
I THINK SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHETHER THEY WERE TRAINED AND THAT WE WERE SIGNING UNTRAINED PEOPLE TO THOSE PRECINCTS.
WELL, I THINK, I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS GOTTA KEEP IN MIND.
SO WHAT WE HAD WAS TWO PRECINCTS THAT ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER THAT ON THE REPUBLICAN PPP HAD 1, 2, 3 PEOPLE BETWEEN THE TWO PRECINCTS AND THE DEMOCRATIC ONE.
THERE WERE PLENTY AT DALE, BUT ONLY TWO AT WHALE BRANCH.
I, I THINK, I THINK WE GOT THE MOVE, THE MESSAGE MOVE ON.
THE POINT IS THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE FIXED.
WELL, WE WILL DO THE BEST WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE RELIABLE POLL MANAGERS BECAUSE WE KNOW POLL MANAGERS CANNOT WORK BY LAW IF THEY ARE NOT TRAINED.
SO IF THERE'S BEEN SOME, UM, MISCOMMUNICATION OR MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU HAD VERSUS WHAT ACTUALLY OR WHO ACTUALLY SHOWED UP, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, AT LEAST TRY TO MINIMIZE THAT IN THE FUTURE WE GOT THROUGH THE ELECTION.
I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK AND TRY AND BE THE DEAD HORSE.
LIKE MS. EILEEN SAID, ALL WE CAN DO IS LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING, UM, CORRECTIONS AND YOU KNOW, SO THAT AGAIN, WE CAN HAVE EFFICIENT ELECTIONS IN
[00:55:01]
THIS COUNTY AND SOMEHOW WE ALWAYS MANAGE TO PULL OUT, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO WORK AND OPERATE LIKE THAT FOR EVERY ELECTION.WE HAVE TO HAVE RELIABLE PEOPLE.
AND, UM, OF COURSE THERE'S NO WAY OF EVALUATING THAT WHEN THEY ARE TAKING AN OLD THING THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO, BUT NOT SHOW UP.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE WE, WE WILL TRY TO ADDRESS ON OUR END.
SO WE WOULDN'T CONTINUE ON THIS TOO LONG.
I AM GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT GOING FORWARD IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN IN TRAINING CLASS, THEIR NAME DO NOT GO ON THE LIST.
IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED, BECAUSE ANYBODY CAN SAY, I'M GOING TO SHOW UP THE DAY BEFORE.
AND LIKE JEAN SAID, YOU, YOU ARE BUSY, YOU GOT A LOT GOING ON, WHICH YOU DO.
SO IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED, DO NOT PUT THEM ON THE LIST.
AND THAT WAY YOU WOULD KNOW THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE.
IN SOME WAY THE SUGGESTIONS I HAD WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, MAKE A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO ARE FLEXIBLE AND SAY YEAH, YOU KNOW, CALL ME ON THE MORNING OF YEAH.
BUT THAT ONLY WORKS, BEEN TRAINED IF THEY'RE IN A PRECINCT YEAH.
LET'S GO THAT LAST COMMENT ON THIS.
I I WOULD, I'M A PROCESS ORIENTED PERSON, SO I'D ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER ADDING TO YOUR PROCESS OF POLL WORKER MANAGEMENT, IDENTIFYING X NUMBER OF POLL WORKERS PER REGION WHO ARE WILLING TO CHANGE THEIR WORKING LOCATION AT THE LAST MINUTE.
THE SO-CALLED FLOATERS SO THAT WHEN WE SHOW UP AND THERE'S ONLY ONE POLL WORKER, WE KNOW FIVE PEOPLE WE CAN CALL RIGHT AWAY TO COME OVER HERE.
THAT'S THE USE OF FAIL SAFE AND PROVISIONAL BALLOTS.
THIS IS REALLY A TRAINING ISSUE AND I I KNOW THAT YOU'VE INCLUDED THAT AS PART OF YOUR CLERKS SPECIFIC TRAINING YEP.
UM, ALSO LEAD CLERKS IN POOLED VOTING LOCATIONS.
SO THIS IS, UH, THE, THE REQUEST OF STAFF SHOULD ASSIST IN IDENTIFICATION OF LEAD CLERKS IN, IN POOLED LOCATIONS IN ADVANCE, MR. SWEENEY, BEFORE YOU GO ON.
AND, AND IT IS NOT A CLERK THING.
THAT'S, THAT'S A OR EVERY POLL WORKER THING.
THAT IS ONE OF THE DEEPEST THINGS WE TRAIN ON, YOU KNOW, SO IF, IF, AND, AND, AND, AND NOT TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT IF SOME OF Y'ALL AREN'T CLEAR, COME SEE US.
WE'LL GET YOU STRAIGHT ON IT TOO.
UM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ALL POLL WORKERS NEED TO KNOW, AND IT IS A MAINSTAY OF ALL TRAINING.
MR. LUCAS CAN JUST, CAN, CAN, CAN ATTEST TO THAT.
WE NEVER SKIP A CLASS WITHOUT PROVISIONAL BALLOT AND FAIL SAFETY TRAINING.
THIS IS, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ONGOING ISSUES.
YOU REALLY CAN'T EMPHASIZE THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF TRAINING ENOUGH.
AND IT'S, UH, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS OVER THE YEARS, IT'S THE, THE MORE YOU CAN FOCUS ON IT, THE BETTER THEY GET.
AND IT, IT CAN ONLY HELP
IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE ONGOING ISSUES.
WE, WE DO THE BEST WE CAN AND HOPE THEY UNDERSTAND IT.
AND IF THEY DON'T, WE HOPE THEY, THEY COME FORWARD AND ASK.
ITEM 2.4 ASSISTANCE AT THE POLLS.
THESE COMMENTS WERE FROM ELIZABETH AND JAMES.
I, I THINK, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO REINFORCE, REINFORCE DURING POLL WORKER TRAINING WHAT ASSISTANCE LOOKS LIKE.
SO THAT POLL POLL WORKERS, UH, KNOW WHAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE THEY SHOULD BE, UH, PROVIDING, UM, AND ASSISTANCE FOR WHEELCHAIR BOUND VOTERS WHEN SCANNER IS OUT OF REACH.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE DETAILS ARE FOR THAT ONE.
IF YOU ALL HAVE ATTENDED ANY OF OUR TRAINING, WHICH I KNOW YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE STRESS THIS AS WELL.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PEOPLE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS.
ACTUALLY, ASSISTANCE SHOULD ONLY BE GIVEN TO FOLKS WHO ARE REQUESTED, WHO REQUEST IT.
AND ASSISTANCE SHOULD ONLY BE GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE A PROBLEM READING.
AND, AND WHAT'S THE OTHER THING? WRITING, READING, READING AND WRITING.
OR HAVE A PHYSICAL DISABILITY.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH LIMITED TO THAT.
OTHER THAN THAT, FOLKS SHOULD BE VOTING ON THEIR OWN.
AND IF THEY ARE, UM, REQUIRING ASSISTANT, TWO PEOPLE SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
TO I TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY REQUIRE IT.
YOU HAVE TO, YOU CANNOT SAY, DO YOU NEED HELP? THAT IS NOT THE STATEMENT.
THE STATEMENT IS, ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE IF YOU NEED IT.
AND THAT'S HOW WE TRAIN THE POLL.
WORKERS ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE IF YOU NEED IT.
EVEN IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY THAT LOOKS IN FIRM COMING IN, YOU CANNOT JUST OFFER HELP.
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THE SCANNER, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT EVEN DURING EARLY VOTING, THE THE SCANNERS, WE HAVE SOME OF THE SCANNERS THAT ARE LOWER THAN THE OTHERS.AND WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIR.
AND GUESS WHAT, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD DIRECT THEM TO GO.
NOT TO THE FIRST ONE THAT IS AVAILABLE.
YOU GOT TO BE PAYING ATTENTION OF WHAT'S IN THE PRECINCT.
AND THEN THAT, UM, VOTER WAS ABLE TO GO RIGHT UP TO THAT SCANNER IN HER WHEELCHAIR WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM AND VOTE.
BUT IF WE ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND WE JUST GO IN PUTTING THEM ON A MACHINE, HEY, GUESS WHAT? YEAH.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE PROBLEM.
YOU MEAN YOU MEAN BMD? I MEAN THE DM VM.
I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE HERE.
THE, THE COMMENT REALLY WAS JUST REINFORCED DURING POLL WORKER TRAINING.
I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, 2.5 HANDSON POLL CLERK TRAINING.
SO A COUPLE OF REQUESTS FOR HANDS-ON TRAINING FOR NEW CLERKS AND ALSO CLERKS WHO HAVE TAKEN A LONG GAP IN ELECTIONS.
SO THIS IS JUST A SUGGESTION FOR TRAINING.
ADD TO THE SUGGESTIONS THAT BOARD MEMBERS ALSO BE, UM, PROFICIENT IN, UM, WHAT IS REQUIRED OF THE CLERKS.
BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU ARE THE FIRST DEFENSE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD ON ELECTION DAY.
AND IF CLERKS NEED ASSISTANCE OR ANY OF THE PRECINCTS NEED ASSISTANCE, YOU ARE THERE.
AND IF ISSUES ARE COMING UP, AND I PLEASE KNOW THAT THERE IS A LIFELINE IN OUR OFFICE.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND OR IF YOU NOT SURE OF A PROCESS AND A CLERK IS NOT SURE OF A PROCESS, LET'S WORK THROUGH IT TOGETHER.
LET'S NOT JUST ASSUME THAT THEY SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING.
WE, WE TRAIN EVERYBODY ON EVERYTHING.
BUT ARE YOU ALWAYS GONNA REMEMBER EVERYTHING? AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION CALL BEFORE MAKING A MISTAKE, WE ARE THERE.
BUT BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESSES, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP A LOT.
RETURNING ELECTION ARTIFACTS AND DOCUMENTS.
UM, SO THE REQUEST IS TO REINFORCE TRAINING ABOUT WHAT GOES INTO THE VARIOUS CONTAINERS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE LISTS OF ITEMS ON THE CONTAINERS ARE CONSISTENT WITH LISTS AND PAPERWORK.
SO, UH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS DONE.
AND THE SUGGESTION WAS ALSO TO ELIMINATE DUPLICATED INFORMATION SO THAT THERE'S NO CON NO CHANCE OF CONFLICT.
THAT TWO, EXCUSE ME, JUST A SIDE NOTE, WE ONLY HAVE THE ROOM TILL FIVE FIVE.
THAT 2.6, THAT'S, UH, THAT, THAT SIX GOES BACK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE POLL WORKERS, ESPECIALLY CLERKS, ARE USING THOSE CHECKLISTS.
'CAUSE IF THEY FOLLOW THOSE, IT SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE.
SO WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO REINFORCE USE OF THE CHECKLIST AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHILE WE'RE OUT THERE VISITING POLLS AND ASKING THEM LIKE WHAT YOU MENTIONED.
UH, PRIORITY NUMBER ONE ITEM IS 3.1.
THIS OCCURRED IN THE NOVEMBER AND THE PPPS AS WELL.
IN SOME CASES, BBS AT ONE LOCATION DID NOT SYNCHRONIZE, TOOK A LONG TIME TO SYNCHRONIZE OR HAD ICONS THAT DIDN'T TURN GREEN.
THAT'S THE STATE THING THAT SHE'S, HE'S TALKING ABOUT SOME OF 'EM WOULD, WOULD TURN 'EM ON AND THEY HAD THE YELLOW ARROW COMING DOWN.
THAT MEANS IT WAS DOWNLOADING.
AND THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE STATE.
A LOT OF THINGS WITH PPS THAT THOSE IN THOSE SITUATIONS ARE STATE, UH, ISSUES.
WE'RE ON THE PHONE WITH THEM ALREADY WHEN WE GET A CALL ABOUT SOMETHING GOING ON.
NOW IF IT'S YELLOW ONE, IT'S COMING DOWN WITH THE DOWNLOADING, THAT IS FINE.
BUT THE ONES THAT AREN'T SYNCING UP ALL THE WAY AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH WITH THE STATE.
AND THEY DID HAVE AN ISSUE STATEWIDE WITH THAT.
IF SHE WAS HERE, SHE WOULD'VE TOLD YOU TOO.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'RE WORKING ON.
I MEAN WE, WE GETTING NEW MIFIS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE FOR THE JUNE ELECTION, BUT I KNOW THAT'S, THEY ARE REPLACING THE MIFIS AND, AND, AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THOSE MIFIS BE TURNED ON.
AND JUST, JUST TO BUILD ON THAT, IT'S NOT A, I RAN IT TO SOME CLERKS IN THE LAST ELECTION WHERE THEY JUST PRESSED A BUTTON, SAW THE SCREEN LIGHT UP, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS ON, BUT YOU HAVE TO HOLD THAT BUTTON DOWN FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME FOR IT TO ENGAGE.
AND THAT, I KNOW JEAN IS ALREADY AWARE OF THIS AND
[01:05:01]
SHE'S FOCUSING THAT ON THE TRAINING ISSUE.ONCE AGAIN, IT'S A PEOPLE THING.
I HATE TO SAY THAT, BUT IT'S A PEOPLE THING.
THEY JUST NEED TO PAY ATTENTION.
THIS IS AGAIN, THAT THE DS 200 THUMB DRIVES THAT WERE SWAPPED.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MUST HAVE SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS WITH YOUR, UH, CHECKLISTS FOR EQUIPMENT.
BUT THE EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES SHOULD NOT PERMIT EQUIPMENT TAG FOR ONE LOCATION TO BE CONFIGURED FOR ANOTHER LOCATION.
DID THAT ONE, SO IT'S AT 3.5 NOW, RIGHT? UH, 3.5.
THIS WAS A PPP ISSUE WHERE THE, THE, UH, IMAGE AREA OF A CANDIDATE'S NAME, UH, WAS NOT REALLY ALIGNED WITH THE TOUCH AREA.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN THERE? UM, WHAT NUMBER YOU, YOU MEAN ON THE SCREEN? THERE WASN'T A BOX IN THERE WITH THE CANDIDATE ON THE BMD SCREEN.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE IMAGE OF THE BOX WITH THE CANDIDATE'S NAME IN IT, THE SENSITIVE TOUCH AREA WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THAT BOX.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU COULD TOUCH PART OF THE IMAGE AREA, BUT IT WOULD NOT BE SELECTED.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S TWO AREAS IDENTIFIED ON A BMD.
THERE'S THE, THE GRAPHIC IMAGE, THE LINE THAT YOU SEE, AND THEN THERE'S THE LINES YOU DON'T SEE, WHICH IS THE TOUCH SENSITIVE AREAS.
THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A CALIBRATION ISSUE.
UM, TYPICALLY THESE, UM, NEW EQUIPMENT VERY SELDOM REQUIRE, UM, MANUAL CALIBRATION.
BUT IF THAT'S A, UH, ISSUE, THE TECH KNOWS HOW TO CORRECT THAT.
SO YEAH, IF THAT COMES UP, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S FAR HERE AND IN BETWEEN WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE CALIBRATED.
IT'S JUST LIKE YOU PRESSING HERE, BUT THE X GOES SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THAT COULD BE A CALIBRATION ISSUE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BASIC THINGS THAT DETECTIVES KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF, BUT THEY NEED TO CALL THE TECH.
AND, AND WHAT IF YOU'RE THERE? IF YOU'RE THERE AND THE CLERK AND THAT HAPPENS.
AND, AND THIS IS, THIS WAS, THIS IS SOME HOLDOVER FROM I THINK SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
WE TELL THE CLERK, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE THAT MACHINE OFFLINE UNTIL THE TECH GETS THERE TO WORK ON IT.
SO WE WON'T HAVE ANY MORE ISSUES ON THAT MACHINE.
AND THE CLERK SHOULD KNOW THAT WE TRAINED THEM THAT ON HOW TO DO THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ENOUGH TO JUST MOVE THAT ONE OUT THE WAY.
SO THE OTHER ONES CAN CONTINUE ON AND NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THAT.
BUT TO, AND IF WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SO THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CALL THE TECH OR US.
ITEM 4.1, I BELIEVE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED ALREADY, SO WE'LL SKIP THAT.
SO THAT, THAT CONCLUDES THE PRIORITY ONE.
UM, I, I BELIEVE THE PRIORITY TWO AND THREE ITEMS YOU'LL BE ADDRESSING, UH, BY STAFF.
AND IF YOU COULD GIVE THE BOARD A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE STEPS TAKEN TO ADDRESS THESE, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE WORKSHOP MEETING.