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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAVER COUNTY BOARD OF REGISTRATION AND, UM, NEED TO DO, WE DON'T HAVE A FLAG TO PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO, BUT YOU'VE GOT A FLAG THERE SOMEWHERE, MARIE.
WELL, I GUESS WE CAN, WHERE YOU STAND OR SIT PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION.
SEE, WE'VE GOT ONE GIFT HERE AND YOU TWO AND BENDERS WHERE THE LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS, YOU SAID YOU HAD.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN MEMBERS, HALF OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN, OUR CHAPTER PRESIDENT JANE CAFFREY WAS UNABLE TO COME TODAY.
SO SHE ASKED IF I WOULD SPEAK SINCE I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF OUR CHAPTER.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN 2017 AND HAVE BEEN ACTIVE EVER SINCE.
SO MY COMMENTS TODAY ARE REALLY JUST TO LET THE BOARD AND THE STAFF MEMBERS OF THE BEAVER COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS KNOW OF OUR EFFORTS TO NEW DURING THE VOTING SEASON.
WE WANT TO BE PARTNERS IN INCREASING VOTER TURNOUT.
THESE INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING.
FIRST OF ALL, IN OUR MEETING TO, IN OUR MISSION TO EDUCATE, UM, WE ARE REACHING OUT TO CHURCH GROUPS, CIVIC GROUPS, AND OTHERS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN HAVING GUEST SPEAKERS WHO WOULD COME TO VIRTUAL SESSIONS SO THEY CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF VOTING, SUCH AS ABSENTEE VOTING, HOW TO REGISTER AND THE LIKE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE RESPONSIVE THAT WE WILL DO NOT ONLY LIVE, BUT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO SOME PRERECORDED SO THAT PEOPLE COULD REFER THEIR MEMBERS TO THOSE LITTLE RECORDINGS AS TIME PERMITTED.
WE'RE ALSO PUBLICIZING AND PERSONALLY REACHING OUT TO LEAGUE NUMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT YOUR NEED FOR MORE POLL WORKERS AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO BECOME POLL WORKERS.
AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE COWORKERS, WE'RE SHARING OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FROM JUNE AND THE HIGH LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT WE RECEIVED IN TERMS OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, THE OTHER SUPPLIES AND THE SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO HELPED OUT AT THE VERDE PRECINCTS.
IT WENT VERY SMOOTHLY AT THE SITE WHERE I WAS, AND I WAS PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT.
UM, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE SENDING OUT POSTCARDS AND HAVING NUMBERS, CALL VOTERS AS DEADLINES APPROACH FOR REGISTRATION AND VOTING.
JUST LIKE I THINK EVERY LEAGUE IN THE COUNTRY PROBABLY IS DOING, WE WILL ALSO BE HOSTING A CANDIDATE FORUMS WITH OUR SISTER CHAPTER IN HILTON, HEAD AND BLUFFTON.
AND OF COURSE, AS LEADING MEMBERS WHO ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP REGISTER VOTERS.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE BOARD AND THE STAFF MEMBERS.
AND WE HOPE YOU WILL CALL ON US WHEN YOU WANT TO PUBLICIZE CHANGES, OR IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC NEEDS, UM, THAT YOU HAVE, UH, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US.
WE'VE SHARED OUR EMAIL CONTACT INFORMATION WITH MARIE AND WENDELL AND CHRIS, AND WE'RE JUST GLAD TO BE HERE AND TO BE OF HELP.
AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE OUR CHAPTER TO YOU ALL.
AND I WILL MUTE MYSELF NOW AND TAKE MY PICTURE OFFLINE AS WELL.
SO YOU CAN ALL SEE EACH OTHER AND JUST DO YOUR WORK, BUT I'LL BE LISTENING.
ARE YOU SHOOTING UP FOR VOTERS AND HELPING WITH THE PROCESS AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO WITH THAT LEAD.
SO, UH, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANNE YOU'D LIKE TO ASK? OKAY.
MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETINGS WE'RE SENDING OUT THE APRIL 22ND BOARD MEETING MINUTES WERE SENT OUT AND, UM,
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HAVE YOU ALL HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THOSE? DO I HEAR A MOTION? I MOVE, WE ACCEPT THE MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 22ND.SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE MINUTES? ALL IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN.
WE ALSO GOT THE JUNE 11 CANVAS HEARING AND BOARD MEETING, WHICH WAS PRIMARILY MOSTLY, BUT THE CANVAS MEETING, BUT THERE ARE A FEW COMMENTS IN THE BOARD MEETING SECTION.
YOU GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT? I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE JUNE MEETING MINUTES SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 11 CANVAS HEARING AND BOARD MEETING.
UM, THE ONLY UNFINISHED BUSINESS I CAN THINK OF THAT WE HAVEN'T COME BACK TO IS THE HALF DAY WORKERS FOR POLL WORKERS.
AND I THINK THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS DONE SOME WORK ON THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AFTER THE NOVEMBER ELECTION WHERE WE CAN SIT DOWN AND TALK TOTALLY THROUGH THAT AND DISCUSS IT FRONTWARDS AND BACKWARDS.
I THINK WE WANT TO SPEND MOST OF THE TIME TODAY ON WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD ANY COMMITTEE MEETINGS OR AT LEAST THAT I WAS APPRISED OF.
SO I THINK THE ONLY NEW BUSINESS WE HAVE, UH, WAS A PROPOSAL.
I THINK JIM ROSE SENT OUT OR PUT A PROPOSAL TOGETHER ABOUT THE BALLOT DROP BOXES.
IT'S GOING TO BE DISCUSSED IN THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT ALSO.
BUT WE THOUGHT SINCE THAT IS KIND OF SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD TO APPROVE.
IF WE DO, THEN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS HAVE A BALLOT DROP BOX FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS PAPER BALLOT SO THAT PEOPLE COULD BRING TO THE ABSENTEE PRE SANCTIONED, BUFORD, BLUFFTON, OR HILTON HEAD.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO THEN WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THEIR BALLOT IS GOING TO MAKE IT BACK BY THE POST OFFICE AND BY MAIL, THEY CAN BRING IT THERE AND WE WILL PICK THEM UP AT THOSE BALLOT, DROP BOXES DAILY AND TRANSPORT THEM TO THE OFFICE.
SO, UH, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE DROP BOXES? AND BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON A PROPOSAL, OR MAYBE JIM, YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND DO IT? TOTALLY.
WAIT, WAIT, BEFORE WE START DISCUSSING IT, THE COMMENTS ARE TURNED OFF ON FACEBOOK, BUT WE WANT TO LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
WE PROBABLY NEED TO TRY THE COMMENTS ON FACEBOOK.
LIKE WE WOULD IN A LIVE MEETING, I'M NOT FASTING.
SO WE'RE ON FACEBOOK LIVE THERE'S FOLKS THAT ARE WATCHING THEIR ONLY WAY TO COMMUNICATE TO US IS TO CHAT A MEDIATOR FROM YOUR OFFICE OR FROM THE BORDER VOTER REGISTRATION.
INTELLECT WILL READ THOSE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR US.
THAT'S NORMALLY HOW MEETINGS ARE HELD WITH THE COUNTY, BUT THE COMMENTS WERE TURNED.
PEOPLE CANNOT LEAVE COMMENTS ON FACEBOOK RIGHT NOW, MARIE, WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING IT CORRECTED.
OKAY, WELL I HAVE SEVERAL, OKAY.
HOW MANY DROP BOXES? WHERE WOULD THEY BE LOCATED? THREE, THREE, ONE IN BUFORD, ONE IN BLUFFTON AND ONE IN HILTON HEAD AT THE ABSENTEE PRECINCT, ABSENT KEEP PRECINCT AND BOTH OF THE BUFORD IN BLUFFTON OFFICES.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ONE IN HILTON HEAD THIS TIME ALSO.
SO EACH OF THE BALLOT BOXES WILL BE AT THOSE PRECINCTS, WHICH ARE PRETTY CENTRALLY LOCATED.
SO PEOPLE CAN JUST DRIVE BY AND PUT THEIR BALLOTS IN THEIR HEAVY BOXES, UH, CANNOT
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BE TAMPERED WITH SO WE CAN PICK UP THOSE BALLOT AND JUST TAKE THEM STRAIGHT TO THE ALBUM WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT THE POSTAL SERVICE MARIA, I'M GOING TO BE IN.IS THAT GOING TO BE IN YOUR DIRECTOR'S REPORT? THAT'S PART OF THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
WE COULD WAIT, YOU'VE SEEN THEM IF YOU'D RATHER, I'D RATHER SHE DO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY OTHER NEW PRESIDENTS AND NOT SOMEONE HAS ANYTHING THEY WANT TO PROPOSE OR PUT OUT ON THE TABLE.
MARIE, YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
THEN WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN AND I'M GOING TO, UM, IF YOU CAN REMEMBER TO DO THIS, INSTEAD OF ME HAVING TO DO IT, WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND MUTE YOUR MICS AND ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE JEN OR SOMETHING.
BUT THEN REMEMBER TO MUTE IT AGAIN.
WE WANT TO TALK FIRST ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES AND I THINK EACH OF US EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, UM, RECEIVE A COPY OF THE LETTER THAT WAS SENT FROM THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION AND WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO THE LEGISLATORS.
UM, THESE, UH, RECOMMENDING CHANGES TO HELP US IN THE UPCOMING NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.
AND THESE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION CAME UP WITH THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE, THEY TAKE EFFECT TO HELP EASE SOME OF THE BURDEN ON FOLKS, UM, GETTING READY FOR THE VERY END, TOO PAINTED GENERAL ELECTION.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY THINK WOULD HELP FACILITATE VOTING MBU FOR CAPITAL ACROSS THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
BUT OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, UM, THAT'S ELECTION OR VOTER REGISTRATION RELATED, UM, WE DO IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CURRENT ELECTION LAWS.
AND, UM, YOU CAN RECALL FROM THE JUNE ELECTION, THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY REASON, UM, AVAILABLE TO VOTERS SO THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO VOTE, UM, IN PERSON OR I'M SORRY, BY MAIL.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 17 REASONS RIGHT NOW CAN VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT BY MAIL.
AND, UM, THE 18TH REASON WAS BECAUSE OF THE STATE OF EMERGENCY.
NOW REASON WAS AVAILABLE TO VOTERS IN THE JUNE ELECTION, BUT IT'S NOT AVAILABLE TO VOTERS CURRENTLY FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
SO THESE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION IS ASKING OUR LEGISLATORS TO, UM, EITHER TEMPORARILY WAIVER SOMEONE WELL REQUIREMENT'S, THAT'S CURRENT OR THE RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE OR MAKE THIS, UM, SOME OF THESE CHANGES TEMPORARILY TO ACCOMMODATE, UM, THE VOTERS FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
AND THIS IS PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY TO THE BED, THE PANDEMIC, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE VOTERS HAVE OPTIONS ON CAMPUS BALLOT IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
SO YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THIS COPY COPIES OF THIS LETTER THAT WENT TO THE LEGISLATORS.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE LEGISLATORS, OR AT LEAST THE SENATE IS I'M SUPPOSED TO BE RECONVENING THE SECOND OF SO TIMBER AND THAT'S ALL OFFICIAL.
SO ANYBODY KNOW FOR SURE WHEN THEY WILL BE GOING BACK INTO SESSION, UM, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SAY THAT, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT SEPTEMBER THE SECOND IS WHEN THE SENATE WILL BE, UH, RECONVENING IN A SPECIAL MEETING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES CONCERNING THE UPCOMING ELECTION.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE, THE HOUSE IS RECONVENING, THEY MAY BE DOING IT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT EACH ONE OF THESE THINGS INDIVIDUALLY, UM, BECAUSE YOU ALL AND SCARE, WHICH IS THE ASSOCIATION REGISTRATION AND ELECTION OFFICIALS ARE ALSO PROPOSING SOME OF THE SAME THINGS.
AND A LETTER WAS PINNED BY THE SCAT ORGANIZATION
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AND SENT TO THE LEGISLATORS AS WELL.AND IF YOU NOTICE SOME OF THESE SAME THINGS ARE BEING DISCUSSED AND THE LETTER FROM THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION.
SO WE ARE HOPING THAT THE EFFORT BY THESE ORGANIZATION AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO FEELS THEY HAVE, UM, THEY ARE LEGISLATORS AIR TO GO AHEAD STRESS TO THEM, THE IMPORTANCE OF TRYING TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE CHANGES SO THAT VOTERS WILL HAVE OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO VOTING IN NOVEMBER.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING ANY OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IF WE SELECTED THE PIPE, THE CURBSIDE LOCATIONS, OR IS THAT SOMETHING TO BE DETERMINED BY US? IF IT'S APPROVED, THAT WOULD BE UP TO US TO, OKAY.
MARIE, MARIE, I'M KIND OF CONFUSED WHY WE'RE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.
IF THE IS LEGISLATION IS GOING TO VOTE ON THIS IN EARLY SEPTEMBER.
I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION SEVEN 15, THREE 85 AND SET SEVEN 15 FOR 10 OUTLINE, ABSENTEES VOTING AND, UM, BALLOT MARKING BALANCE.
SO THE LAWS IN PLACE, AND IT DOESN'T PROVIDE FOR THIS, WE'RE NOT WHELMING.
THIS IS, THIS IS I THINK, OUT OF OUR SWIM LANE, I THINK WE SHOULD LET THE LEGISLATORS MAKE THE LAWS AND THEN WE CARRY IT OUT.
IF THEY'RE MEETING IN SEPTEMBER, WE HAVE ANOTHER BOARD MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.
NOW THESE, THIS IS JUST TO SHOW YOU, UM, THESE ARE NOT LAWS.
UH, THESE ARE JUST RECOMMENDATION.
AND THE LETTER THAT CAME FROM THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION AND THE SCALE ORGANIZATION, THESE ARE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I'M BEING SENT OR THAT WERE SENT TO THE LEGISLATORS SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE SOME IDEA ON WHAT THE ELECTION COMMUNITY FEELS IS NECESSARY TO HELP EASE SOME OF THE BURDEN ON THE VOTERS.
SO, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WE'RE NOT, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
THEY HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN GONE BACK INTO SESSION AND DISCUSS THIS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO VOTE AS A BOARD TO DO SOMETHING THAT MAY BE WELL, ONE OF THE MOTIONS IS TO HAVE, UM, DROPBOXES CORRECT.
WELL, DROPBOX IS ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE LEGISLATION.
SO WHO'S GOING TO MONITOR THOSE DROP BOXES.
THE BOXES, IF YOU GUYS, IF THE BOARD APPROVED DROP BOXES, THE WAY THE LAW IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN AND COMPOSED, WE CAN HAVE DROP BOXES AT OUR PHOTO REGISTRATION OFFICE AND EXTENSIONS OF THE VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICE, WHICH WOULD BE OUR SATELLITE OFFICES.
AND THEY MONITOR BOX, I'M SORRY.
OR THEY MONITOR IT OR THEY JUST ARE, THEY MONITORED.
THEY WILL NOT BE PHYSICALLY MONITORED.
WE WILL HAVE CAMERAS, UM, MONITORING THEM AND THEY WILL BE EMPTIED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND ALL THE PROPOSALS AND ALL THE DETAILS, THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY AND ALL OF THAT IS FORTHCOMING.
BUT, UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY WITHIN THE LAW TO INCLUDE DROP BOXES AND THEY'LL BE SECURED.
THEY ARE SECURED BECAUSE ONCE A BALLOT GOES IN, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, YEAH, YEAH.
CEMENTED, MENTORED, AND BOLTED TO A STABLE FOUNDATION.
THESE BOXES ALREADY IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF COUNTIES THAT ARE ALREADY USING THEM AND OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTRY.
WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES WHO USE IT.
UM, BUT NOW WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE COUNTRY.
WE GOT TO STICK TO SOUTH CAROLINA BECAUSE I KNOW ALL THE STATE RULES ARE DIFFERENT, BUT WITHIN SOUTH CAROLINA, CURRENT ELECTION LAWS, WE ARE AUTHORIZED TO PLACE DROP BOXES.
I THINK WHAT THE INTENTION WAS WITH THAT STATE PLAN IS TO EXPAND THE LOCATION FOR DROP BOXES.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT SPAN THE LOCATION? WHAT DO YOU MEAN INSTEAD OF JUST LIMITING THEM TO THE EXTENSION OFFICE, MAYBE EXPAND IT TO OTHER LOCATIONS, LIKE OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY COUNTY FACILITIES OR LIBRARIES OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT'S ALREADY ADDRESSED IN THE LAW.
THAT'S FOR THE FUTURE THOUGH, THIS SELECTION WILL ONLY
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HAVE THREE, RIGHT? WELL, THAT'S ALL THAT'S APPROVED.THAT'S ALL WE CAN HAVE RIGHT NOW IS, UM, SOME CHANGES TO THE LAW COULD CONSIDER SOME ADDITIONAL BOXES.
THESE BOXES ARE LARGE, HEAVY BOXES, LIKE SITS OUTSIDE THE POST OFFICE THAT ARE BOLTED TO THE GROUND.
I MEAN, UNLESS YOU JUST GO CRAZY WITH SOMETHING KIND OF EQUIPMENT, BUT, UM, THEY ARE SAFE BOXES THAT WILL HOLD A BALLOT AND WE WILL TAKE THE BOXES SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.
IF PEOPLE CAN TRAVEL TO THE DROP BOX AND DROP OFF, AND THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO BE AT THE REGISTRATION OFFICE AND THE SATELLITE, WHY NOT JUST WALK INTO THE CENTER, THE LOCATIONS AND THE ROTOR REGISTRATION LOOKS LIKE THEY TYPICALLY DO.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO AVAILABLE TO FOLKS, BUT THESE DROP BOXES CAN BE USED AFTER HOURS AS WELL.
THEY DON'T WANT TO STAND IN LINE.
IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE.
I DON'T MEAN I'VE BEEN TO THE, I'VE BEEN TO THE BLUFFTON, UH, OFFICE, UH, DURING A BIG ELECTION.
AND EVEN THOUGH THEY DID, THEY DID PROVIDE SEATS AT ONE TIME.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT'S LIKE NOW, BUT WAIT THERE FOR AN HOUR, UH, TO VOTE ABSENTEE.
THIS IS THE BIG ISSUE THAT I HAVE FROM, FROM MY FAULT IS THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO PUT IT IN THE MAIL BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE BAD PRESS IT'S RIGHT.
HAVING IT, DROPBOX WOULD ALLEVIATE THAT ISSUE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON PROP BOXES? I'LL SHOW YOU A PICTURE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, WE HAVE SOME PROPOSED PICTURES.
WE'LL SHOW THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER ON IN THE PRESENTATION.
POLL WORKER RECRUITMENT, AND IT'S GOING FANTASTIC.
SO I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN REFERRING PEOPLE TO US.
AND, UM, THEY WERE INITIATIVE BY THE STATE.
UM, WE HAVE LOCAL MEDIA'S INVOLVED.
WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND ALL OF YOU, ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS WERE REFERRING PEOPLE.
SO WE HAVE, UM, WE'VE BEEN SEEING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FOLKS JUST BEING SPARKED AND WILLING TO HELP US OUT AS POLL WORKERS.
SO WE ARE FRANTICALLY TRYING TO GET THEM ALL SIGNED UP FOR THE ONLINE POOL MANAGER'S TRAINING CLASS, AND THEN GET THEM SET UP SO THAT WE CAN NOTIFY THEM AND NOTIFY YOU OF WHO THOSE FOLKS ARE.
SO YOU WILL HAVE OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION COOK, BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED TO STAFF THESE PRECINCTS, UM, TO THE, SO THAT WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH FOLKS AVAILABLE TO HELP WHEN NEEDED.
SO ON THE RECRUITMENT AND THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ASSISTED IN THAT PROCESS AND IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS, SO IT'S NOT ENDING, IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS.
UM, SOMETHING NEW AND FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, WE WILL HAVE A NEW ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK.
UM, ONE OF THE BEST FEATURES OF THE WHOLE BOOK.
AND I CAN'T SAY EXACTLY WHICH COMPANY WILL BE INVOLVED RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S LEGITIMATE ME TO SAY IT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I KNOW AT ONE POINT THEY WERE STILL DOING THE NEGOTIATION, BUT ALL THE POLL BOOKS THAT WERE REVIEWED HAVE AN OPTION WHERE A VOTER WILL BE ISSUED WHEN THEY ARE ISSUED THEM TO GO TO THE BALLOT, MARKING DEVICE ALREADY HAVE THEIR BOWEL STYLE PRINTED ON IT.
SO THAT WILL TAKE AWAY, UM, THE CONCERNS OF PEOPLE BEING ISSUED, THE INCORRECT BALLOT AT THE PRECINCTS.
AND, UM, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT FEATURE AND IN THE NEW POLL BOOK, AND NOW THE, THE TRAINING AND THE DEMONSTRATION OF THESE POLL BOOKS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE, UM, UM, POLL WORKERS BRIEFINGS.
AND WE WILL ALSO BE HAVING HANDS ON TRAINING.
SO MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, UM, AS SOON AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION, BUT JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW, I THINK I MENTIONED IT DURING THE TRAINING, UM, IN JUNE THAT THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE WILL BE HAVING A NEW POLL BOOK, UM, FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION MARIE, THIS IS CRAIG.
DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE FOR US TO GET A LOOK AT THEM ONCE YOU
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YEAH.W UM, I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE GOING TO ACTUALLY GET THE PHYSICAL POLL BOOK.
I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND AS SOON AS, AS SOON AS WE ARE AUTHORIZED, AS SOON AS THE BILL HAS BEEN AWARDED TO THE, UM, SUCCESSFUL COMPANY, THEN MORE INFORMATION WILL BE COMING OUT.
BUT I KNOW THEY WERE IN THE NEGOTIATION STAGES, SO WE CAN'T RELEASE ANY INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, MARIE, UM, EARLIER WE RECEIVED AN ABR L THAT WE COULD LOOK UP INFORMATION AND KIND OF BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE TOOL PRIOR TO THE ELECTION, TO, IN A WAY WE CAN GET AN AVR L TO, UM, SORT OF LOOK AT, UM, THE PROCESS THIS TIME AROUND THE ERL WILL BE GOING AWAY.
THAT'S THE PART OF THE POLL BOOK, AND WE WON'T HAVE THE IT'S SIMILAR, THE SIMILAR REPLACEMENT THAT YOU SAY, YOU SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A NEW ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK.
WILL IT TAKE THE FORM OF AN ELECTRONIC TOOL SIMILAR TO THE EBR? IT WILL BE A TABLET.
WILL WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT AS COMMISSION? YEAH.
THEN ONCE IN THE PAST, WHEN WE FIRST GOT THE EBR, L WE WERE ALLOWED TO TAKE THOSE HOME AND KINDA, YOU KNOW, BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS.
AND I JUST WANTED THAT, UM, SORT OF THAT ADVANTAGE AGAIN, THIS TIME, IF WE CONVERT TO A TABLET.
UM, I HAVE ATTACHED THE TRAINING SCHEDULE IF YOU NOTICE IT'S EXTENSIVE AND BECAUSE WE WILL BE DOING THE TRAINING, UH, VIRTUALLY AGAIN, SO CLASSES WILL BE LIMITED TO 35 SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN THE QUALITY.
AND, UM, SO WE HAVE A PRETTY EXTENSIVE SCHEDULE AND I'M ALL I'M GOING TO DO IS ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENCOURAGE YOUR POLL WORKERS, TO SIGN UP, SELECT YOUR POLL WORKERS, TO SIGN ON FOR A CLASS THAT'S CONVENIENT FOR THEM.
AND WE WILL BE SENDING YOU A COPY OF THIS ALSO ME AN EMAIL, SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE IT WHEN YOU ARE CONTACTING YOUR POLL WORKERS.
YOU ALSO HAVE INCLUDED THE HANDS ON TRAINING.
IF YOU NOTICE THE ATTENDANCE THAT'S ON TRAINING WILL BE IN-PERSON BECAUSE THEY WILL BE DOING HANDS ON.
IT'S GOING TO BE REQUIRED FOR FOUR CLERKS AND RECOMMENDED FOR POLL WORKERS.
SO, UM, EVERYONE WILL PROBABLY NOT WANT TO TAKE THE HANDS-ON, WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, YOU STILL NEED TO SIGN UP, AND THESE ARE THE LOCATIONS THAT WE WERE PROPOSING FOR THE, UM, DROP BOXES UPON APPROVAL FROM THE BOARD.
UM, THESE ARE AWARE OF THE DROP BOXES WILL BE.
AND JUST LET ME JUST GO BACK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT, THE DROP BOXES, UM, LIKE I THINK MS. ROSSI SAID ARE BEING USED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND, UM, THEY'VE NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE ARE LIVING IN DIFFERENT TIMES.
AND, UM, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THESE BOXES SECURED, UH, WITHIN OUR LIMITATIONS.
NOW WE CAN BOLT THEM DOWN TO CONCRETE AND, AND, AND WHATEVER ELSE.
UM, BUT WE WILL HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE WHERE IT WILL BE MONITORED BY SECURITY CAMERAS.
AND WE WILL HAVE A CHAIN OF CUSTODY.
THOSE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE TAKING THE BALLOTS OUT OF THESE BOXES WILL HAVE TO LOG EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS.
SO IT'S, AGAIN, A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT YOU, NONE OF YOU SHOULD FEEL THAT DROPBOX IS NOT GOING TO BE A BENEFIT TO THE VOTERS BECAUSE IT WILL, AGAIN, DROPBOX IS IT'S THERE SO THAT, UM, VOTERS WILL HAVE MORE OPTIONS TO CAST THEIR BALLOT.
AND WITH ALL THE TALK OF THE POSTAL SERVICE, NOT DELIVERING THEIR BALLOTS ON TIME, THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR OUR VOTERS.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT WE, AGAIN, OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY REQUESTED THE ABSENTEE BALLOT AND NOW IS AFRAID TO, UM, TO PUT IT BACK IN THE MAIL.
AND SO, OF COURSE, UNTIL YOU APPROVE THE DROP BOXES, THEY HAVE THE ONLY OPTION THEY HAVE TO RETURN IT IN PERSON IS TO COME TO US, DOING
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OUR WORKING HOURS.AND THAT'S POSSIBLE FOR SOME PEOPLE, AND IT'S NOT FOR OTHERS.
BUT AGAIN, OUR JOB IS TO TRY AND MAKE SURE OUR VOTERS HAVE AS MANY OPTIONS AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAST THEIR BALLOT AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEIR BALANCE.
GETTING BACK TO THE PHOTO REGISTRATION OFFICE, WITHOUT ANY DELAY.
MARIE MARIE, MR. ROSSI, HERE, THEY HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, WHEN PEOPLE BRING THEIR BALLOT TO THE OFFICE, I UNDERSTAND THAT EACH PERSON MUST BRING IN ONLY THEIR OWN BALLOT IN THE DROPBOX SITUATION.
CAN SOMEONE FROM A HOUSEHOLD BRING IN THE BALLOTS FOR, LET'S SAY TWO PEOPLE AND PUT THEM IN THE DROPBOX? YES.
NOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BRING IT INSIDE THE OFFICE, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BRING IT YOURSELF INSIDE THE, YOU ARE GOING TO SEND IT BY SOMEBODY, UM, TO BRING IT INSIDE THE OFFICE.
THERE'S A FORM THAT THE VOTER WILL NEED TO FILL OUT, AUTHORIZING THAT PERSON TO DROP IT OFF IN THE OFFICE.
JUST TO BE CLEAR IF I HAVE SOME NEIGHBORS THAT CALL ME UP AND ASK ME TO DROP OFF THEIR BALLOTS, I FIND WITH YOU, I WOULD NOT TAKE IT BECAUSE YOU ARE A BOARD MEMBER.
SO IF I HAVE A NEIGHBOR WHO WAS ASKED BY OTHER NEIGHBORS TO TAKE BALANCE TO THE DROPBOX, THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE.
YEAH, NO, IT'S NOT AN ISSUE THAT NEIGHBOR WOULD NEED TO CROSS THAT AREA.
I WAS SAYING WE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT A NEIGHBOR ASKED ANOTHER NEIGHBOR TO DO, AND WE CAN'T MONITOR IT EITHER.
I UNDERSTAND NOW THIS IS A, A SAMPLE OF WHAT THE DROPBOX WOULD LOOK LIKE.
IF YOU NOTICE IT'S THIEL AND IT'S VERY STURDY AND THERE ARE MECHANISM INSIDE THAT, UM, ALLOW FOR THE, FOR IT TO BE SECURED AT THE BOTTOM, YOU CAN HARDLY SEE, BUT AT THE TOP, THERE'S A LITTLE OPENING UP HERE FOR THE BALLOTS TO GO IN AND WE HAVE AN OPTION TO, WE CAN CLOSE THAT OFF WHEN WE ARE NOT, WHEN IT'S NOT IN USE.
SO PEOPLE WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT THINGS IN IT.
AND THE OPENING IS VERY SMALL, ONLY SMALL ENOUGH FOR A SMALL BOWEL TO GO IN.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN DESIGNED, UM, WITH SAFETY IN MIND AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SAFE FROM THE WEATHER ON THE RAIN AND EVERYTHING.
SO, LIKE I SAID, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AND RESEARCHING THIS, WE, WE TRY TO FIND A COMPANY THAT'S BEEN DOING IT FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THIS IS A COMPANY THAT WAS RECOMMENDED, UM, BY, UH, SEVERAL MEMBERS WHO ALSO USING IT WITHIN THE STATE.
UM, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? THEY BE IN PLACE BEFORE OCTOBER THE FIFTH, WHEN YOU START THE ABSENTEE BALLOT, I CAN'T GUARANTEE YOU THAT, BUT AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVE, WE'LL PUT THEM OUT AND WE WILL MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PUBLIC THAT THEY ARE OUT.
NOW, YOU KNOW, THE BALANCE WILL NOT BE, BE READY UNTIL LIKE THE FIRST WEEK IN OCTOBER.
IF, IF IT'S READY BEFORE THEN WE WILL SEND THEM OUT BEFORE THEN.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT MAYBE THE FIRST WEEK IN OCTOBER, BEFORE THE BALLOTS ARE READY TO BE MAILED, JUST TO, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY ABOUT SOME IMPORTANT DATES.
UM, SEPTEMBER 28TH IS WHEN WE ARE PROPOSING TO OPEN THE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE PRECINCT AND B FOR BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD, UM, WHICH IS A WEEK EARLIER THAN WE HAD PROPOSED INITIALLY.
SO AGAIN, ALL OF THIS IS DESIGNED TO GIVE OUR VOTERS MORE OPTIONS.
SO BEFORE IT WAS 30 DAYS NOW, IT'S WHAT, 38, 37 DAYS.
AGAIN, WE ARE ASKING VOTERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WHEN THE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING, VOTING PRECINCTS ARE OPEN THAT YOU GO AHEAD.
IF YOU ALREADY KNOW WHO YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR, GO AHEAD AND STOP THE PROCESS EARLY.
DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE 28TH OF OCTOBER TO COME, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S GONNA SAY, WELL, I STILL HAVE TIME.
THE EARLIER YOU DO, YOU START YOUR PROCESS OF VOTING IN PERSON.
[00:35:01]
DO, THE LESS THE CROWD WILL BE.AND SO THAT WILL BE, UH, REDUCING YOUR EXPOSURE TO OTHER FOLKS.
AND THAT'S WHAT MOST PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO DO.
THEY DON'T WANT TO BE EXPOSED TO A CROWD.
SO THE EARLIER IN THE PROCESS, YOU, YOU, YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING.
IF YOU WANT TO DO IT IN PERSON, THE BETTER IT IS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO DO.
OCTOBER 31ST, WE WILL BE OPEN ON THAT'S THE SATURDAY BEFORE THE ELECTION, UM, HALF A DAY AND NOVEMBER, THE SECOND COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE OPEN ALL DAY, UM, FROM NINE TO FIVE FOR IN-PERSON VOTING.
AND THAT'S THE LAST DAY YOU CAN VOTE IN PERSON, UM, FOR THE NOVEMBER 3RD ELECTION.
MURRAY AND OCTOBER 31ST IS THE ONLY SATURDAY WE'LL BE.
I KNOW, UM, WE ARE OPENING IT UP A WEEK EARLY AND, UM, AND WE CLOSE AT FOUR O'CLOCK EVERY DAY, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO AFTER HOURS BEHIND THE SCENE, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME TIME TO DO THE ADMINISTRATIVE PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING DURING THE DAY.
SO OPENING IT UP A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT GIVE PEOPLE ADDITIONAL DAYS THAT THEY CAN VOTE.
AND THE HOURS ON SATURDAY IS OPEN.
BUT REMEMBER, THE SATURDAY NOW IS JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION, AND YOU CAN IMAGINE ALL THAT'S GOING ON, THE STAFF IS PREPARING TO GET READY FOR THE DISTRIBUTION AND GETTING THOSE PRECINCTS READY FOR ELECTION DAY.
SO YES, WE DO HAVE LIMITED HOURS ON THAT SATURDAY, BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL HOURS AND TIMEFRAME PRIOR TO THAT, AND THREE LOCATIONS TO DO IT IN GOOD WORK.
UM, OCTOBER 2ND IS THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER, TO VOTE FOR THE, UM, GENERAL ELECTION.
IF YOU CAN VOTE IN PERSON AT OUR OFFICE, IF YOU GO TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN PERSON.
SO THE BEAVER IN THE BLUFFTON OFFICE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
AND, UM, IF YOU ARE GOING TO REGISTER ONLINE, YOU WILL HAVE UP UNTIL THE FOURTH AT 1159.
AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO PUT YOUR ABSENTEE, NOT YOUR ABSENTEE, YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION IN THE MAIL, IT HAVE TO BE POSTED BY THE 5TH OF OCTOBER RIGHT NOW.
AND THESE DATES, IT MAY SOUND LIKE, OH, NO BIG DEAL, BUT THESE DATES ARE ACTUAL DATES.
AND AFTER CERTAIN TIMEFRAME, IF YOU, IF WE RECEIVE YOUR APPLICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION ON THE 6TH OF OCTOBER, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE NOVEMBER 3RD ELECTION BECAUSE IT WAS RECEIVED, OR IT WAS POSTMARK AFTER THE DEADLINE DATE.
THE PUBLIC TEST, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE PUBLIC TEST IS REQUIRED THAT WE GO AHEAD AND RIGHT BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE ABSENTEE PRECINCT, WE HAVE TO SHOW THE PUBLIC HOW ALL OF THAT PROCESS IS DONE.
AND SO WE WILL, WE PUT OUT A PRESS RELEASE TO LET FOLKS KNOW, EXCUSE ME, THAT THERE WILL BE A VIRTUAL PUBLIC TEST ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 25TH AT 10:00 AM.
AND, UM, RIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION, WE WILL DO ANOTHER ONE.
SO THAT WILL BE DONE ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29TH AT 10:00 AM, UM, FACILITY UPDATES.
WE ARE LOOKING AT INSTALLING SECURITY CAMERAS AND AMICOM SYSTEM AT THE BUFORD AND THE BLUFF BLOCK THAT OFFICE.
AND THIS IS A PART OF OUR SECURITY INITIATIVE THAT WE STARTED, LIKE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO WITH THE NEW FACILITY OR THE ADDITION TO THE FACILITY.
BUT IT, AND, UM, THE ONLY THING THAT DIDN'T, UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE HAD REQUESTED WAS MAKING SURE THAT THE CAMERA THAT'S GOING TO BE MONITORING THE OUTSIDE OF AN ENTRYWAY TO OUR OFFICES WILL ALSO BE A MONITORING OR A CAMERA.
WE'LL BE MONITORING THOSE DROP BOXES AS WELL.
WE WILL ALSO BE INSTALLING CEILING FAN, AND THIS IS SOMETHING VERY BRAND NEW.
THIS WAS NOT A PROPOSAL IN THE PAST.
THIS IS SOMETHING NEW, THE COOPS, I'M SORRY.
CAUSE WE ARE SAYING SOME MOISTURE AND A WAREHOUSE.
AND UM, SO THEY THINKING THAT MAYBE THE CEILING FAN WILL HELP
[00:40:01]
KEEP THE AIR CIRCULATING AND GET RID OF THE MOISTURE.THEN THAT'S, UM, SHOWING UP THERE.
AND AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THE HILTON HEAD IN-PERSON ABSENTEE OFFICE WILL BE OPENING ON THE 28TH FOR IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING TO SAY, YAY EVERYBODY.
CONTINUE TO THANK ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD A HAND IN GETTING THAT APPROVED.
NOW LET'S JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT VOTERS RESPONSIBILITY.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL AS INDIVIDUAL, AS WELL AS BOARD MEMBERS, UM, WILL NEED TO DO.
WHEN, WHEN WE ARE OUT IN THE PUBLIC, WE JUST NEED TO REMIND THE VOTERS THAT THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS ELECTION PROCESS AS WELL.
AND, AND THAT IS THEY NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST FOR THEM.
EVEN THOUGH WE WERE OUT THERE PROMOTING VOTE BY MAIL, UM, EMAILS SO THAT IT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SHOWING UP AT THE PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY, EVERY VOTER SHOULDN'T BE MAKING THAT DECISION FOR THEMSELVES.
ALL WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS PROVIDE ENOUGH OPTIONS FOR THEM TO FEEL SAFE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SO IT'S COMING TO THE REGULAR PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY IS WHAT A BORDER WANTS.
WE ARE GOING TO BE THERE TO, UM, ASSIST THEM IN THAT PROCESS.
IF THEY DECIDE THAT THEY WANT TO VOTE BY MAIL BY REQUESTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT, FINE, WE ARE HERE TO ASSIST THEM IN THAT PROCESS.
IF THEY WANT TO GO EARLY AND VOTE AT THE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE, UM, LOCATIONS, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR.
ALL WE ARE DOING IS MAKE MAKING, UM, OPPORTUNITIES AND THE OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM AVAILABLE.
SO IT'S THE VOTERS DECISION AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO EXCEPT DO THE BEST WE CAN TO PROVIDE AND ACCOMMODATE THEM, WHICHEVER THIS WHICHEVER LOCATION OR WHATEVER PROCESS THEY DECIDE TO CHOOSE WORK.
UM, I'M SORRY, WHERE DID I GO? OKAY.
THE OTHER THING IS, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ALL ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WE ARE HAVING IS VOTERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE BOMBARDED WITH ALL KINDS OF POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT AND ALL KINDS OF, UM, POSTCARDS FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION AND DIFFERENT GROUPS, BUT THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S ONLY TWO CERTIFIED SOURCES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THAT'S THE MOTOR VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICE IN EACH COUNTY AND THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION.
WHEN YOU ARE GETTING MAIL AND POSTCARDS FROM ALL OF THESE OTHER, UM, GROUPS TELLING YOU THAT REGISTERED, OR YOU MAY NOT BE REGISTERED TO VOTE AND ASKING YOU TO CLICK ONTO THEIR LINK OR GO TO THEIR WEBSITE, YOU ARE JEOPARDIZING GETTING THE BEST INFORMATION.
SO WE, WE WANT YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER AND AS A COMMUNITY AND ANYBODY THAT'S LISTENING.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING RELATED TO YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION, UM, YOU NEED TO TALK TO THE CORRECT SOURCES.
THIRD PARTIES ARE GREAT IN HELPING US GET WORD OUT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT IF YOU WANT THE FACTUAL INFORMATION, I WOULD ADVISE EVERYBODY EITHER VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR GIVE US AN EMAIL, SEND IT TO OUR EMAIL, OR CALL US, OR GO TO THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSIONS WEBSITE.
THAT WAY YOU WILL HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION, ALL OF THE CORRECT INFORMATION.
AND, UM, DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE WE'LL ASK THAT VOTE A FOLLOW UP ON ANY ABSENTEE, UH, APPLICATION THAT THEY MAY HAVE REQUESTED AND NOT RECEIVE OR ANY BALLOT.
UM, AFTER THE BALANCE OF MAIL, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL ELECTION DAY TO, UM, TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG.
IF YOU REQUESTED AN APPLICATION FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT AND HAVE RECEIVED IT TWO WEEKS OR SO BEFORE THE ELECTION, IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO CHECK UP ON THAT.
SO YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A VOTER TO BE DILIGENT AND FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH, WITH ANY REQUESTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE HAD FROM OUR OFFICE.
UM, BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND WE MAY, UM, BE MAKING SOME MISTAKES, BUT WE CANNOT RECTIFY THOSE MISTAKES.
AND WE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT, UH,
[00:45:01]
EARLY IN THE PROCESS.SO THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE ARE ASKING YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER TO, TO HAVE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW UP ON APPLICATION.
AND IF THEY DON'T RECEIVE A BALLOT WITHIN A CERTAIN, UM, WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FROM THE TIME THAT IT'S BEEN REQUESTED AGAIN, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE POSTALS OR THE POST OFFICE.
AND, UM, WE CAN'T CONTROL THE POST OFFICE.
AND IF YOU FEEL, IF A VOTER FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED A BALLOT AND THEY HAVE NOT JUST GIVE US A CALL AND WE CAN HELP THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO SEE WHERE THAT BALLOT IS.
AND AGAIN, WE MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, IF YOU'RE VOTING IN PERSON AT ONE OF THE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE LOCATIONS, DO IT EARLY IN THE PROCESS SO THAT, UM, YOU WILL FEEL SURE THAT YOUR BALLOT IS CAST AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CROWD.
OR THE THING WE'RE ASKING VOTERS TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THEY ADDRESS IS CURRENT IN OUR VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY TRANSIT COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE ARE MOVING ALL THE TIME AND I'M SURE MOVE, UM, YOU KNOW, CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS IN THE VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM IS NOT THE FIRST THING ON, YOU KNOW, ON YOUR MIND, BUT WE ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GET THEIR ADDRESS, GET THEIR ADDRESS UPDATED BEFORE ELECTION DAY, WAY AHEAD OF THE ELECTION DAY.
SO YOU CAN BE PLACED IN THE CORRECT PRECINCT AND YOU WON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES ON ELECTION DAY.
VERIFY YOUR CALLING LOCATION BEFORE ELECTION.
THEY KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING.
UM, WE, UH, WE WILL BE PUBLISHING, UM, THE POLLING LOCATION LIST AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND SO, UM, BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK I ASKED YOU GUYS TO, UM, LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO THOSE POLLING LOCATIONS SO THAT WE WILL HAVE IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AND IF NOT THE FIRST TIME FOR SURE.
SO I, I KNOW PAULA, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, COULD BE CHANGING BECAUSE OF AVAILABILITY, BUT, UM, LET US KNOW IF YOU THINK YOUR LOCATION IS GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, RIGHT.
AND PLAYING, BUT NOT LEAST IS FOR VOTERS TO BE PATIENT DECIDE TO GO TO THE PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY.
AND WE BE FOR COUNTY, HAVE SOME VERY GOOD, UM, VOTERS, YOU KNOW, ARE WILLING TO GET THEIR TURN, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHY WE ALL OF THESE OPTIONS TO TRY AND MINIMIZE ANY, UM, BATTING ENHANCED YOU MAY HAVE, BUT MARIE, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT PERTAIN TO, UM, ELECTION DAY AND VOTING.
UH, DO YOU WANT ME TO HOLD ON THOSE? NO, I THINK, UM, UM, I THINK THIS IS IT.
UM, ONE QUESTION IS ABOUT MASS SQUARING AND ALL VOTERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK.
NO, MA'AM, DON'T ASSUME THAT, UH, OKAY, GREAT.
WE CANNOT REQUIRE A VOTERS TO WEAR A MASK.
WE CAN, WE CAN RECOMMEND, AND WE CAN OFFER A MASK TO A VOTER, BUT WE CAN'T REQUIRE THAT THEY WEIGH A MASS.
WE CAN'T FOR THE PROMISE FOR THE VOTING PROCESS TO TAKE PLACE.
THAT CAN'T BE A STIPULATION, EVEN IF MASKS ARE REQUIRED.
FOR EXAMPLE, ON HILTON HEAD, THAT'S THE REQUIREMENT FOR COUNTY MASK REQUIRED ACROSS BEAVER COUNTY AND IN ALL COUNTY FACILITY.
BUT IF A VOTER DECIDE THAT THEY DO NOT WANT TO WEAR A MASK, WHEN THEY COME TO ANY OF THESE FACILITIES, AS SERVING AS A PRECINCT, WE CANNOT REQUIRE THAT THEY WEAR A MASK.
CAN YOU CLARIFY? SO FOR INSTANCE, IN SUN CITY, WE REQUIRE MASKS FOR ANY INDOOR BUILDING BECAUSE IT IS A LAW IN BUFORD COUNTY THAT THEY WEAR A MASK IN ANY FACILITY.
WE CAN'T REQUIRE THEM TO WEAR A MASK, NOT TO VOTE, BUT THEY HAVE TO COME IN THE FACILITY.
WE CAN'T, IT'S NOT A LAW, IT'S AN ORDINANCE.
UM, IN FACT THAT THE COUNTY COUNCILS, THE CITY COUNCILS ARE GOING BACK INTO SESSION.
I THINK THE COUNTY JUST EXTENDED IT, BUT IT'S NOT TILL NOVEMBER.
IT'S PROBABLY TILL THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
SO YOU HAVE TO CHECK WITH THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES.
I THINK WE WILL HAVE, I THINK WE WILL HAVE SIGNS ON THE DOORS SAYING NO MASK IS RECOMMENDED, BUT I GUESS YOU GET INTO A REAL BIND.
IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T WANT TO WEAR A MASK AND YOU SAY THAT YOU CAN'T COME IN WITHOUT IT.
[00:50:01]
THEN THEY'RE SAYING, OH, YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP ME FROM VOTING IS GETTING A BIG MESS.SO WE'RE HOPING THAT 99% OF PEOPLE WILL WEAR A MASK.
ANYWAY, MOST PEOPLE ARE NOW RUNNING ANYWAY.
YEAH, THAT'S GOING TO BE, UH, AN, AN ISSUE THAT'S GOING TO BE FOREIGN IN BETWEEN, BUT I JUST WANT YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER TO KNOW THAT, UM, POLL WORKERS WILL KNOW, EVEN IF THEY ARE IN A FACILITY AND WE ALL ARE IN BUFORD COUNTY, UM, AND PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WEAR A MASK WILL BE WEARING A MASK, BUT IT, IF IT'S AT A POLLING LOCATION AND THAT VOTER COMES IN THAT POLLING LOCATION AND DO NOT WANT TO WEAR A MASK OR KEEP A MASK ON THAT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TO BE ELIGIBLE.
SO YOU HAVE TO PROCESS THAT FOLDER.
WE CAN, AND WE WILL HAVE MASK AVAILABLE FOR THEM, BUT WE CAN'T THEM VOTE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ONE, IF YOU UNDERSTAND.
AND MARIE AND OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS ABOUT, UM, PEOPLE ARE WORRIED THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE ARMED PEOPLE BY THE VOTING PLACES, UH, INTIMIDATING PEOPLE.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING, ANY, UH, SECURITY ABOUT THAT? UM, AND WHEN YOU SAID ARM, PEOPLE, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ARE ARMED POLICE OR PEOPLE CARRYING WEAPONS IN, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW THAT ON ELECTION DAY THAT WEAPONS ARE NOT ALLOWED AT THE PRECINCT.
AND IF THERE ARE ANYONE IN FACILITY THAT SEEMS TO BE CAUSING A THREAT OR SOME KIND OF INTIMIDATION THAT NEEDS TO BE REPORTED TO US IMMEDIATELY SO THAT WE CAN GET THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT INVOLVED, THE SHERIFF, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION HANDBOOK MENTIONED, TELL YOU THAT EVEN A DEPUTY SHERIFF, WHEN THEY ARE COMING TO VOTE, THEY CAN COME IN TO VOTE.
THEY CANNOT STAY ALONG THE POLLING PLACE WITH A GUN ON, BUT THEY COME AND VOTE, BUT THEN THEY HAVE TO LEAVE SO ALREADY IN PLACE THAT PROHIBITS INTIMIDATION, UM, BY ANY OUTSIDE FORCES.
WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN EVICTED FROM THEIR APARTMENTS BECAUSE OF THIS TIMELY, THIS SITUATION, AND THEY DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS IS THEIR ADDRESS STILL WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THEY WERE EVICTED.
WELL, WELL, A VOTER CAN REGISTER WHEREVER THEY WANT TO REGISTER.
SO IF THEY WEREN'T EVICTED, WHEN YOU ARE VERIFYING THAT A VOTER IS A VOTER, IF HE COMES UP TO YOU AND YOU, YOU LOOK AT A PICTURE ID, THAT'S FINE.
AND IF YOU ASK THEM WHAT THEIR CURRENT ADDRESS IS, THEY WILL HAVE TO HAVE AN ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY HAVE THE BB ADDRESS.
IT COULD BE A, A FRIEND'S ADDRESS.
IT COULD BE THE PARENT'S ADDRESS.
UM, IT COULD EVEN BE AN OFFICE ADDRESS.
SO A VOTER, WHATEVER ADDRESS THAT THEY VERIFY, THAT'S WHERE THEY WILL BE VOTING.
SO THEY WILL, THEY WILL JUST SHOW WHATEVER, WHATEVER LICENSE THEY HAVE WITH THEIR ADDRESS.
THEY HAVE MOTOR DOES NOT HAVE TO SHOW ANYTHING WHERE THEY'LL, WHERE THEY ADDRESS IS, UM, ON, AT THE POLICEMEN.
THEY ONLY THINK THEY, THEY NEED TO SHOW AS A PHOTO ID.
THEY VERBALLY VERIFY THE ADDRESS THIS FALL.
CAN I FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION? WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS, UM, AND YOU, AND YOU'RE REGISTERING TO VOTE THE SAME DIFFERENCE, WHEREVER ADDRESS THEY USE, THEY WILL HAVE THE ADDRESS TO REGISTER WHATEVER ADDRESS THEY USE.
THAT WILL BE THE PRECINCT THEY WILL BE APPLYING TO.
SO IF THEY'RE HOMELESS SHELTER ADDRESS, IF THEY'RE IN A HOMELESS SHELTER, AND IF THEY, UH, UM, THEY CAN USE THE CLOSEST THING TO THE HOMELESS SHELTER.
SO WHATEVER ADDRESS THEY GIVE US THE ADDRESS THAT WE USE, BUT THEY TO GIVE AN ADDRESS.
[00:55:02]
AND THEN MAIN TO ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT A CONVICTED FELON, DOES IT MATTER THE CHARGE THAT THEY WERE CONVICTED OF? AND IN ORDER TO DETERMINE REVEREND THAT THEY GET THEIR VOTING RIGHTS, CONVICTED FELONS, UM, ARC, IT FELL ON AND THEY MIGHT ALLOW TO VOTE, BUT IF THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE TERM OR ALL OF THAT PROBATION AND MET WHATEVER REQUIREMENTS THAT WAS REQUIRED BY LAW, THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN SOUTH CAROLINA REGISTER.AND THEY MUST REREGISTER BEFORE THE DEADLINE DATE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, WHATEVER THAT CONVICTION MAY BE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE EVICTION, RIGHT? SO IF THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN CONVICTED AND SERVED THEIR TIME AND ALL SATISFIES ALL OF THEIR, UM, PROBATION AND MONETARY, UM, WHAT'D YOU CALL THAT WHATEVER THEY PAY RESTITUTION, ALL OF THAT SETTLED, UM, THE VOTER CAN OBTAIN A LETTER FROM THE PROBATION AND PAROLE TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE SERVED ALL, UM, OBLIGATIONS.
BUT AGAIN, THAT PHOTO WAS TELLING ME TO READ.
IF THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN REGISTERED, THEY WOULD NEED TO RELATE AND TO GET THEIR FILE REACTIVATED.
AND IT HAS TO BE DONE FOR THE VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION.
WELL, QUESTIONS ON THAT? GOOD QUESTION, GUYS.
LET'S, LET'S DO A LITTLE QUICK PERSONNEL UPDATE.
UM, WE HAVE HIRED A TRAINING OUTREACH COORDINATOR.
WE HAVE HIRED AN ELECTION TECHNICIAN AND WE HAVE HIRED ANY ELECTION SYSTEM SPECIALISTS AND ALL OF THESE, UM, PEOPLE THAT WERE HIRED.
I'M NOT GIVING YOU A NAME BECAUSE WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE BACKGROUND CHECK AND IN PROGRESS THAT THOSE THINGS ARE IN PROGRESS.
SO HOPEFULLY BY THE TIME WE MEET IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, YOU WILL KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE AND YOU WILL GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MEET THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYBODY? NO, THAT WAS REAL GOOD.
YOU KNOW, BACK TO THAT FELON THING, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE CAME IN AND SAID THEY DIDN'T GET THE VOTE.
AND LOOK, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS ARE SUPPOSED TO GIVE THEM A LETTER WHEN THEY LEAVE PRISON, TELLING THEM TO GO REREGISTER.
WE WENT TO THAT DEPARTMENT AND TALKED TO THEM AND THEY WERE NOT FOLLOWING UP WITH THOSE LETTERS.
SO I SAID, OH MY GOD, THANKS FOR ALERTING.
SO THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE A LETTER AS SOON AS THEY GET OUT AND YOU'RE ABLE TO VOTE AGAIN, THEY HAVE A LETTER THAT TELLS THEM JUST AS MARIE WAS SAYING THAT YOU HAVE TO GO REREGISTER BEFORE THEY CAN VOTE AGAIN, BECAUSE THEY KIND OF GO THROUGH A CRACK ONCE THEY GO INTO PRISON.
AND SO THEY HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN.
THIS QUESTION WAS IN REFERENCE TO AN GENTLEMAN THAT TOLD ME THAT HE WAS CONVICTED OF MURDER.
AND THAT'S WHERE I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE CHARGE.
AND HE SAID, BASED ON HIS CHARGES BEING CONVICTED AS A MURDERER, THEN HE COULD NOT REGISTER TO VOTE.
THERE'S NO DEGREE OF CONVICTION.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT HE WOULD NEED TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE HE HAS SERVED ALL OF HIS OBLIGATIONS TO THE PROBATION AND PAROLE DEPARTMENT.
AND IF HE IS, OR IF HE'S BEEN RELEASED THAT ALL HE NEEDED TO DO IS GET A LETTER FROM THAT DEPARTMENT.
SO, AND THEY WILL GIVE YOU A LETTER, THEY HAVE LETTERS, BUT THEY DON'T GET THEM UNLESS YOU ASK FOR IT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S UP TO THE VOTER, HAVE TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR, UM, UM, ACTIONS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEY DECIDE TO DO.
IT'S UP TO THEM THAT ALL WE CAN DO IS ALLOW THEM AND GIVE THEM AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN.
BUT A CONVICTION IS A CONVICTION.
SO I DON'T KNOW OF ANY DEGREE OF IT THAT WOULD DISQUALIFY SOMEBODY FOR, TO REREGISTER.
WHY DON'T WE GO FOR THE ABSENTEE BALLOT BOXES? WE NEVER HAVE VOTED ON THAT.
IF YOU GOT THAT PROPOSAL, JIM.
DO YOU WANT TO READ THAT TO THE BOARD? WELL, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE A COPY.
[01:00:01]
LET ME, UH, LET ME READ THIS.AND THIS WOULD BE A MOTION BEING PUT FORWARD IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION.
IT IS MOVED RATION AND ELECTIONS OF BEAUTIFUL YOUR COUNTY, CORRECT? THE DIRECTOR OF THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION ELECTIONS OF BE FOR COUNTY TO PLACE CERTIFIED COUNTY OPERATED AND MAINTAINED ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP BOXES AT THE DESIGNATED ABSENTEE VOTING LOCATIONS IN BUFORD, BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
THAT MOTION IS MADE RIGHT HERE.
DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO THAT? IT'S JUST A, IT'S ANOTHER SERVICE FOR THE VOTER ACTUALLY.
SO IT SHOULD BE A POSITIVE STEP.
UM, HOW ARE YOU ALL FEELING ABOUT POLL WORKERS FOR THIS ELECTION COMING UP? I KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN GETTING OUT THERE AND GETTING SOME NEW THING.
UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEL FOR HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR WORKING IN THE PRE-SENTENCE THIS TIME VERSUS JUNE? I'VE BEEN RECRUITING.
I'VE BEEN RECRUITING PEOPLE, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY HILTON HEAD PEOPLE.
SEND THEM TO ME THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND BEEN INVITED TO DO THE PRESENTATION FOR THE INVISIBLES.
AND SO FAR, I, I HAVE ABOUT 15.
UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PUBLIC QUESTIONS.
WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS, MARIE? KATE HERE.
ARE YOU CHRIS? CHRIS, YOU NEED TO UNMUTE, SHE SHE'S ON MUTE.
SHE'S SHE'S GETTING THE QUESTION.
OH, LOOK LIKE SHE WAS TALKING TO ME.
I WAS PUSHING THE WRONG BUTTON.
WILL A BALLOT BOXES BE MONITORED? I BELIEVE YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY ADDRESSED THAT PUBLIC QUESTION.
NUMBER TWO WILL STILL BE CAMPAIGNING IN HANDING OUT SNACKS AND WATER AT THE POLLS.
WHAT WAS THE SECOND QUESTION? QUESTION TWO.
IS, WILL CANDIDATES BE CAMPAIGNING AND HANDING OUT SNACKS AND WATER AT THE POLLS? WELL, SAME RULES HOLD UP.
YOU MEAN BACK CAMPAIGN? THEY CAN BE THERE WELCOME PEOPLE TO THE PRECINCT, BUT THEY CAN'T HAND OUT ANY KIND OF CAMPAIGN MATERIAL.
AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT WATER BOTTLES, BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT, BUT THE MORE WATER THEY CAN HAND OUT WATER BOTTLES OF WATER OR SNACKS OR ANYTHING ON THEM.
THEY'RE THE LONGEST CAMPAIGN LITERATURE.
[01:05:01]
OKAY.WE'RE GOING TO HAVE VERNON TO READ THE OTHER QUESTIONS BECAUSE CHRIS IS GETTING A FEEDBACK.
UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME A LITTLE LOUDER? YES.
HOW ABOUT NOW? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? GOOD.
SO THE THIRD QUESTION TO PUMP, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, UH, THE, I GUESS YOU SAID THE INDIVISIBLES ARE TAKING COOKIES TO POLL WORKERS.
HAVE YOU PUT A STOP TO THIS? UH, THEY SAID THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ARE COMMITTING ELECTION INTERFERENCE AS A NON-PARTISAN GROUP.
HAVE YOU STOPPED THIS? I HADN'T REALLY HEARD TO THAT.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT IS INTERFERENCE UNLESS THEY'RE STANDING IN THE DOORWAY AND NOT ALLOWING VOTERS TO COME IN.
UM, IT'S THE SAME THING AS CANDIDATES.
IF CANDIDATES ARE HANDING OUT COOKIES OR IF A VOTER DECIDED TO BRING SNACKS FOR PEOPLE, UM, AS LONG AS THEY NOT INTERFERING IN THE ELECTION PROCESS, I DON'T THINK THAT'S INTERFERENCE.
I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY SAYING? ARE THEY, ARE THEY BLOCKING THE VOTERS FROM GETTING TO THE, SO THE POLLS WERE ON.
COULD YOU READ THE QUESTION HAPPEN IN 2018? IT DID HAPPEN NOT IN BUFORD COUNTY, BUT IT DID HAPPEN TO THE POINT WHERE LIKE THE CROWDS WERE CHANTING FOR THIS CANDIDATE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS THE PROBLEM.
THEY WEREN'T HANDING OUT CAMPAIGN LITERATURE, BUT IF YOU'RE DOING THINGS THAT INCITE THE CROWD TO START CHANTING YOUR NAME, I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY DIFFERENT.
WELL, IF YOU'RE CHANTING AND CAUSING OTHER DISTRACTION AND THE CANDIDATE AND VOTERS ARE BEING INTIMIDATED, THAT'S WHAT THE CLERKS AT THE PRECINCT WILL HAVE TO DETERMINE.
AND IF IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S, IT RISES TO THE LEVEL OF, OF, OF INTIMIDATION THEN YEAH, THAT'S NOT ALLOWED, BUT IF SOMEBODY IS STANDING SOMEWHERE IN THE PARKING LOT OR SOMEWHERE IN THE OTHER DOOR, UM, CANDIDATE RELATED, JUST THE GESTURE IS NOT INTERFERENCE.
SO THANK THE CANDIDATE WHO HAS HIS NAME ON IN THE OFFICE.
HE'S RUNNING FOR, CAN STAND OUT THERE IN FRONT OF A PRECINCT AND WELCOME PEOPLE, BUT HE CAN'T HAVE 15 PEOPLE STANDING UP THERE DOING THE SAME THING.
YOU CAN'T PUT, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE OUT THERE.
NO, HE WAS GETTING THE PEOPLE IN LINE AT THESE PRECINCTS TO DO THIS.
AND THEN THE PRECINCTS THAT HE WAS NOT ALLOWED AT.
HE HAD OTHER PEOPLE FROM HIS CAMPAIGN DOING THE SAME THING AT THESE PRECINCTS ALL OVER THE CITY.
WITHIN, WITHIN 200 FEET, IF THIS HAPPENS WITHIN 200 FEET, CAN WE JUST STOP THE ELECTIONS UNTIL WE CAN GET THEM TO LEAVE? I DON'T THINK THAT'S ACCEPTABLE.
WE HAVE TO CHECK IN, UH, IN CHARGE OF THE, AND IF THIS IS BROUGHT TO THE CLERK'S ATTENTION, THE CLARKS HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO TALK TO THAT PERSON OR PEOPLE THAT ARE PERFORMING THE SOLICITED ACTIONS AND THEN ASK THEM TO LEAVE.
AND IF THEY DO NOT LEAVE THE CLERK, REMEMBER HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CALL IN LORD, HAVE THEM REMOVED.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN BUFORD COUNTY.
I HAVE HEARD OF PEOPLE DROPPING OFF PIZZAS AND, AND DONUTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO PRECINCT, BUT IT WAS NEVER A DISTRACTION FOR ANYBODY AND CHANTING VOTERS.
I MEAN, A CANDIDATES NAME OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND REMEMBER, UM, CAMPAIGNING CAN GO ON AT THE PRECINCT AS LONG AS IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE 200.
BUT NOT IN LITTLE LINE COMING IN.
VERNON, YOU GOT ANY MORE? UM, I'VE GOT ONE MORE.
AND UH, THIS ONE, I HAD TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION FROM THE PERSON WHO ASKED THE QUESTION, BUT, UM, THEY HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO, BUT WITH THE QUESTION THAT THEY DID ASK, I'M GOING TO INTERPRET IT A DIFFERENT WAY, BUT THEY ASKED ABOUT POLICE OFFICERS BEING ON DUTY DURING ELECTION DAY VOTING.
IS THAT, UM, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THAT? IS THERE ANYTHING, UH, THEY SAY ABOUT POLICE OFFICERS VOTING ON SHIFTS? WELL,
[01:10:01]
PRECINCT.UM, THEY MAKE COME, MARIA SAID A WHILE AGO, THEY MAY COME THERE TO VOTE.
THEY CAN COME IN WEARING THEIR UNIFORM AND OLDER GEAR AND COME IN AND VOTE AND LEAVE.
BUT POLICE OFFICERS SHOULDN'T BE STANDING AROUND PRECINCTS AT ALL.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH POLICE OFFICERS THAT COVER 94 PRECINCTS ANYWAY.
UH, WE DON'T HILTON HEAD HAVE A COUPLE HERE ON THE ISLAND, BUT THEY THAT'S NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT'S COMING UP SO OFTEN.
AND I CAN, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THAT SHERIFF TANA IS, IS VERY CONSCIOUS OF HIS DEPUTIES.
UM, BEING AT THE PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN TO VOTE.
I DON'T THINK, I THINK THEY KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE OR ALLOWED.
WE, WE HAVE CALLED THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH SOME THINGS GOING ON IN A PRECINCT AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF NOTHING, BUT, AND THEY, THEY DIDN'T COME, THEY WEREN'T THERE VERY QUICK, BUT THEY DIDN'T COME.
SO IF SOMETHING GETS OUT OF HAND, CLERKS SHOULD BE TOLD THAT THEY CAN CALL THE SH IF THEY THINK SOMETHING'S GETTING, YOU KNOW, OVER THE TOP, THEN THEY CAN CALL AND GET SOME HELP.
SO, AND THEY SHOULD ACTUALLY CAUSE THEY SHOULD CONTROL THE PRECINCT.
ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION OUT THERE.
WHAT IS IT? OH, LET ME, UH, HOLD ON BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT SCREEN.
I THOUGHT HE SAID THAT WAS THE LAST ONE.
THE OTHER QUESTION, THERE WAS DOUBT THAT SOMEBODY WANTS TO ASK.
THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW CAN, UH, YOU ALL THE BOARD CAN MAKE THESE DECISIONS WITHOUT THEIR APPROVAL FROM THE GOVERNOR, THE STATE SENATORS AND LAWSUITS.
WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISIONS THAT HAVE HADN'T GONE THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE.
AND IN THE COMMENTS THAT MARIE PUT UP A WHILE AGO, BACK IN JUNE, YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATURE DID SAY THAT WE COULD HAVE A NO EXCUSE ABSENTEE VOTING, SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PICK ONE OF THE 17 REASONS.
UM, THEY SAID THAT WE DIDN'T NEED A WITNESS SIGNATURE ON THE ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR THAT ELECTION ONLY.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS WE ASKED FOR TO FACILITATE OUR HANDLING OF THE ELECTION.
UM, AND WE'RE ASKING THE LEGISLATURE FOR THAT.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE ARE DOING THAT IS NOT PART OF THE LAW.
THE ABSENTEE VOTING BOXES THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED AS MARIE SAID, IS ALREADY PART OF THE LAW.
SO WE CAN DO THAT, IMPLEMENT THAT.
AND OUR BOARD HAS VOTED TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AS A SERVICE TO THE VOTERS.
UM, THE, UM, WITNESS SIGNATURE, THE NO EXCUSE VOTING, NONE OF THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR NOVEMBER.
AND WE'RE WAITING ON THE LEGISLATURE TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
I TALKED TO BRADLEY AND, UH, UH, BUILD HER
SO NOTHING WE DO IS OUTSIDE THE LAW, UNLESS THEY PASS A, UM, YOU KNOW, A EDICT THAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING FOR A PARTICULAR ELECTION.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GOING OUTSIDE THE LAW FOR ANY OF THIS STUFF.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS RIGHT THERE? THE CHAIRMAN, I THINK THE NOVEMBER ELECTION I'M HOPING IS, IS A LITTLE MORE RELAXED THAN THE ONE IN JUNE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE OR NOT, THE CORONA KEEPS HANGING AROUND, BUT, UM, IT SEEMS TO BE THE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE I'VE RUN INTO THAT DIDN'T WORK IN JUNE OR LEANING TOWARD WORKING IN NOVEMBER, WHICH I HOPE THAT DOES CONTINUE.
BUT, UM, EIGHT, SOME OF THOSE NEW POLL WORKERS AND THE RECRUITING IS GOING, GOING EXTREMELY WELL.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, YOU SAID YOU'VE GOTTEN MURRAY, BUT I THINK YOU'VE GOTTEN FOR A TRADING THE WINDOW
[01:15:03]
WINDOW, LIKE HE'S ALREADY, IS HE STILL THERE? WE TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER ABOUT 300 OR SO.HOW MANY APPLICATIONS DO YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW? WE HAVE OVER 360 APPLICATIONS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THOSE SET UP, GET THE PAPERWORK AND EVERYTHING.
AND I DID SEND, UH, ESSENTIALLY EMAIL DISREGARD.
THE SECOND PART OF THAT EMAIL, JUST USE THE FIRST PART OF THE EMAIL, SEND THEM TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA VOLTS GOV SITE AND HAVE BEEN FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION.
THAT WAY WE CAN TRACK THEM BETTER THAN YOU GIVING ME A NUMBER.
WE HAVE TO HAVE AN EMAIL CAUSE WE HAVE TO SEND THEM TO TRAIN BLANK AND EVERYTHING.
THAT WAY WE CAN KEEP A BETTER TRACK OF, BUT THAT'S THE VOTES SC.GOV.
AND THERE'S A LINK THAT SAYS, UH, APPLY TO BE, I WANT TO BE A POLL WORKER OR A POOL MANAGER AND THAT FORM, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY GENERATE AND COME TO US AND GIVE US ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO GET THEM SIGNED UP.
NOW, NOW I SAY THREE 60, BUT DID YOU SEND SOMETHING TO MR. PELLEY EARLIER? MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PEOPLE GO, THEY CAN'T WORK IF THEY DON'T TAKE THE CLASS.
YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE THAT WE'VE SENT THE EMAIL TO WITH THE LINK AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T TO UP AND TAKE THE CLASS.
SO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GO ONLINE AND TAKE THE IN CLASS.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE CAN LET THEM WORK, THAT THEY GO ON THROUGH THE WHOLE TRAINING.
SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE PAPERWORK WE MEET, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THEM HAVING TO TRAIN THEM IS ALSO EMBEDDED IN THE FLYER.
I UNDERSTAND, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, SOMEBODY TOLD ME THAT IT WASN'T WORKING TODAY, HEARD THAT TODAY.
SO JUST SEND THEM TO THE WEBSITE INSTEAD OF THE S DOT BECAUSE IT'LL ACTUALLY LINK WEIGHT TO IT.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2:00 PM.
BY THE WAY, I TALKED TO MARIE BEFORE THIS MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO START MEETING BACK IN A ROOM AGAIN.
I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD YOU ALL FEEL, BUT I WOULD RATHER MEET THE, THIS WEBEX, I GUESS IT'S GETTING A LITTLE BETTER.
UM, BUT NOT MY FAVORITE MODE OF RUNNING THEM OR HAVING A MEETING.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, UH, SINCE THE COUNTY IS STAYING PRETTY SHUT DOWN, MARIE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH HAVING EVERYBODY IN THERE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO WEEKS BACK TO GETTING TOGETHER SO WE CAN SEE EACH OTHERS, UH, AND TALK TO EACH OTHER.
UM, OKAY, WELL, NO OTHER COMMENTS AND NEXT MEETING IS SEPTEMBER 23RD, THEN I GUESS WE WILL ADJOURN.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MARIE FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
THAT WAS, I'VE GOTTEN A HUNDRED QUESTIONS AND THAT PRESENTATION ANSWERED EVERY ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
THAT WAS A GOOD PRESENTATION, MARIE.
I HAVE ONE MORE THING TO TALK ABOUT.
COUPLE DAYS AGO, I GOT AN EMAIL FROM OUR CHAIRMAN AND HIS QUESTION OF ME WAS THAT I KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, UH, THIS BEING A MULTI PAGE EMAIL THAT OBVIOUSLY BEGAN WITH INFORMATION BEING SHARED OUTSIDE THIS BODY WITH PEOPLE.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW RON AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HERE, RON, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU, UM, KNEW THE IDENTITY OF ANY OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THIS THREAD.
NOW MY CONCERN HERE IS TWOFOLD.
WE ARE BOUNDED BY, IN MY JUDGMENT, THAT NEEDS TO BE FOLLOWED ALL THE TIME.
AND THAT IS, WE ARE TRANSPARENT PERIOD.
SO IT'S NOT THE FACT THAT THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE BALLOT DROP BOXES IS OUT THERE BEFORE WE
[01:20:01]
FINALLY IN FERNLEY VOTED ON THAT TODAY.THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THIS THREAD.
IN MY JUDGMENT, THERE WAS LANGUAGE IN THIS THREAD OF EMAILS THAT IS HYPER-PARTISAN.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD GO SO FAR AS TO SAY, UM, AN ATTEMPT ON CERTAIN PERSON'S PARTS TO, TO GREET THIS BOARD AND ITS CONSIDERATIONS AS A PREMIER OBJECTIVE.
I'M TRYING TO BE AS NICE AS I CAN.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS GOT OUT.
IT IS PUBLIC INFORMATION, BUT IT WAS NOT USED IN A MANNER THAT WOULD INDICATE TO ME AS A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD, THAT OUR CONCERNS WERE BEING TAKEN CARE OF AT ANY LEVEL.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP THIS, BUT IF ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD NEEDS TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE, PLEASE COME TO US FIRST.
WE ARE CONSTITUTED TO SERVE THE ELECTORATE.
THERE'S TRASH DOES NOT SERVE THOSE PURPOSES.
WE HAD A PROPOSAL THAT JIM READ A WHILE AGO ABOUT THE BALLOT BOXES.
UM, I ASKED HIM TO WRITE UP SOMETHING SO THAT WE COULD VOTE ON THOSE BALLOT BOXES.
SO OUR BOARD, HE, HE AND MARINA HADN'T TALKED AND HE SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE IT.
SO HE WROTE UP THE PROPOSAL, SEND IT TO THE BOARD.
THE NEXT THING I KNEW, I WAS GETTING A COUPLE OF EMAILS FROM SOME PEOPLE OFF OF THE BOARD ABOUT THAT.
AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY GOT IT.
IT'S OLD SAYING IS IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S SENT TO YOU FOR A BOARD MEETING OR SOMETHING, WE'D JUST ASSUME, KEEP THAT AMONG THE BOARD.
ONLY UNTIL WE TALK ABOUT IT AND ADDRESS IT OR VOTE ON IT OR WHATEVER.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANY DAMAGE DONE OR ANYTHING, BUT IT WAS JUST KIND OF CONCERNING THAT IT WAS OUT THERE WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER PEOPLE COMMENTING ON WHETHER WE OUGHT TO HAVE BALLOT BOXES OR NOT, AND, UH, REALLY NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS.
UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THAT COMMENT IS ABOUT.
SO LET'S JUST MAKE SURE WE KEEP THE BOARD'S BUSINESS AMONG THE BOARD, NOT SCATTERED OUT BEFORE WE HAVE TIME TO DISCUSS IT AT A MEETING.
IS THAT THE FINAL, FINAL WORD? DO WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS SHOWING UP? WE APPRECIATE BEING HERE AND A GOOD MEETING.
SO WE'LL MEET AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER AND WE'RE ALL AVAILABLE THING GOING ON.
ALL THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO ON DEMAND.
GO TO BUFORD COUNTY, SC.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS.
CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM BLISS TO ORDER IF YOU'D LIKE A DVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THIS IS LARRY ROLAND, AND THIS IS A BUFORD COUNTY MOMENT.
ONE OF THE EXCITING ASPECTS OF COLOGNE, THE COLONIAL SEA ISLANDS WAS THE ARRIVAL OF NUMEROUS FREEBOOTERS AND PIRATES IN THIS AREA.
THE PIRACY AND THE CARIBBEAN WAS ESSENTIALLY ENDED IN 1713 WITH A TREATY BETWEEN SPAIN AND ENGLAND.
BUT THE PIRATES WHO, UH, HAD INFESTED THE
[01:25:01]
SPANISH MAIN FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, MOVED NORTH MANY, MOVED INTO THE BAHAMAS.MANY MOVED INTO THE SEA ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST AND INTO THE OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THIS AREA, THE COMMON PIRATE HANGOUT WAS THE COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH WAS LESS POPULATED AND LESS DEFENDED THAN EITHER OF THE SEA ISLANDS OR THE NORTH COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IN 17, 19 SOUTH CAROLINA, SUNDAY FLEET TO NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH CAPTURED STEVE BONNET AND SANK.
HIS VESSEL DROVE BLACKBEARD'S NORTH INTO BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE VIRGINIANS CAPTURED HIS VESSEL AND KILLED A BLACK BEAR.
AND HIS VESSEL QUEEN ANNE'S REVENGE IS BEING ARCHEOLOGICALLY RECOVERED OFF OF BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA, AS WE SPEAK, UH, SOUTH OF CHARLESTON, THIS PLACE BECAME A VERY ACTIVE CENTER FOR A PRIVATEER WAR IN THE 1730S AND 1740S.
THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY A CONTEST BETWEEN THE SPANISH AND ST.
AUGUSTINE AND THE ENGLISH AND CHARLESTON DURING THE 1740S SPANISH PRIVATEERS INFESTED THIS COAST AND VIRTUALLY STOPPED THE MARITIME TRADE FROM PORT ROYAL, NEAR BUFORD AND FROM CHARLESTON HARBOR.
THE MOST NOTABLE OF THOSE SPANISH PRIVATEERS WAS FRANCISCO LORENZO.
HE CAPTURED MANY SOUTH CAROLINIANS IN HIS VOYAGES CAPTURED 56 ENGLISH VESSELS OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE SINGLE YEAR OF 1741.
BUT ALL OF HIS PRISONERS, HE TREATED WELL WHEN HE WAS FINALLY CAPTURED BY SOUTH CAROLINA NAVAL FORCES IN LATE 1741, HE WAS TAKEN TO CHARLESTON AND THE POPULATION ASSEMBLED AND CHEERED HIM WHEN HE CAME TO SHORE BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN SUCH AN HONORABLE PIRATE.
IF THERE IS SUCH A THING, OTHER PIRATES, FRENCH AND SPANISH CONTINUED TO INVEST THE COAST FROM 1742 TO 1744.
AND THEN AGAIN FROM 1748 TO 1751, THE LAST SPANISH PIRATE DON JULIAN DE VEGA, UH, WAS HERE AS LATE AS 1760.
AND HE WAS CAPTURED BY SPANISH GARDA, KOSTAS, NOT ENGLISH COAST GUARDS.
DURING THAT TIME, THE BEAUTIFUL TONY AND THE CHARLESTONIANS BUILT TO INLAND GALLEYS, ROWED GALLEYS WITH HEAVY GUNS THAT COULD PROTECT THE INLAND WATERS FROM THE SPANISH AND FRENCH FREE BOOTS.
BUT BETWEEN 1739, WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR OF JENKINS EAR AND 1763, WHICH WAS THE TREATY OF PARIS THAT ENDED THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
THIS WAS AN ACTIVE AREA FOR PRIVATEERS AND PIRATES AND THEIR COUNTER FORCES, THE GALLEYS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND JORDAN.
THIS HAS BEEN A BUFORD COUNTY HOMELAND TO SEE MORE BEAVER COUNTY MOMENTS, GO TO THE BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
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