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[Board of Elections and Voter Registration on October 23, 2024.]
PLEASE STAND FOR OUR MONTHLY BOARD MEETING.TODAY IS, UH, OCTOBER 23RD, 2024.
THE TIME IS 2:01 PM AND WE'LL DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TWO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE ALL.
PLEASE REMAIN STANDING JUST FOR A FEW MINUTES FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE VICTIMS AND THE TWO HURRICANE THAT LOST MANY LIVES.
AND ALSO FOR THE, THE, ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE NOT CAME HOME YET FROM ABROAD, UH, DURING THOSE CRISIS IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE MS. ANN BANDA WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
BUFORD, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
HUH? I'M JUST OBSERVING TODAY.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE ARE READY TO MOVE ON.
UH, IT SAYS MINUTES FROM MEETING ON SEPTEMBER THE 19TH.
COMMITTEE REPORTS, IF ANY, I WILL START TO MY LEFT IF WE HAVE ANY COMMITTEE REPORTS.
UH, THE RULES COMMITTEE DOES NOT HAVE A REPORT AT THIS TIME.
FINANCE COMMITTEE DOES NOT HAVE A REPORT.
ENTING COMMITTEE HAS NOTHING TO REPORT AT THIS TIME.
FACILITIES COMMITTEE HAS NOTHING TO REPORT.
WE WILL NOW GO ON TO OUR NEW BUSINESS APPROVAL OF POLL WORKERS FOR NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 ELECTIONS.
THERE IS, UM, A LIST OF POLL WORKERS IN YOUR PACKET.
EVERYBODY GO TO YOUR PACKET FOR THE LIST OF POLL WORKERS.
YOU SHOULD READ ON THE TOP OF THE BUFORD COUNTY AND IT START OUT WITH THE PRESET.
UM, THE HIGHLIGHTED ARE YOUR CLERKS OR LEAD CLERKS.
EVERYBODY GOT THAT? BEVERLY, HIT THAT PAGE.
UM, WILL THESE DIFFER FROM THE POLL WORKER, UM, LIST THAT WE RECEIVED EARLIER ON THE 26TH? 26? BUT THIS DIFFERENT, BECAUSE THIS IS IN A DIFFERENT ORDER.
WE JUST, THIS IS A DIFFERENT ORDER, BUT THEY ALL RIGHT.
I'M JUST ASKING IF IT'S DIFFERENT FROM THIS.
NO, IT'S PULLED FROM THE SAME INFORMATION.
PARDON? IT'S PULLED FROM THE SAME INFORMATION.
IT'S PULLED FROM THE SAME INFORMATION.
WE, WE WERE JUST TRYING TO CONDENSE IT.
SURELY I JUST DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, HAVE TIME TO COMB THROUGH EVERYBODY'S LIST OF WORKERS, SO THAT'S FINE.
HOW MANY POLL WORKERS TOTAL ARE ON THIS LIST? I'M SORRY.
I DID LOOK AT THAT LAST NUMBER.
AND ARE ALL OF THE POLL WORKERS HERE, UM, HAVE THEY COMPLETED OR ARE THEY EXPECTED TO HAVE COMPLETED THE MANDATORY BRIEFING BEFORE THE FIFTH? YES.
UM, THE NEXT CLASS WILL BE, THE NEXT CLASS IS GONNA BE ON THE FOURTH AND COVER EVERYBODY THAT HAS NOT TAKEN A CLASS YET.
SOME PEOPLE, WE ADDED LITERALLY THIS MORNING TO FILL GAPS.
SO ALL THOSE PERSONS ARE COMING TO THE CLASS ON THE FOURTH.
WELL, WE DO HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE SCHEDULED TO ATTEND THE FOURTH WHO HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED PREVIOUSLY.
WERE THEY PEOPLE WHO MISSED THEIR FIRST SCHEDULED DATE? THEY EITHER MISSED IT OR NEVER SIGNED UP.
BECAUSE I KNOW I LOOKED AT MY LIST AND I HAVE MULTIPLE, WHEN I SAY MULTIPLE, YOU KNOW, WELL, FIVE OR SIX AT LEAST.
SO THIS LIST, IT'S DATED THE 23RD.
SO THIS IS UPDATED FROM THE ASSIGNMENTS THAT YOU SENT OUT ON THE SEVEN 17TH.
[00:05:01]
HOUR AGO.UH, REMEMBER YOU GOT YOUR LIST.
UM, I DON'T SEE ANY STUDENTS, UNLESS I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHO YOU TRAINED.
WILL THAT BE STUDENTS, UM, INVOLVED WITH THE YEAH, WE HAVE STUDENTS.
WE DO HAVE STUDENTS ON THE LIST.
ST SOME, SOME OF THEM THIS YEAR.
AND I CAN ONLY SPEAK FROM THE BLUFFTON SIDE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE FIVE STUDENTS FROM BLUFF ON BLUFFTON SIDE WHO ARE ON THE LIST.
I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO THE OTHER END 'CAUSE I DIDN'T REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE.
BUT, UM, A LOT OF THE STUDENTS SIGN UP.
THEY WORKED AT ONE, SOME OF 'EM, THEM COME BACK.
THEY WERE APPROACHED JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND THEN SOME OF THEM HAD DIFFICULTY PROBABLY TRYING TO MAKE A CLASS BECAUSE OF HOW THE CLASSES WERE SCHEDULED.
THERE WERE A FEW SATURDAY AND EVENING CLASSES AND IF THEY COULD MAKE THOSE, THEY WERE ON THERE AS WELL.
I, I'M JUST THINKING THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE STUDENTS FOR THESE THAT HAVE VERY FEW WORKERS, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WE ARE GONNA GONNA NAVIGATE THROUGH THE ELECTION.
'CAUSE ON THE ORIGINAL POLL WORKERS LIST THAT YOU RECEIVED EARLIER, DID YOU HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO WORK? PARDON? ON THE ORIGINAL LIST, THE INDIVIDUAL LIST THAT YOU RECEIVED EARLIER, DID YOU HAVE ENOUGH POLL WORKERS TO WORK AT YOUR LOCATIONS? OKAY.
I GUESS THE WORD ENOUGH IS RELATIVE.
IF YOU, IF YOU DIDN'T, DID YOU, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER WE WERE EXPECTING TO ADD ON SOME STUDENTS.
I HAVE STUDENTS ON MY LIST WHO APPEAR NOT TO HAVE HAD ANY TRAINING.
I MEAN, IF I, IF I'M INTERPRETING CORRECTLY, UH, WHAT IT SAYS, THERE IS A STUDENT WHO'S SUPPOSED TO BE AT BURTON FOR, WHICH IS, UH, THE, UM, BURTON WELLS.
AND IT SAYS REQUIRED, UH, NOVEMBER 5TH GENERAL ELECTION MANDATORY BRIEF REQUIRED, UH, NEW POLL WORKER TRAINING REQUIRED UNPAID VOLUNTARY HANDS-ON TRAINING REQUIRED SEPTEMBER 6TH.
THAT, SO, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, HAS SHE BEEN TRAINED? WHO, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE CHILD'S NAME? UH, KRISTEN SMITH, AND SHE'S ASSIGNED TO BURTON FOUR, WHICH IS BURTON WELLS WEST.
AND AS I LOOK AT IT, EVERY SINGLE ONE, THAT'S NOT NECESSARY THAT, THAT CAN BE MISLEADING.
'CAUSE THE UNPAID IS NOT, WE HAVE TO LIST IT ON THE SYSTEM AS REQUIRED SO WE CAN HAVE IT SO THEY CAN ACCESS IT WHEN WE DO IT IN THE SYSTEM.
BUT THERE'S, THOSE AREN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRED CLASSES.
NOW, THE MANDATORY BRIEFING ONE, UM, SHE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CHECKED OFF, BUT SHE'S PROBABLY ALREADY HAD THE TRAINING.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THIS MAY NOT BE UP TO DATE.
WHAT DATE IS THAT ON THERE? THAT, UH, I RECEIVED IT FROM JEAN THIS MORNING.
IT STATED YESTERDAY THAT THAT MAY, ALL THAT INFORMATION MAY NOT BE TOTALLY CORRECT ON THAT YET.
WELL, I, IT CAME WITH AN EMAIL MESSAGE THAT SAID, DON'T PANIC YET.
I'M WORKING ON GETTING MORE PEOPLE FOR YOU.
BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S CONSIDERABLE DROPS FROM THE LIST I GOT IN SEPTEMBER NINE OR TWO.
PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM DROPPING.
WE HAVE PEOPLE DROPPING ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY LAST WEEK.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
THAT'S WHY I'VE ALWAYS ADVOCATED OVER SUBSCRIBING OR OVER BOOKING, IF YOU WILL, TO COUNT FOR THE FACT THAT WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO DROP, EXCUSE ME.
AND I KNOW THIS IS PRESUMPTION.
IS THERE ANY WAY MORE STUDENTS FROM THIS SIDE? BECAUSE I FOUND GREAT VALUE IN THE STUDENT, UM, POLL MANAGERS THE LAST TIME THEY KINDA REALLY ASSISTED WITH THE LONG LINES AND 'CAUSE THEY COULD JUST CHECK IN PEOPLE SO QUICKLY.
I MEAN, I KNOW EVERYBODY CAN DO THAT, BUT, UM, THAT WOULD KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HELP US A LOT.
WITH THE AVAILABLE PEOPLE, INCLUDING STUDENTS.
AND, UM, I KNOW WENDELL AND JEAN ARE STILL WORKING ON FILLING IN SOME GAP.
IF YOU HAVE MADE REFERENCE TO JEAN OR WENDELL ABOUT A CONCERN IN ANY LOCATION, YOU CAN DO THAT.
WE JUST NEED TO, UM, GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THE POLL WORKERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO WORK.
AND IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL, WE WILL, UM, CONTINUE TO TRY AND FILL IN THOSE GAPS IF POSSIBLE.
BUT YOU MUST BE REMINDED THAT, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME AND, UM, THE ONLY TRAINING THAT WE HAVE LEFT WILL BE ON THE 4TH OF NOVEMBER.
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SO REVIEW YOUR, YOUR LIST.IF YOU HAVE A CONCERN, GET BACK TO WENDELL OR JEAN ON THAT, PLEASE.
MATT, I HAVE A, A QUESTION RELATED TO WHAT EVERYBODY'S BEEN ASKING.
IN, IN A WORLD OF LIMITED RESOURCES, THERE'S ALWAYS A BALANCE BETWEEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
SO ON THE DEMAND SIDE, THAT WOULD BE A PERFECT WORLD OF HOW MANY POLL WORKERS WE NEED.
WE BELIEVE WE NEED TO RUN THE ELECTION SMOOTHLY.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE SUPPLY SIDE IS WHAT THIS LIST REPRESENTS.
BASICALLY, EVERY SINGLE POLL MANAGER WHO HAS SAID THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO WORK IS ON THIS LIST.
SO WE HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE AVAILABLE SUPPLY, INCLUDING THE ONES THAT YOU BEAT, THE BUSHES DEFINED.
SO MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, WHAT IS THE GAP BETWEEN THIS SUPPLY AND THE DEMAND? IN OTHER WORDS, IN A PERFECT WORLD, IF WE COULD HAVE ALL THE POLL WORKERS WE WANTED TO RUN THE ELECTION SMOOTHLY, WHAT WOULD BE THE GAP BETWEEN THAT AND THIS LIST? WELL, MR. SWEENEY, I'M, THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS THAT, AND I KNOW THIS FOR A FACT, THAT, UM, POLL WORKERS, UM, THEY ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE WILLING TO WORK, BUT JUST NOT ABLE.
AND, UM, FROM OUR DATABASE THAT WE PULLED, WE GATHERED AS MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE WILLING TO WORK, AND THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE COMING IN FOR TRAINING, ALL THE FOLKS THAT WE WERE GETTING IN FOR TRAINING, WE WOULD SCHEDULE 30, 40, 50 PEOPLE.
UM, A THIRD OF 'EM WILL NOT SHOW UP.
SO WE HAVE TO WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND I'M, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT WILL BE ABLE TO PROCESS VOTERS ON ELECTION DAY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS SERVICED WITHIN A TIMELY MANNER.
IT MAY NOT BE THE PERFECT WORLD.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD LOVE FOR IT TO BE PERFECT, UH, WE ARE COUNTING ON PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER SITUATIONS THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL SICKNESS OUT OF TOWN DEATH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE MAY HAVE A DATABASE OF WHAT, 1500 PLUS PEOPLE, UM, EVERYBODY'S NOT GONNA BE AVAILABLE.
I I, I CAN HEAR WENDELL ON THE PHONE TALKING TO PEOPLE, SAY, OH, I WOULD LOVE TO DO IT, BUT I HAVE TO GO OUT OF TOWN.
WELL, I WOULD LOVE TO DO IT, BUT, UM, MY HUSBAND HAVE SURGERY.
YOU KNOW, THESE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME, WITH ALL THAT'S GOING ON, I STILL FEEL THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT WILL BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THIS ELECTION AGAIN AS SMOOTHLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE'RE BALANCING SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHAT'S THE GAP BETWEEN THE DEMANDS THAT'S THE PERFECT WORLD NUMBER AND WHAT WE HAVE AS SUPPLY? WELL, AGAIN, WHAT IS THE PERFECT WORLD? A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT? FIGURE WHAT, WHAT IS THE FIGURE THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT? A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT? THAT WOULD BE PERFECT, RIGHT? YEAH.
THAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL NUMBER OF POLL WORKERS AT EACH POLLING LOCATION.
AND WHAT IS THAT? I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THE GAP IS.
I I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT FIGURE IS.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC NUMBER.
WE HAVE CALCULATED SOME NUMBERS, AND AGAIN, CALCULATIONS ARE BASED ON A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS AND, UM, A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT WE PROBABLY, UM, SO IF WE HAD 50 MORE POLL WORKERS, WOULD THAT HELP THE FLOW OF THE ELECTION ON ELECTION DAY? THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL NEED TO TELL US BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE IS WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.
AND I CAN'T PROMISE YOU THAT WE ARE GONNA GET 50 MORE PEOPLE IF THAT'S WHAT WE NEEDED.
I'M SAYING I'M NOT ASKING TO FIND 50 MORE PEOPLE.
I'M SAYING IF, IF WE HAD 50 MORE TRAINED AVAILABLE PEOPLE, WOULD THAT HELP US TO RUN THE ELECTIONS BETTER OR IS IT 30 OR THE, THE MORE PEOPLE WE HAVE, OF COURSE, THE BETTER IT WOULD BE TO, TO, TO RUN THE ELECTION.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK WITH WHAT WE DO HAVE AS LISTED AND MAYBE THE ONES THAT'S STILL GETTING READY TO BE TRAINED, OUR ELECTION WILL STILL BE RAN SUFFICIENTLY.
THERE APPEARS TO BE A PRESUMPTION THAT THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT'S VY TO BE POLL WORKERS SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN.
AND BASED ON WHEN THAT RESPONSIBILITY LIED WITH THE COMMISSIONERS, WE REALIZE THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
AND NOW THAT THAT RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE STAFF, IT APPEARS THAT WE ARE ARE ASKING THEM
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TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.UH, MR. SWEENEY AND I ATTENDED A, A TRAINING AT, AT THE HILTON AIR LIBRARY THAT JEAN CONDUCTED, UH, IT STARTED AT 10 THAT MORNING.
I WENT BACK AT ONE THAT AFTERNOON WHEN SHE HAD EVEN ADDITIONAL PEOPLE COMING IN FOR TRAINING THE FOLLOWING DAY AT BLUFFTON, I WENT TO A MEETING AT THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY AND THERE WAS JEAN AGAIN DOING TRAINING.
I CAME TO ELECTION CENTRAL AND THERE WAS JEAN AGAIN DOING THREE PASSES IN ONE DAY.
I THINK WE HAVE TO GIVE THE STAFF THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT THAT THEY'RE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN BASED ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
YES, IF THERE ARE MORE POOR WORKERS OUT THERE WOULD MAKE AN IDEAL SITUATION.
FOLKS, WE NEED TO MOVE ON FOR THIS ELECTION ON THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER.
WHILE WE ARE HASSLING ABOUT WHETHER WE HAVE ENOUGH POLL WORKS OR NOT, IT DOESN'T MATTER AT THIS POINT.
WE ARE NOT GONNA GET WHATEVER NUMBER WE FEEL WE NEED IS NECESSARY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THEM BY THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER.
SO LET'S VOTE ON THE, ON THE BOOK THAT WE HAVE AND NOT BE WISHED BY WHAT WE WISH WE HAD THAT THAT HORSE IS OUT THE BARN.
WE CAN'T BRING THAT HORSE BACK IN THE BARN.
LET'S FOCUS ON WHERE WE NEED TO BE ON THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER, FOLKS, AND STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE, WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO BE IS NOT GOING TO BE A PERFECT WORLD.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE LINES, FOLKS, AS YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY SEEN, THERE ARE GOING TO BE LINES.
IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD THAT THERE'S LINES.
WE HAVE TO EXPECT THE FACT THAT FOLKS ARE HAPPY TO BE VOTED.
I HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD WHERE FOLKS DON'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE.
I WENT TO E-F-C-U-V-C ON ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY ON THE
THEY WERE LONG LINES, BUT NOBODY WAS ANGRY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE IN A LONG LINE.
THEY WERE HAPPY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE.
AND I THINK THAT'S NEED TO BE THE OVERRIDING PRINCIPLE HERE.
THAT WE ARE GIVING PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE.
YES, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME LINES.
IF FOLKS COMPLAIN, THEY COMPLAIN.
THAT'S NOT THE END OF THE DAY.
LET'S NOT HASSLE ABOUT THE SAME TOPIC OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN AT EVERY MEETING.
OKAY? IS THAT NEXT HAPPEN? I'M NEXT.
WE ALL SHOULD BE AIMING FOR THE SAME THING.
AND THAT IS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A FAIR ELECTION.
AND I'VE BEEN IN BLUFFTON WORKING AND I'VE ATTENDEES MEETINGS AND I BEHOOVE THAT MAYBE ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO DO.
AND I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT YET, BUT GO OUT THERE AND SEE THE TRIPLE LINES THAT IS AT THESE EARLY VOTING PLACES.
NOBODY HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING AT ALL.
THEY'VE BEEN GIVING OUT NOTHING BUT COMMENTS.
AND WE HAVE THE WORKERS IN THERE.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE A WAITING PERIOD IF THE VOTERS SAY, I CAN'T WAIT.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY OF THEM SAY THAT.
SO I THINK THAT SOMETIME WE BEATING UP OURSELVES, PEOPLE ARE GONNA GRUMP OUT AT THE LAST MINUTE IF THERE IS ANY EMERGENCY.
OKAY? ALL WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY PERSON GET TO VOTE.
I SAW SOME OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT PUT US INTO THESE POSITIONS VOTING ON YESTERDAY.
I'M NOT GONNA CALL THEIR NAMES, BUT THEY HAD GREAT COMMENT ABOUT THE PROCESS.
MAYBE WE ARE BEATING OURSELVES DOWN, TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING TOO PERFECT.
THERE IS NOT A PERFECT WORLD OUT THERE.
AND WE'LL BE IN HERE ALL DAY TRYING TO MAKE IT A PERFECT WORLD.
RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE A PERFECT WORLD.
I HAVEN'T HEARD NO COMPLAINTS.
AND I KEEP MY AIR OPEN FOR COMPLAINTS.
AND IF THERE ARE COMPLAINTS, I'M GONNA ADDRESS THOSE WITH THE VOTERS IN A VERY RESPECTABLE MANNER.
THE COMMUNITY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE GROWN AND LEAPS AND BOUNDS.
BLUFFTON IS BURSTING OUT OF THE SEAM.
BEAUFORT IS TOO, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT HILTON HEAD, BUT I KNOW IT IS VERY BUSY AND I'M NOT GETTING NO COMPLAINTS IN BLUFFTON.
'CAUSE IF I DO, I WILL MAKE SURE I WILL ADDRESS IT AND I WILL BRING IT TO MARIE'S ATTENTION.
AND ON ELECTION DAY, IF WE DO HAVE PEOPLE WHO'S GONNA DROP IT AT THE LAST MINUTE, AND I'VE HAD THEM DROP IT AT THE LAST MINUTE, BUT GUESS WHAT? WE STILL GOT THE JOB DONE.
AND THAT'S THE MAIN THING, IS MAKING SURE THAT EVERY PERSON GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE.
THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD REALLY BE GEARED UP FOR.
EVERYBODY GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE BECAUSE WE ARE ALL HUMANS AND WE DON'T NEED OUR PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING THESE EARLY VOTING PLACES TO BE TIED BECAUSE SOME OF THEM WILL BE WORKING ON THE ELECTION DAY.
ALSO, THE, THE STAFF IS GOING TO BE WORKING ON ELECTION DAY.
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EVERYBODY, UM, GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A BREATHER IN THERE.AND AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, THEN WE COULD BE HEADING FOR SOME MAJOR TROUBLE.
UNLESS YOU ARE OUT THERE, YOU'VE GOT TO BE OUT THERE WORKING AND DOING THE WORK TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I'M GOING TO ATTAIN A MOTION SO WE CAN MOVE ON BECAUSE IT'S 2 21.
AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS BECAUSE WHEN I LEFT BLUFFING TO GET HERE TO THIS MEETING, IT WAS HURTING ME TO EVEN COME TO THIS MEETING.
BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE.
I CAN'T TOUCH THE MACHINES, BUT I CAN DIRECT THE TRAFFIC AND GET FOLKS MOVING.
SO THOSE WORKERS CAN GET A BREAK.
WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WORKERS GET A LUNCH BREAK.
THEY CAN'T STAND ALL DAY PUTTING PEOPLE ON MACHINES OR SITTING.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE OUT OF THIS MEETING IN A TIMELY MANNER SO I CAN GET BACK AND HELP OUR WORKERS MOVE THOSE LINES AND GET OUR VOTERS IN.
BEVERLY? OH, THAT NO COMMENT THAT I MADE WAS CONSTRUED AS A CRITICISM.
UH, I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO WORK IN THE POLLING PLACES THAT I HAVE.
MY ONLY COMMENT WAS, UM, I HAVE OBSERVED IN THE PAST, FROM THE NUMBER OF YEARS THAT I'VE SERVED ON THE BOARD, THAT STUDENTS WERE VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT ON ELECTION DAY.
AND I WAS MERELY ASKING WHETHER THERE WERE ANY STUDENTS THAT WERE AVAILABLE THAT COULD ASSIST ON ELECTION DAY.
NOT, NOT IN THIS VICINITY WHERE I'M SITTING.
AND WE, WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM, WE ALWAYS PULL IT OFF.
WE ALWAYS PULL OFF FAIR, IMPARTIAL ELECTIONS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GO ON THE RECORD AS CLARIFYING THE NATURE OF MY COMMENTS.
I'M GONNA OBTAIN A MOTION, UM, TO ACCEPT THE, UH, WHERE IS IT? WHERE'S MY PAPERWORK? HERE? UH, FOR THE APPROVAL OF POLL WORKERS FOR NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024.
SO DID YOU MAKE THE MOTION I LEAVE? UH, NO I DIDN'T.
WELL, I JUST WANTED, BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU HAD NO, NO MA'AM.
MOTION CARRIED FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE POLL WORKERS FOR NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
AND I WANT TO ALSO, THIS IS A LITTLE SIDEBAR.
IT'S COMMEND OUR BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE VOLUNTEERING IN THE OFFICE, WHO ARE VOLUNTEERING AT THE POLLING LOCATION AND HELPING OUT WITH THE ELECTION.
UM, I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY'S GOT THINGS TO DO, BUT YOUR PRESENCE THERE MEAN A LOT, NOT JUST TO THE OFFICE STAFF, BUT DEFINITELY THE VOTERS BECAUSE THEY SEE YOU OUT THERE AND YOU ARE REPRESENTING YOUR COMMUNITY.
SO JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UM, I KNOW SOMETIMES YOU ARE OUT THERE AND PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE WHO YOU ARE, BUT THEY ARE PEOPLE THAT DO RECOGNIZE WHO YOU ARE.
AND SO THAT'S A PLUS FOR THE BOARD BECAUSE YOU ARE MAKING YOURSELF AVAILABLE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC.
UM, WE GONNA JUST STICK TO ELECTION UPDATES TODAY.
AND SO THE FIRST THING THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS, SINCE WE MET AS A GROUP, WE DID RECEIVE OUR ADDITIONAL, UM, VOTING EQUIPMENT.
THEY, THEY WERE DELIVERED A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT WE GOT THEM AND THEY, UM, OF COURSE THE DAY WE GOT THEM THE HURRICANE WAS ALL
AND SO WE SHUT DOWN ON THAT FRIDAY.
THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH, UM, UPLOADING ALL THE, THE NECESSARY, UM, SOFTWARE.
BUT THEY CAME BACK ON THAT MONDAY AND DID WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO.
JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THE LAST DAY TO REQUEST AN APPLICATION AND TO MAIL ABSENTEE BALLOT IS GONNA BE THIS FRIDAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
AND I KNOW WE ARE STILL GETTING CALLS ABOUT ABSENTEE, UM, BALLOTS.
UNFORTUNATELY, 11 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION IS THE LAST TIME WE CAN ACCEPT
[00:25:01]
AN APPLICATION AND MAIL ABSENTEE BALLOTS.UM, WENDELL MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE LAST BRIEFING FOR THOSE POLL WORKERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, BRIEFED OR TRAINED IS GOING TO BE NOVEMBER THE FOURTH AT FIVE 30 AT THE BUFORT OFFICE.
ALRIGHT, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
WHAT'S GONNA BE ON THE BALLOT? UH, WE'VE BEEN GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF, UM, WEEKS TRYING TO EDUCATE, UM, THE FOLKS ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE BALLOT.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THEY CAN GO TO FIND THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
SO WE ARE NOT GONNA GO AHEAD, WENDELL TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLY VOTING.
UM, LIKE MS. EILEEN SAID EARLIER, UH, PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT VOTING.
I'VE BEEN SETTING UP CURBSIDE SIGN.
I'M THERE IN AT THE OFFICE BETWEEN SEVEN 15 AND SEVEN 30 IN THE MORNING.
AND PEOPLE ARE ALREADY IN LINE.
SO, UM, I THINK PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE AND THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND I'M, AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANYBODY COMPLAIN YET.
I'M SURE PEOPLE MAY BE COMPLAINING, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY.
AND, UM, I WALK OUTSIDE PERIODICALLY AND I SEE SMILES ON PEOPLE'S FACES.
I TALK TO THEM, WANTED TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE THERE TO HELP THEM IF THEY NEED ANY HELP.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE PRETTIEST THING, BUT PEOPLE ARE NOT COMPLAINING.
I HEARD IT IS SO A REPORT ON WHAT WE DID SO FAR AT EARLY VOTING.
WE HAVE SEEN MONDAY AND TUESDAY OVER 10,000 PEOPLE, UM, RECORD TURNOUT AT SOME OF THE LOCATION.
HELENA
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE LEAVING BEAUFORT, GOING TO ST.
HELENA BECAUSE THE LINES WERE A LITTLE BIT SHORTER.
SO AGAIN, SO YOU ENCOUNTERED THAT WHEN I VOTED? HUH? I ENCOUNTERED THAT WHEN I VOTED.
THE GENTLEMAN IN FRONT OF ME SAID HE HAD COULDN'T PARK AND SO HE CAME TO ST.
MAYBE, MAYBE I SHOULD BE GOING OUT THERE TO WORK RATHER THAN
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST, UM, MONTH, OVER THIS MONTH REALLY IS GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE WINDOW.
DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY STATISTICS REGARDING THE TURNOUT SO FAR? IT WAS, UM, UM, BACK A COUPLE SCREENS.
I DIDN'T LOOK BEFORE I LEFT THE OFFICE, BUT AS OF THIS MORNING WE WERE AT A 6% TURNOUT.
AS OF WHEN, I MEAN THE, THAT WAS AROUND MIDDAY.
'CAUSE IT DID, BUT I MEAN, BEFORE I, THE LAST TIME I LOOKED, IT WAS AT 8%.
THE 6% REPRESENTED MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
AND SO YOU'RE SAYING BY MIDDAY TODAY IT ALREADY UP TO EIGHT.
SO YOU DON'T, AND AND YOU CAN FIND THIS INFORMATION ON SC VOTES.GOV.
SO THEY WILL BE POSTING THE EARLY VOTE TOTALS EVERY DAY.
SO AS WHATEVER WE DO DURING THE DAY, GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME THE NEXT DAY YOU'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
THEY POSTED IT ABOUT 10 O'CLOCK TODAY.
IT TURNS I LOOKED EARLIER, SO THAT'S HOW YOU CAN KEEP UP WITH IT.
UM, SO BE REMINDED THAT WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC TEST ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER THE FIRST.
UM, THE PUBLIC TEST WILL BE TO TEST THE CENTRAL SCANNER.
AND SO PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC CAN COME IN AND WE WILL SHOW THEM HOW THE TABULATOR WORKS AND EXPLAIN TO THEM THE PROCESS OF WHAT WE DO TO COLLECT RESULTS AT THE PRECINCT AND ON ELECTION NIGHT.
SO, UM, IT'S INTERESTING, YOU WILL GET TO SEE, UM, THE TABULATING MACHINES AND, UH, VERNA PROBABLY WILL NOT LET YOU TOUCH IT, BUT, UH, AT LEAST YOU GET TO SEE.
AND, AND HE'LL EXPLAIN THE PROCESS.
HE DOES A GOOD JOB ON EXPLAINING THE PROCESS.
THEN WE WILL HAVE THE HAND COUNT THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION,
[00:30:01]
WHICH WILL BE AT 10 O'CLOCK.AGAIN, THIS IS A PUBLIC, UM, EVENT.
THE PUBLIC IS INVITED, IT'S ALREADY BEEN ADVERTISED.
THIS IS WHEN WE WILL PHYSICALLY HAND COUNT A SELECTED GROUP OF PRECINCTS THAT'S GONNA BE GIVEN TO US FROM THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT PRECINCTS THEY ARE GOING TO BE YET, NOR THE CONTEST THAT WILL BE COUNTED.
BUT THAT'S, WE WILL KNOW THAT, UM, ELECTION NIGHT OR EARLY THE DAY AFTER WEDNESDAY MORNING.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WE WILL BE MEETING FOR THE CANVAS TO CERTIFY THE ELECTION RESULT ON THAT FRIDAY AT NINE O'CLOCK.
SO PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
THIS IS WHAT WE DID DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER SO FAR AS EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.
I DON'T THINK I NEED TO GO OVER IT, BUT I WANTED YOU TO KNOW, UM, WHAT WE WERE DOING IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND THIS IS ALSO INCLUDING ALL OF THOSE TRAINING, UM, THAT JEAN AND WENDELL HAS BEEN DOING.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH CONCLUDES MY REPORT.
I GOT 7 0 5, UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
MARIE, FOR THE VOLUNTARY HANDS-ON TRAINING, IS THAT WELL ATTENDED WINDOW? NOT REALLY.
I MEAN, WELL, THE ONE ON HILTON HAD, OR AT THAT GENE THAT ONLY, ONLY TWO PEOPLE SHOWED UP, THERE WERE FOUR THAT WERE SCHEDULED.
TWO CAME THINKING THAT THIS WAS A TRAINING TO BE A POOR WORKER.
SO THEY KINDLY EXCUSED THEMSELVES.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY WAS THERE, WHETHER PEOPLE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT OR NOT IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT EQUATION.
UH, I DID THE ONE, I CAN'T REMEMBER, THERE WAS SO MANY OF 'EM,
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TEN THREE WHO SIGNED UP, DIDN'T SHOW.
AND THEN THREE WHO WERE ALREADY TWO OF 'EM WERE CLERKS.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S JUST BASICALLY THE CLERK TRAINING, BUT ANYBODY ELSE CAN ATTEND, MAN.
WE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE ATTEND THE CLERK TRAINING WHO WEREN'T CLERKS.
AND WE PULLED THE CLERK ONE, ONE GENTLEMAN.
WE, WE MADE HIM A CLERK AFTER THE TRAINING BECAUSE HE WAS OUTSTANDING.
AND, UH, WE HAD A GAP AND WE ASKED HIM, HE SAID, IF WE HAD A GAP, WE WANNA PUT YOU IN IT.
A GAP APPEARED AND WE PUT HIM IN IT.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ATTENDED THE CLERK TRAINING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GETTING PAID FOR IT, BUT THEY, THEY ATTENDED, THEY JUST WANTED TO ATTEND, WHICH WAS TECHNICALLY THE UNPAID VOLUNTARY THING.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME TO THE, THE ONES THAT, THAT ONE THAT JEAN HAD, I KNOW THAT WAS THE ONE.
SHE SAID NOBODY SHOWED UP, BUT THE ONES THAT, UH, WERE IN BEAUFORT OR WHATEVER, THE OTHER ONES, THEY WERE ALL WELL ATTENDED.
AND THE PEOPLE ENJOYED THEMSELVES.
WE HAVE SOME GOOD POLL WORKERS.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, COMMEND THE STAFF AND THE DIRECT TO, UM, THIS PUBLICATION.
I HAVE CIRCULATED IT WIDELY IN THE COMMUNITY AND NOW PEOPLE ARE CALLING MY HOUSE FOR ADDITIONAL COPIES.
BUT I JUST THINK THAT THIS REALLY CONTAINED A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT VOTERS REALLY NEED.
LIKE THE EARLY VOTING SITES OF THE NORTH OF THE BROAD, UM, POLLING LOCATIONS.
AND I JUST THINK THAT IT WAS VERY ATTRACTIVELY DONE AND IT HAS JUST SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT IT'S REALLY, UM, SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONTINUE.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS.
WE HAVE A COPY FOR SOUTH OF THE AS WELL.
SO YOU HAD ONE SOUTH FOR SOUTH OF BROAD SOUTH OF GEORGIA.
BECAUSE WHEN I CIRCULATED IT AT A, UM, SORORITY MEETING, ONE PERSON SAID, YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T DO ONE FOR RIDGELAND.
YOU DIDN'T DO ONE FOR JASPER
I SAID, WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T SERVE ON THE BOARD AND JASPER, BUT AS YOUR DIRECTOR, BUT IT IS VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
WHAT, WHAT OUR GOAL IS IN THIS ELECTION, NOT NOT JUST THIS ELECTION, BUT ESPECIALLY THIS ELECTION, IS TO GET THE WORD OUT.
AND WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THE FACTS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH MISINFORMATION, UM, OUT THERE.
WE ARE JUST TRYING TO TO, TO, UM, PUT THE TRUTH OUT SO PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS.
AND PROVIDING INFORMATION LIKE THAT AND YOU GUYS SHARING IT OH YEAH.
I KNOW IT'S HARD RIGHT NOW TO GET AHOLD OF THE OFFICE STAFF BECAUSE THE PHONES ARE RINGING CONSTANTLY.
AND, UM, BUT WE, THERE, THERE ARE, UM, MEDIA IN PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN EMAIL AND WE CAN ANSWER EMAILS.
[00:35:01]
IT, IT'S USUALLY JUST LATE AT NIGHT BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE GET STARTED EARLY IN THE MORNING AND WE THERE LATE AT NIGHT.SO FOLKS MAY NOT GET A RESPONSE UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT OR FIRST THING THE NEXT MORNING.
SO, BUT WE JUST WANT TO SHARE THE INFORMATION.
CHURCHES AND SEVERAL COMMUNITY GROUPS, WE JUST GOT VOLUMES OF THEM.
AND SURE ENOUGH WE USED EVERY ONE OF THEM.
UM, I JUST WANNA, UH, MENTION TO THE BOARD, MAYBE THEY DO KNOW, UM, I'M SORT OF LIKE NOSY.
I LIKE ASKING A LOT OF QUESTION OF WORKERS AND UH, AND COMMENT ON ON TO THEM ALSO.
AND I MENTIONED TO, UH, ROSALYN AT THE EARLY VOTING AND I SAID TO HER, I SAID, WHEN I GOT HOME LAST NIGHT, I WAS SO TIRED AND THEN THOUGHT ABOUT EATING, ALL I COULD DO WAS TAKE A SHOWER AND JUST GO TO BED.
AND SHE SAID, WELL, GREAT, BECAUSE I WAS STILL WORKING UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK AT ELECTION CENTRAL.
SO WHEN WE THINK THAT THE WORKERS ARE JUST CLOSING UP AFTER EARLY VOTING AND GOING ON HOME, THEY ARE STILL WORKING AT ELECTION CENTRAL, WHICH IS AT JOHN GALT ROAD UNTIL AFTER 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
AND I'VE GOT, WE WENT HOME EARLY LAST NIGHT.
OH, YOU GOT HOME EARLY LAST NIGHT.
WE WENT AT NINE 30 OR NINE 30.
UM, BUT I'VE HAD SOME, UH, VOTERS, YOU KNOW, ASKING ME TODAY, UM, HOW LONG DO THEY WORK? I SAID, WELL, SOME OF THEM CAN LEAVE OUT AFTER THE POLL CLOSES, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK UNTIL MAYBE 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND THEN THEY'RE BACK THE NEXT MORNING.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS STRESSING THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T TIRED OUR FOLKS OUT TOO MUCH BECAUSE WE NEED THEM ON NOVEMBER THE FIFTH.
WE ALL MEET EACH OTHER TOO ON NOVEMBER THE FIFTH.
AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE TO BE OUT THERE TOO, MAKING SURE WE CAN'T TOUCH THOSE, UH, ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT.
BUT WE CAN SHOW ENOUGH DIRECT SOMEONE TO GO TO THE MACHINE AND GIVE THEM THEIR I VOTE STAMP AND KEEP THE LINE MOVING.
MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAVE THEIR IDENTIFICATION OUT IN THEIR HANDS AND READY TO GO.
BECAUSE THAT IS ANOTHER THING THAT IS KEY.
ONCE FOLKS ARE READY, WHEN THEY GET TO THE CHECK-IN, IT MOVES MUCH QUICKER.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, START TO MY RIGHT THIS TIME? UH, WENDELL, YOU WANT TO, I MENTIONED TO YOU ABOUT THE ISSUES, THE TECHNICAL ISSUES WE WERE HAVING AT SOME OF THE SITES.
YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN TO THE REST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT YEAH.
UM, AND, AND MS. MA AND ALSO ATTEST THIS, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, WHAT, WHAT IS GOING ON.
THERE'VE BEEN A FEW GLITCHES WITH EPB, BUT IT'S NOT A LOCAL THING.
AND SOMETIMES YOU'LL HEAR THEM CALL IN OR WHATEVER IN REFERENCE TO IT AND THE STATE DOES ADDRESS IT, BUT IT'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
IN EVERY ELECTION WE'VE HAD THESE PPS THERE'S BEEN ONE OR TWO ISSUES THAT ARE STATEWIDE AND IT'S IN THE SOFTWARE.
IT'S NOTHING MECHANICAL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, DON'T GET ALARMED.
IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN CONTROL.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY ELECTION.
UM, CAN I SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE I WITNESSED THAT YESTERDAY.
UH, WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY? I GUESS SO MANY PEOPLE WAS WORKING THOSE POLL BOOK AND IT WENT DOWN FOR A SECOND, SO THEY HAD TO WAIT.
AND IT DIDN'T TAKE THAT LONG BECAUSE I KNOW AT BLUFFTON THERE WAS LIKE, TWO OF THEM SORT OF WENT DOWN SLOWLY, BUT THE OTHER WERE WORKING AND THEN EVENTUALLY IT CAME RIGHT BACK ON AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE, UH, FOLKS ALONG.
AND THAT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MANY PEOPLE USING YEAH.
I GUESS THE TURNOUT WAS JUST BIG.
I I THINK WE, WE SOMETIMES FORGET THAT THAT'S A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND THE LONG, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS DEFINITELY DESIGNED TO OPERATE THOSE MANY HOURS SO, YOU KNOW, ALL DAY LONG.
SO SOMETIMES IT NEEDS TO COOL DOWN.
BUT IT CAME RIGHT BACK UP AND I WITNESSED THAT ON YESTERDAY.
WHEN YOU SAY IT CAME RIGHT BACK UP, ARE WE TALKING FIVE MINUTES OR 30 SECONDS? NO, I WAS LESS.
WELL, BECAUSE DURING THAT TIME WERE THEY USING THE, UH, PAPER, YOU KNOW, OLD FASHIONED PAPER CHECK IN? NO, YOU JUST GO TO THE NEXT MACHINE.
ALL OF THEM IT THE MACHINES AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S LIKE ONE HERE AND ONE ONE.
YEAH, THEY STILL HAD MACHINES UP AND RUNNING.
YOU TAKING A LITTLE NAP? NO, MA'AM.
ANY QUESTIONS I'LL ASK? I WENT THIS MORNING, ARRIVED AT, UH, ABOUT 7:20 AM AND
[00:40:01]
SOME OF THE WORKERS CAME OUT, SHARED INFORMATION.THERE WAS PROBABLY 20 OF US IN LINE AT THAT POINT.
UH, THE DOOR WAS OPENED AND I THINK THE WELCOME WAS DONE QUITE WELL.
UH, WE DID HAVE A COUPLE ISSUES WITH THE MACHINES, BUT, BUT THE LADY THAT WAS, THAT WAS DOING MINE, UM, WAS EXTREMELY PLEASANT AND SHARED.
YOU'LL JUST WAIT JUST ONE SECOND.
WE'LL GET YOU TO THE NEXT MACHINE FOR VERIFICATION VALIDATION.
AND, UH, I THINK EVERYONE DID A, DID A GREAT JOB WHEN I, I PROBABLY COMPLETED VOTING WITHIN 10 MINUTES AND BY 8 45 THERE WAS PROBABLY 300 PEOPLE IN LINE.
UH, IT WAS ALL THE WAY AROUND BEYOND TENNIS COURTS INTO THE BACK ENTRANCE, UP TO THE DIRT ROAD.
UH, THE GENTLEMAN, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS ONE OF OURS OR, OR WHO IS, WHO WAS, UH, GUIDING PEOPLE TO PARK.
WE NEED IS HE A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE?
UH, I HEARD, HEARD ZERO COMPLAINTS AND UH, PEOPLE WERE IN FACT VERY COMPLIMENTARY IN HOW QUICKLY THINGS WERE MOVING.
AND HE DOES A LOT OF THE CURBSIDE, I THINK BLUFFTON ISS CATCHING UP WITH SUN CITY, WITH CURBSIDE.
THEY'VE HAD NOTHING BUT CURBSIDE.
AND HE'S DONE A MARVELOUS JOB.
HIM AND THE OTHER GENTLEMAN THERE.
AND HE'S ALSO MY MOSS CREEK CLERK.
AND I DON'T HAVE SEVEN AND 10 PEOPLE THERE.
AND MOSS CREEK IS OUT THERE ON THEIR OWN DOING THEIR THING.
YOU GOT SEVEN NOW? OH, I GOT SEVEN.
BUT SIX PEOPLE IN MOSS CREEK GOT A LOT OF NUMBERS AND IT'S ALL ABOUT BEING FOCUSED AGAIN AND NOT HAVING A LOT OF LONG CONVERSATIONS.
WE CAN'T BE CONVERSATING WHEN WE YOU'RE TRYING TO CHECKING OUT THE VOTERS.
'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA BE WAITING TOO LONG EITHER.
THEY WANT TO COME IN, GO AND CAST THEIR VOTES SO THEY CAN BE OFF THEIR FEET OR DO WHATEVER ELSE THEY NEED TO DO.
YOU, AND SINCE WE ARE BEING RECORDED AND YOU POSED A QUESTION, WAS I TAKING A THAT? NO MA'AM.
I JUST, UM, WANTED TO MENTION THAT I HAVE RECEIVED NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS WHATSOEVER.
UM, MOSTLY PEOPLE ARE CALLING WITH EXCITEMENT OVER THE ELECTION.
THEY'RE CALLING FOR INFORMATION AND OF COURSE I KEEP THIS VERY HANDY TO BE ABLE TO, UM, ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE, UM, BOARD IS THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU VISIT THOSE NEW POLLING PLACES.
YOU MAY DISCOVER THAT THE ENTRANCE TO THE FACILITY HAS CHANGED.
MAYBE THEY'VE PUT SOME FURNITURE IN THERE THAT MAY NEED TO BE REMOVED OR PUT IN ANOTHER LOCATION, BUT YOU DON'T WANT YOUR CLERKS GOING OVER THERE THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION TO SET UP AND NOT KNOW AT A BIG SCHOOL.
LIKE ROBERT SMALLS JUST RECENTLY RENOVATED, JUST WHAT ENTRANCE TO TAKE AND JUST WHERE TO PUT THE SIGNS.
AT THE LAST ELECTION WE DID HAVE TO GO OVER AND THEY HAD CHANGED THE, UM, THE LOCATION OF THE, THE VOTING PROCESS.
SO YOU NEED TO FIND THAT OUT AHEAD OF TIME.
SO I AM MEETING WITH THE, UM, WITH THE FACILITIES MANAGERS, UM, SOMETIMES TAKING PICTURES OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REMOVED, UH, DECIDING AHEAD OF TIME WITH THE CLERK, UM, JUST HOW THE POLLING PLACE NEEDS TO BE SET UP.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU, YOU DON'T NEED TO RUN INTO TUESDAY MORNING.
TUESDAY OR MONDAY WHEN YOU'RE SETTING UP.
BUT ANYWAY, I I THINK THE STAFF SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.
TO MY LAST, MATT, 'CAUSE I'M DONE TALKING.
UM, THE, UH, EARLY VOTING AT HILTON HEAD HAS BEEN GOING VERY WELL.
I THINK MOST OF THE VOTERS APPRECIATE THAT NEWER, LARGER FACILITY.
[00:45:01]
GRAB MY EAR TODAY AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY WHEN WE HAD SUCH A HIGH TURNOUT ON MONDAY, WHY DIDN'T WE OPEN A SECOND EARLY VOTING CENTER ON TUESDAYS? SO WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WE CAN'T MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY ALL THE TIME.UM, AND TO BEVERLY'S POINT, SINCE, UH, THE BRIEFING BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TWO WEEKS AGO, I'VE BEEN SCHEDULING MEETINGS WITH THE CLERK AND THE FACILITIES MANAGER AT EACH LOCATION TO DISCUSS A, A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS.
UM, WHICH LEADS ME TO A QUESTION, MARIE.
AND, AND THAT IS, WHEN CAN WE GET A DELIVERY SCHEDULE OF EQUIPMENT TO OUR POLLING LOCATIONS? UM, I CHECK WITH FURNACE.
SO ONE OF THE ACTION ITEMS I HAD WITH EACH OF MY FACILITY MANAGER MEETINGS WAS TO GIVE THEM A TIMEFRAME WHEN THEY COULD EXPECT THE EQUIPMENT SO THAT IT COULD BE PUT IN A SECURE LOCATION.
UM, AND FINALLY, UH, I LOOKED AT 2022 GENERAL ELECTION, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE BEST AND THE ONLY PROXY AVAILABLE TO LOOK AT EARLY VOTING TRENDS AND USING THE 2022 GENERAL ELECTION DISTRIBUTION OF EARLY VOTING OVER THE 12 DAYS, UH, WE'RE, AND IT'S HARD TO MAKE A CONCLUSION BASED ON TWO DAYS OF DATA, BUT WE ARE ON TRACK TO BE AT ABOUT A 50% OVERALL TURNOUT IN EARLY VOTING.
SO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE HAS BEEN USING 36% IN ITS MODELS TO ALLOCATE ELECTION DAY EQUIPMENT.
SO IF THE TRENDS CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE DISTRIBUTION THAT WE HAD IN 2022, WE COULD BE AROUND 50%, WHICH WOULD HELP EVERY LOCATION ON ELECTION DAY.
CAN I JUST PIGGYBACK ON ONE VERY GOOD POINT THAT YOU MADE? UH, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR CLERKS KNOW WHAT SECURE PLACE THAT EQUIPMENT IS GOING TO BE IN, BECAUSE I VISITED ON ONE OF MY NEWER PRECINCTS AND FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY NEEDED A PARTICULAR SPACE IN THE FACILITY AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK THAT OUT JUST BY A MERE CONVERSATION WITH THE FACILITIES MANAGER.
YOU NEED TO KNOW AND YOUR, UM, CLERKS NEED TO KNOW, AND ALSO WHERE THE SECURE PLACE IS.
AND FOR THE SCHOOLS, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE TOO THAT THE JANITOR WHO IS GOING TO BE OPENING THE DOORS KNOW WHAT TIME, UM, YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE.
BECAUSE OTHER THAN THAT, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET IN WHEN YOU NEED TO GET IN AND YOU COULD BE RUNNING BEHIND.
SO FOR SCHOOLS, MAKE SURE THAT THE JANITORS KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE AT A CERTAIN TIMES, EVEN ON MONDAY AFTERNOON.
OKAY, MR. BACKER, UM, FOLLOWING UP ON FACILITIES AND, AND WENDA, WE HAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, UH, LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS BY THE, YOU KNOW, THE MILL CREEK HOA, BUT HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT THEM TO REQUEST THAT THEY REMOVE ALL, MOVE THE FURNITURE, ALL THE FURNITURE FROM I GOT A CALL IN TO KELLY.
UH, KELLY ACTUALLY KNOWS THE HOA PERSON.
SO I GOTTA CALL IN TO HER, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM HER YET.
SO I'LL CALL HER AGAIN WHEN I GET BACK TO THE OFFICE.
AND THEN ON THE FACILITIES ISSUE AND THE SCHOOLS, DO WE HAVE, DO WE HAVE THE MOST UPDATED LIST OF CONTACTS AT EACH? YEAH.
AND I GOT A, I I'M GONNA CALL BRANDY THAT SHE'S THE FACILITIES PERSON.
YOU KNOW, I HAD TO DO AN END ROUND WITH ON, UH, DO EMAIL YOU AND I KEPT GOING BACK.
UM, LOUGHTON HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, I I YEAH, THAT'S MOVED FROM THE GYM TO THE CAFETERIA.
AND, UM, BUT, BUT I'M GONNA PUT IN A CALL WITH BRANDY 'CAUSE I NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH HER TO MAKE SURE THAT LIKE THE JANITOR SITUATION, BECAUSE APPARENTLY SCHOOL DISTRICT CHANGED ALL OF THE THE JANITORIAL CONTRACT YEAH.
FOR SOMETHING TO GET A BETTER CONTRACT, I BELIEVE.
SO I'M GONNA CALL HER AND, UH, SIT DOWN, WELL NOT SIT DOWNWARD, BUT CALL HER AND SAY, HEY, WHERE ARE WE? YOU KNOW, UM, SHE WAS VERY CLEAR.
WE WERE VERY CLEAR THAT IN NOVEMBER ALL OF THOSE ISSUES SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT ALL.
AND SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS CLEAR THAT WITH THE NEW CONTRACT, IT IS NOT, BUT I'M GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH HER THIS WEEK.
SO IF YOU ARE TALKING WITH HER, UM, MCCRACKEN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT ENTRANCE ON THE SIDE THERE, IT, THERE'S A TRIPPING HAZARD AS YOU TRY TO GO IN THE DOOR.
DID YOU, DID WE TRIED TO COVER IT, UH, FOR THE LAST ELECTION WAS JUST A MAT.
BUT THEN THAT CREATED ANOTHER KIND OF HAZARD IN ITSELF.
I, IT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO, BUT, UH, OTHER THAN PUTTING CRIME SCENE TAPE AROUND OR SOMETHING TO REALLY ALERT TO JUST ALERT PEOPLE WHEN THERE'S A POTENTIAL TRIPPING.
AND YOU HAVE TO KEEP THAT DOOR OPEN BECAUSE
[00:50:01]
IF IT CLOSES, IT LOCKS.SO ON A DAY WHERE IT'S A LITTLE POTENTIALLY MAYBE A LITTLE COLD OR SOMETHING THAT, BUT YOU, YOU, THAT DOOR HAS TO KIND OF STAY OPEN ON THE SIDE ENTRANCE THERE.
UM, AT THE, UH, AT THE SAFETY TRAINING, SECURITY TRAINING, UH, WE TALKED THAT ALL OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE THEIR OWN EMERGENCY, UH, PREPAREDNESS DOCUMENTS.
ARE THERE SECTIONS OUT OF THAT SPECIFIC TO, UH, ASSEMBLY POINTS FOR AN EVACUATION THAT WE COULD OBTAIN? SO THAT FOR EACH SCHOOL, WHY I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION.
WELL, AND THE ONLY REASON I'M SAYING THAT, BECAUSE I WORKED IN THE SCHOOL UP TO TWO YEARS AGO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M JUST SAYING, I DON'T KNOW IF THE PRINCIPAL WOULD WANT THAT INFORMATION.
WELL, I'M JUST ASKING FOR THE ONE PAGE COPY, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE ASSEMBLY POINT IN CASE OF EVACUATION? SO THAT FOR ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE USING, THE CLERKS HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE WE MIGHT GO WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE.
I DON'T WANT THE WHOLE, I DON'T WANT THAT WHOLE PLAN.
SO YOU JUST WANNA KNOW, LIKE THE DOOR THAT YOU'RE GOING INTO TO GET INTO THE SCHOOL, WHERE WOULD YOU HAVE TO GO OUT TO EVACUATE? WHERE WOULD THAT YEAH, WHERE'S, WHERE'S THEIR EVACUATION ASSEMBLY POINT? THEY, EACH OF 'EM PROBABLY HAD SEVERAL DEPENDING ON WHAT PART OF THE SCHOOL THAT YOU WERE IN WHEN YOU WERE USING.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY DON'T USE ALL OF IT.
WE, WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT AFTER THE ELECTION.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT SOME OF THIS STUFF ANYWAY, BUT MM-HMM.
I, I'LL TALK TO YOU AFTERWARDS.
UM, AND JUST ONE LAST POINT ABOUT, UM, THE EARLY VOTING.
UM, I WANT TO THANK MR. SWEENEY BECAUSE HE PREPARED A TEMPLATE TO PREP FOR THE POLLS, UM, THAT HE WAS USING IN, IN HILTON HEAD TO PROMOTE EARLY VOTING.
UH, AND I WOULD, HE SHARED IT WITH ME.
I WAS ABLE TO MODIFY IT FOR A FEW LOCATIONS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET, I WAS ABLE TO GET THIS DOCUMENT OUT AND, AND MASS EMAIL TO HAMPTON HALL BE FAIR AND KWASSA ISLAND.
AND I HOPE MAYBE THAT BLAST ABOUT EARLY VOTING HAS MAYBE HELPED US TO BE KIND OF WHERE WE ARE, AT LEAST IN THE EARLY STAGES OF EARLY VOTINGS WITH, UH, A GOOD TURN, A GOOD EARLY VOTING TRIAL.
IS IT LIZ? UH, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO DO IS, UM, I GUESS IT WOULD BE JEAN, BUT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER PEOPLE BESIDES HER THAT WHEN MONDAY THINGS BLEW UP AS FAR AS EARLY VOTING AND THERE WERE WAY MORE PEOPLE THAN WE ANTICIPATED.
SHE WAS SENDING, UH, MESSAGES TO ALL THE POLL WORKERS ASKING IF ANYBODY HAD EXTRA TIME THAT THEY COULD WORK, THAT HAD WORK SCHEDULED.
I KNOW, UM, MY HUSBAND PUT HIMSELF DOWN FOR THREE DAYS OF, UH, POLL WORKING BECAUSE THE NUMBERS JUST, WE DID, I DON'T THINK WE PLANNED FOR QUITE AS MANY PEOPLE, BUT THE REACTION WAS QUICK AND, UM, TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, BUILD OURSELVES UP TO WHERE WE SUDDENLY FOUND OURSELVES NEED TO BE.
AND WHEN YOU SAID 50%, I WAS DOING SOME CALCULATIONS.
I DIDN'T GET QUITE THAT HIGH, BUT IT'S GONNA BE HIGH.
AND IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT MONDAY WAS, UH, LIKE, OH, IT'S THE FIRST DAY WE'RE EXCITED SURGE.
AND UM, HOPEFULLY THAT WILL MAKE ELECTION DAY A LOT EASIER ON EVERYBODY BECAUSE THE NUMBERS WILL BE MUCH SMALLER THAN WE PLANNED FOR BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH, I DON'T KNOW, WE PROCESSED MORE PEOPLE ON TUESDAY.
I KNOW YOU DID, THAN WE DID ON MONDAY.
AND OUR PROCESS WENT A WHOLE LOT SMOOTHER.
I THINK MONDAY WAS GROWING PAINS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, MAKING SURE EVERYTHING WORKED WELL AND WE HAD IT DOWN PACKED BY TUESDAY MORNING.
SO, AND I MEAN, THE REACTION, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MESSAGES WERE GOING OUT, WE NEED MORE HELP.
MONDAY EVENING SHOWS THAT, UH, AND I DID GO BACK TO ST.
HELENA ISLAND AND THEY HAD AT LEAST ONE AND POSSIBLY TWO MORE, UM, BALLOT MARKING DEVICES BECAUSE THEY WERE WORKING WITH ONLY FIVE ON MONDAY.
AND, UH, I KNOW THEY, I COUNTED SIX AND I THINK THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE SITTING ON A TABLE THAT HADN'T BEEN SET UP, UH, ON TUESDAY WHEN I WENT IN REALLY EARLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY, THE EQUIPMENT GOT OUT THERE THAT THEY NEEDED TOO.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH BECAUSE I DON'T THINK PEOPLE AT ST.
HELE HAVE EVER HAD A LINE OF 45 MINUTES, 50 MINUTES.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT WAS MONDAY.
A LOT OF TIMES IF THEY GET A HUNDRED VOTERS, THEY THINK THEY'VE HAD A BUSY DAY
AND WE'RE WORKING PRETTY CLOSELY THIS PAST WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA? I CAN'T EVEN SEE
[00:55:04]
HMM.CLOSING YOUR, YOUR CLOSING COMMENTS.
ANYBODY ELSE WITH CLOSING COMMENTS? NO.
UH, IT SAYS,
WE'LL DETERMINE WHEN THE NEXT BOARD MEETING IS GONNA BE AFTER THE ELECTION.
OH, CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? YES.
UH, AS OF TWO DAYS OF EARLY VOTING, HAVE WE BEEN GETTING MANY PROVISIONAL BALLOTS? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PROVISIONAL BALLOTS CAME IN IN THOSE DAYS? ABOUT WE'VE YOU MEAN PROVISIONAL OR, OR ABSENTEE PROVISIONALS.
I MEAN, I'M THINKING ABOUT AHEAD OF THE CERTIFICATION HEARING.
AND ARE WE, DOES IT LOOK LIKE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS FROM EARLY VOTING? NO.
WELL, I MEAN, I KNOW THE FAIL SAFE ISSUES CAN ALL BE TAKEN CARE OF EASILY AT EARLY VOTING, BUT THAT'S GOOD.
WE MAY HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE, THE TWO DAYS.
RIGHT NOW I THINK ABOUT 12 MAYBE.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S NOT THAT MANY.
DID EVERYBODY HEAR MY COMMENT ABOUT NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR TO BE DETERMINED? YES.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I SO MOVE.