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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAVER COUNTY.
UH, WE GOT A FLAG OR ARE WE GOING TO GO LOOK AT THAT? OKAY, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
THIS WILL BE A SHORTER THREE WHEELING, MEANING JUST GETTING READY FOR THIS ELECTION.
WE WENT LAST TIME THROUGH ALL THE LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT WERE UP THERE AND SO FORTH AND TALKED THROUGH THAT.
I WAS THINKING THIS MEETING WOULD BE MORE WAS THIS LAST TIME.
NOW WE DO HAVE A, A REAL SMALL BRIEF LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM THE LAST MEETING AND A FEW ELECTIONS UPDATE.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UM, THAT'S IT.
WE GET EVERYBODY TO MUTE THEIR PHONES.
THERE'S A LOT OF BACKGROUND NOISE.
DO YOU HAVE TO COME BACK ON MUTE AND DISAPPEAR? SO WE'VE GOT A BIT RICHER AND DID IT, MAN, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I DO.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I HAVE A FEW BRIEF COMMENTS AND SEVERAL QUESTIONS IF I MAY, AND THEN I WILL BE GLAD TO EMAIL THE QUESTIONS TO WHOMEVER YOU DIRECT ME TO SO THAT YOU ALL CAN ANSWER THEM IF THAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL.
YOU WANT ME TO GO AHEAD AND START NOW? OKAY.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, MR. CHAIRMAN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND STAFF.
I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SO BUSY AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
I'M IN BANDER READING ON BEHALF OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN FIRST, AND AS YOU KNOW, THE LEAGUE IS FOCUSED ON GETTING OUT THE BOAT AND MAKING SURE VOTERS HAVE ACCURATE AND TIMELY INFORMATION.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE ASSISTANCE WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR AND GETTING ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, AND BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT YOUR WORK AND THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, WHICH WE THINK ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME PAGE AND THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THERE IS TIMELESS.
THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
UM, AND THEY MAY BE THINGS YOU WANNA CONSIDER PUTTING ON THE, ON THE WEBSITE BECAUSE WE'RE HEARING THEM.
UH, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS IS THAT IT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DIFFERENT GROUPS COME INTO THE BOARD OFFICES.
WE'RE GOING TO BE IN SEPARATE LINES TO MINIMIZE COVID SPREAD AND MAKE THE PROCESSING MORE EFFICIENT.
AND NOW VOTERS RETIRING THEIR BALLOTS IN PERSON ARE KIND OF LIMITED TO THE EIGHT TO NINE IN THE MORNING AND MAYBE FOUR TO FIVE IN THE AFTERNOON.
OTHERWISE THEY HAVE TO STAY IN THE SAME LINE AS PEOPLE COMING TO VOTE ABSENTEE IN PERSON.
AND THE QUESTION WE'RE GETTING IS CAN, AND WILL THIS BE CORRECTED IN THE FINAL TWO WEEKS BEFORE
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THE ELECTION? SO THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE TWO LINES THROUGHOUT THE DAY FOR SAFER AND MORE EFFICIENT PROCESS.SECOND QUESTION IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THOSE EARLY BALLOTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED BY HAND OR MAIL THAT WERE WITHOUT THE WITNESS SIGNATURES WHEN THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS THE RULING.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE SPECIFIC PROCESS THAT WILL BE USED TO HANDLE THESE AND THE LEGAL OR POLICY SOURCE FOR THAT DECISION? THE THIRD THAT IS RELATED TO THAT IS IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND NOT JUST THESE EARLY ONES THAT MAY NOT HAVE A WITNESS SIGNATURE, BUT OTHERS, UM, WHAT REMEDIATION OR CURE IS ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW AND OUR VOTERS NOTIFIED IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY CORRECT ANY OF THOSE FOURTH IS CAN THE BOARD POST A REPORT OF VOTING VOLUME BY PRECINCT, UH, SO FAR, AND THEN ON A REGULAR BASIS UNTIL THE NOVEMBER 3RD, ARE YOU CAPTURING THAT DATA? AND THE LAST QUESTION IS YES.
UM, UH, ARE, ARE YOU, IS THE STAFF KEEPING, UH, VOTING VOLUMES BY PRECINCT? HOW MANY HAVE COME IN, UM, YOU KNOW, TO VOTE ABSOLUTELY DATA AND REPORT THAT OUT.
AND THE LAST QUESTION THAT WE HAVE IS GIVEN THAT, UH, THE STAFF SIZE IS SO LIMITED, HAVE Y'ALL CONSIDERED, UH, ASKING, TRAINED POLL WORKERS TO ASSIST IN THE BALLOT OPENING PROCESS, ESPECIALLY ON SUNDAY DAY TO HELP RELIEVE THE STAFF WORKLOAD DEMAND.
UM, BECAUSE ON MONDAY WE KNOW THAT THE STAFF ARE GOING TO BE, UH, NOVEMBER 2ND STAFF WILL BE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC WHO ARE STILL VOTING ABSOLUTELY IN PERSON AND RETURNING.
SO THEIR TIME MAY BE LIMITED IF THE OPENING WORK ISN'T COMPLETED ON SUNDAY.
AND IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ENGAGE, UH, POLL WORKERS WITH THAT OPENING PROCESS, WHEN DO YOU PLAN TO REACH OUT WHAT, IS THERE A PROCESS BY WHICH PEOPLE COULD APPLY AND ABOUT HOW MANY, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THAT YOU MIGHT NEED? UM, WE WOULD CERTAINLY DO OUR BIT TO PROMOTE THIS, IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LET YOU KNOW THE QUESTIONS WE'RE HEARING AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING OF CONTINUING ASSISTANCE, UH, BOTH NOW THROUGH THE ELECTION THEN AFTERWARDS.
AND THANKS FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS, I WILL BE GLAD TO MAIL THEM TO, UH, I CAN MAIL THEM TO THAT EMAIL ADDRESS.
THAT'S ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW, IF THAT'S OKAY AND DO EXACTLY WHAT I JUST READ AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
WELL, I'LL TAKE A STAB AT SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS AND MARIE, YOU JUMP IN.
IF I GO OFF THE TRAIL OR YOU CAN DO IT, IF YOU'D RATHER IT'S UP TO YOU.
I DON'T THINK I CAUGHT THEM ALL BACK IN HERE.
AND THEN YOU JUST ADD TO IT TWO LINES, ONE FOR THE PAPER BALLOTS COMING IN, OR ONE FOR PEOPLE VOTING IN PERSON ABSENTEE.
YOU WE'VE GOT THAT GOING AT ALL THREE LOCATIONS.
I THINK MR. CLIFFORD, UM, AT ALL THREE LOCATIONS, WE ALL RECEIVE AN ABSENTEE BALLOT AS THEY COME IN.
THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING AND ONLY BEING ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IN THE FACILITY AT ONE TIME, IT'S, UH, IT'S CAUSING A WAIT TIME AND BUFORD OFFICE, UM, ONLY HAVE THREE COUNTING WINDOWS AND WE CAN ONLY USE TWO RIGHT NOW, OTHER THAN PEOPLE WILL BE TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER IN ORDER TO PROCESS BALANCE, UM, AS THEY COME IN.
BUT, UM, IT'S ONLY BEING RECOMMENDED THAT THOSE FOLKS, ANY WAIT TIME, UM, IF THEY COME BETWEEN THE HOURS OF EIGHT, NINE, AND FOUR AND FIVE, SO THAT THEY WON'T BE ANY WAIT TIME, BUT, UM, NO ONE IS EVER BEING TURNED AWAY.
WE JUST ARE ONLY ABLE TO PROCESS THEM AS THEY COME IN DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE TO EXAMINE EVERY BALLOT WHEN IT COMES IN.
AND WE DO HAVE TO, UH, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE RETURNING FOR OTHER FOLKS, WE HAVE TO EXAMINE, UH, SORRY, RECEIVE THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK AND RECORD THAT IN THE COMPUTER IN ORDER FOR THEM TO, UM, BE PROCESSED COMPLETELY.
ALL OF OUR SITES PRETTY MUCH HAVE THE SAME OBSTACLE WITH, UM, SPACING, WHICH CALLS FOR SOME CONVENIENCE
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OR THIS LADY ALREADY TURNING BALANCE.WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE EARLY BALLOTS THAT WENT OUT WITH THE LITTLE THING THAT SAID THAT THERE WAS A COURT RULING AND YOU DIDN'T NEED A WITNESS? OUR BALLOTS ACTUALLY MAIL TILL OCTOBER 5TH.
AND I THINK THAT RULING CHANGED ABOUT THAT TIME.
AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY EARLY BALLOTS THAT CAME IN WITHOUT A WITNESS SAYS, IS THAT TRUE? MARIE, WE HAVE VERY FEW THAT WERE RECEIVED OUT SIGNATURES BEFORE THE SEVENTH.
UM, BUT AFTER THE SEVENTH WE HAVE OVER 275 BALLOTS THAT WERE RECEIVED WITHOUT WITNESSING ALL ADD ON VOTER SIGNATURES.
AND I GUESS THE NEXT QUESTION WAS WE HAVE PROBLEMS LIKE THAT.
DO WE HAVE ANY WAY OF GOING BACK OUT AND CORRECTING THEM? AND, UM, WE REALLY DON'T, YOU ACTUALLY, THAT STATEMENT STATED THAT THERE WERE THE RULING, HOWEVER THINGS CAN CHANGE.
SO WE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT THEY GOT A WITNESS SIGNATURE AND ON THE ENVELOPE, BUT IT HAS A BLOCK ON THERE WITH BIG LETTERS SAYING, MUST HAVE A WITNESS SIGNATURE.
WE GO THROUGH THIS, EVERY ELECTION WE GET, WE GET SOMETHING BACK.
WHETHER WE HAVE A NOTE IN IT, OR DON'T HAVE A NOTE IN, IF WE GET SOMETHING BACK WITHOUT THE WITNESS AND THE SIGNATURES FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND WE DO NOT HAVE A GOOD WAY OF, WE DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO SIT DOWN AND CALL ON PEOPLE AND SAY, HEY, THIS WAS DONE WRONG.
I GET THAT KIND OF WORKING WITH CHAN, JUST THAT MR. CLIFFORD IS FORBIDDEN BY THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION.
WE CAN GO AWAY TO REMEDY, UH, THERE'S NO REMEDY FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO DID NOT PUT A WITNESS SIGNATURE OR THEIR OWN SIGNATURE.
UM, THAT WAS THOSE BALANCES THAT WERE IN THE MAIL.
SO THOSE BALLOTS WILL NOT BE COUNTED UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING AND LEGISLATION.
I THINK WE'VE KEPT TRACK OF HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT VOTED ABSENTEE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE MAKE THAT PUBLIC.
I MEAN, JUST THE RAW NUMBER, WHICH DOESN'T TELL ANYBODY ANYTHING OTHER THAN X NUMBER OF PEOPLE VOTED AT EACH LOCATION.
WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS DON'T WE WE'RE EAT.
I READ THROUGH AND WE HAVE REPORT THAT WE ARE PREPARING AND FINALIZING.
WELL, PLEASE ALREADY PREPARED.
WE JUST TRYING TO GET IT FINALIZED WHERE, UM, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SHEET OF PAPER AND WE ARE PLANNING ON SHARING THAT REPORT TO THE PUBLIC WITH THE PUBLIC ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
AND WE ARE GOING TO ALSO INCLUDE PARTIES AND CANDIDATES WHERE THEY CAN HAVE THIS INFORMATION AS WELL, BUT IT'S JUST A BROKEN DOWN BY PRECINCT.
NOW THAT JUST TOTAL NUMBERS OF PEOPLE VOTED, RIGHT? UM, IT'S IT'S UM, INCLUDING OH, VOLTS THAT CAME IN BY MAIL AND IN PERSON BALANCE, NOT, NOT VOTES BALANCE.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT HAVING HELP IN THERE TO TRY TO OPEN ALL OF THE BALLOTS.
AND THAT'S JUST THE EXTERNAL ENVELOPE.
IT'S NOT THE ENVELOPE THAT HAS THE BALLOT IN IT.
IT'S JUST OPENING THE MAILER UP JUST TO GET THE ENVELOPE OUT.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT WHERE GOT SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE GOING TO VOLUNTEER TO COME IN ON THE SUNDAY, BEFORE THE ELECTION AND HELP WITH THIS, UM, POLL ARE ALSO VOLUNTEERING TO MISS THE CLIFFORD.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO SAY YOU GOT PLENTY OF THOSE VOLUNTEERING.
ARE YOU GOING TO GO BACK FOR MORE OR WHAT NOW? I THINK WITH OUR SPACING AGAIN, WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH ROOM, SO SPACING.
I THINK THAT WAS ALL THE QUESTIONS.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I JOTTED IT DOWN.
UM, YES, THOSE WERE THE QUESTIONS.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION ON THAT ONE ABOUT YOU'RE FORBIDDEN BY THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION FROM CORRECTING
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PROBLEMS? IS THAT REACHING OUT? IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTOOD? UH, WE HAVE DIRECTED FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE ELECTION OFFICE.UM, AND DINO IS THE, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND HER BOARD, THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION BOARD, UM, INSTRUCTED HER THAT, UM, WHO INSTRUCTED US THAT THERE'S NO REMEDY, UH, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UM, NO WITNESS SIGNATURES ATTACHED TO THEIR BALLOT AT THIS TIME.
THIS IS, UH, I REPEAT, THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE WHOLE TIME I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD.
WE ALWAYS GET A BUNCH OF THOSE ENVELOPES BACK WITH NOT ONLY THE WITNESS MISSING, SOME OF THEM HAVE THE VOTER MISSING, UM, WHICH IS, HAS BEEN A PROBLEM, WHICH WE'VE TRIED TO REMEDY, BUT IT HADN'T WORKED SO FAR.
SO, UM, THEY'RE CHANGING THE GEARS A LITTLE BIT HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE VIRTUAL MEETINGS ARE WONDERFUL, EXCEPT THAT I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE PICTURES HERE.
AND IT'S PROBABLY THE OPERATOR ERROR ON MY END, BUT, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THEM PICTURES ON HERE.
I'VE GOT MARIE AND I'VE GOTTEN, UM, MS. BENDER.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE OR WHERE WE THINK WE ARE GETTING TO THE PRECINCT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN I GOT MURRAY AND, UM, FULL, FULL SCREEN ANYWAY, UM, WE'VE GOT, OR AT LEAST I HAVEN'T GOT PLENTY OF POLL WORKERS AND I WOULD LIKE TO JUST OPEN IT UP TO A DISCUSSION FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS ABOUT WHERE YOU THINK YOU'RE STANDING FOR THE ELECTION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW READY ARE YOU AND SO FORTH.
ANYBODY WANT TO VOLUNTEER? THIS IS FLOW CROSSY.
UM, I I'VE GOT MY PRECINCTS PRETTY WELL COVERED.
WELL, YOU ARE RIGHT IN THE SCREEN.
UM, BUT I NEED A FEW MORE PEOPLE AND I THINK WINDOW WILL PROBABLY SEND ME THOSE.
UM, AND, BUT I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WE HAD TO BACK OUT.
CAN I ASK THOSE NOW OR LATER? OKAY.
UM, PEOPLE, SOME PEOPLE I'VE HEARD, UH, HE HAD A NOTE THAT SOMEONE APPLIED FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT ON OCTOBER 8TH AND NEVER RECEIVED IT AND HAD BEEN GIVEN SEVERAL DIFFERENT NUMBERS TO CALL.
AND, UH, SO THAT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED WITH THAT PERSON.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT PERSON'S NAME RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT'S ONE ISSUE.
UM, THE OTHER ISSUE IS, UM, SOMEONE WAS TOLD THAT CURBSIDE VOTING WAS NOT AVAILABLE AFTER 3:30 PM.
NO CURBSIDE IN-PERSON VOTING, UH, ELECTION DAY.
NOW, NOW A COUPLE WAS TURNED AWAY BECAUSE IT WAS THREE 34, MARIE.
YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT? MARIE? WE ARE, WE ARE PROCESSING 50 AND 60 CURBSIDE VOTERS A DAY.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT INFORMATION CAME FROM, BUT THE PROBLEM IS MRS. ROSSI.
AND I KNOW MOST OF YOU PROBABLY THAN THE HEARING IT, THAT CURBSIDE VOTING IS LIKE WE PRACTICE AT THE ELECTION.
POLLING PLACES IS CURBSIDE VOTERS.
DON'T GET SPECIAL PRIVILEGE BECAUSE THEY DRIVE UP.
THEY STILL HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE.
AND WE FIND A LOT OF THE CURBSIDE VOTERS ARE NOT WILLING TO WAIT IN LINE FOR SERVICE.
AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT NO ONE IS BEING TURNED AWAY.
IF THEY ARE WILLING TO WAIT, THEY WILL BE SERVED.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, THIS WAS THE LATINO COUPLE THAT WAS TURNED AWAY AT THREE 30.
UM, THEN THE OTHER, ANOTHER ISSUE IS SOME, UM, PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT IF THEY VOTE, SOME PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO VOTE STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC TICKETS AND JAMIE HARRISON'S NAME DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE BALLOT.
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HAVE YOU HAD ISSUES WITH THAT? YES, MA'AM, I'VE HEARD THAT.UM, AND THAT'S NOT CORRECT AS WELL IF YOU'RE VOTING WHAT FOLDER'S PROBABLY DOING, AND THIS IS WHAT, UM, WE WANT PHOTOS OF PROBABLY DOING IS THEY ARE SELECTING THE STREET PARTY.
UM, WHEN THEY DO THAT, ALL THE CANDIDATES THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PARTY WILL BE SELECTED AUTOMATICALLY.
AND THEN THEY ARE GOING TO THE ACTUAL, UM, CANDIDATE AND SELECTING THEM AGAIN.
AND WHEN THEY DO THAT, THEY ARE DESELECTING THE CANDIDATE.
AND THEN, UM, ONE OTHER THING IS THAT WE ARE, WE'RE RUNNING ON EARLY VOTING WHERE WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE ABOUT 30% OF THE VOTE IN, ARE WE NOT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATISTICS ARE.
WELL, ASSUMING WE HAVE BETWEEN 25 AND 30% IN, AND ASSUMING THAT WE HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND VOTERS, WE'RE LOOKING AT 70,000 VOTERS ON ELECTION DAY.
MA'AM 435,000 IF THEY DECIDE TO SHOW UP ON ELECTION DAY.
I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, TO GET COMPLAINT ABOUT THE JAMIE HARRISON SITUATION.
AND YOU'RE SAYING MARIE, THAT IF THEY VOTE STRAIGHT PARTY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S CAUSING A PROBLEM IN TERMS OF GOING BACK INDIVIDUALLY, SELECT PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S THE PROBLEM OR NOT, BUT THE PERSON SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SHARE THE BALLOT.
AND YOU SAYING THAT THEY CAN, YOU CAN TAKE A PICTURE OF THE BALLOT, BUT I'VE HAD THE SAME COMPLAINT THAT JAMIE HARRISON'S NAME IS NOT ON THE BALLOT.
AND, UM, I'M GETTING ALL DAY EVERY DAY, UM, FROM HOME MANAGERS WHO CANNOT REACH ANYBODY DOWN AT THE, UM, VOTE REGISTRATION OFFICE, REALIZE THAT EVERYBODY IS BUSY, BUT I THINK WE NEED SOMEBODY TO AT LEAST ANSWER THE PHONE DOWN THERE.
UH, I'VE HAD PROBLEMS GETTING, I THINK I ENDED UP CHECKS TOO MUCH MURRAY, BUT, UM, IS THERE SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW, WHO'S FROZEN THE NOISE, BUT EVERYTHING IS OFF AT MY HOUSE, BUT, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE STAFF DOWN THERE? UH, BEVERLY, COULD I USE THE ASS, SAY SOMETHING HERE? IF I HAD MORE INFORMATION, I COULD ANSWER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS FROM MY COWORKERS, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS.
AND SO I HAVE TO REFER THEM TO WINDOW CONSTANTLY.
IF I HAD A LIST OF WHAT I SHOULD BE REPLYING, I COULD FEEL SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS FROM MY POLL WORKERS, BUT WITHOUT DO YOU CANNOT ANSWER THE QUESTION WHY YOU CANNOT GET ONTO WEBEX, UM, TO TAKE THE TRAINING.
THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU CANNOT ANSWER, AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT I'M REFERRING TO.
PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING ON.
UM, ONE, ONE LADY HAS GOT BEEN SCHEDULED AND SHE CALLED ME A FEW MINUTES AGO FOR THE THIRD TIME.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM LINGERS, W WHEN IS SHE GOING TO, UM, TAKE THE TRAINING? UM, SHE'S NOT BEEN ABLE TO REGISTER FOR IT.
SHE DIDN'T GET THE FEMALES SIGN UP.
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT I'M REFERRING TO.
AND I THINK I ANSWER THAT QUESTION TO MARIE AND THE STAFF.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR TRYING TO ANSWER.
UM, AND THEN I'LL RESPOND THIS BADLY.
I CAN'T ANSWER ALL OF THEM, CAUSE I DON'T KNOW.
I VOTED ON FIRST DAY AND I TOO WAS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF CANDIDATES NOT BEING ON THE BALLOT.
AND SO WHEN I WENT THROUGH AND WAS VOTING, I WAS MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS THERE AND ALL THE CANDIDATES THAT I KNOW WERE ON THE BALLOT, WHETHER THEY WERE, UM, ONE PARTY OR ANOTHER, I SAW THEM ALL THE, AT LEAST THAT'S MY EXPERIENCE.
AS FAR AS THE STAFF IN THERE, THREE OR FOUR TIMES WITHIN THE LAST FIVE OR SIX DAYS AND EACH AND EVERY MEMBER OF THAT STAFF IS HELPING VOTERS OR, UM, DOING
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ONE OF THE WEB TRAININGS.SO YEAH, IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH, BUT, UM, THEY'RE ALL, IT'S, THERE'S NO ONE JUST SITTING AROUND, AT LEAST THAT'S JUST MY EXPERIENCE WITH IT AND HAD BEEN FRUSTRATED TOO, WITHOUT WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THROUGH.
I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION.
I JUST, I, ALL I KNOW IS THAT THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS.
EVEN MARIE JUST TOLD ME TODAY, I NEED VOLUNTEERS TO ANSWER THE PHONE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WOULD HELP THE SITUATION IF THEY IS, IF THEY HAD VOLUNTEERS THERE TO HELP THEM ANSWER THE PHONE.
AND THAT'S ALL I KNOW, AS FAR AS ANYTHING THEY CAUGHT ANY OF YOUR, I WAS NOT IMPLYING THAT THEY'RE NOT WORKING.
I'M JUST SAYING MAYBE THE COUNTY CAN OFFER SOME MORE SUPPORT OR I DON'T MIND COMING DOWN, VOLUNTEERING A FEW HOURS MYSELF.
I WAS JUST SEEKING A SOLUTION.
I'M NOT IMPLYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT WORKING THEIR BUTTS OFF BECAUSE THEY DO IT YEAR AFTER YEAR, TIME AFTER TIME, I HAVE A TESTIMONY THAT THIS IS THE BEST STAFF IN THE WHOLE COUNTY.
AND, UM, I JUST THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD JUST THROW SOME SUGGESTIONS OUT AS TO HOW WE CAN HELP AS COMMISSIONERS, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE DOING ALL THAT THEY CAN DO.
I GOT A CALL FROM SUE RODMAN AND HE WAS OFFERING COUNTY PERSONNEL TO COME IN AND HELP.
AND I TALKED TO MARIE, THE PROBLEM IS YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE A GREEN PERSON THAT HAS NO, NO IDEA WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT AND PUT THEM ON A TELEPHONE IN THERE, EXPECT THEM TO DO MUCH GOOD.
YOU GOT TO TRAIN THEM SOMEHOW.
WE'RE SO BUSY TRAINING POLL WORKERS AND SO FORTH.
MARIE, WHY DON'T YOU COMMENT? YOU SAID THERE WASN'T THAT MANY PLACES TO PUT PEOPLE, TO SIT, TO ANSWER PHONES ANYWAY, AND FRUSTRATING.
AND NOBODY'S SAYING THAT EVERYBODY IS NOT JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS WHEN THEY'RE IN THE OFFICE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT IS A POINT OF CONTENTION THAT PEOPLE CALL US AND SAY, THEY CAN'T DO THIS.
AND SOME OF THAT SELF-IMPOSED I THINK FROM THE, FROM THE COWORKERS MARIE, YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON, IS THERE ANY WAY WE COULD HAVE ROOM FOR PEOPLE, EVEN IF WE GOT 25 VOLUNTEERS? W W WHAT WOULD YOU DO? YEAH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE WORKSTATIONS.
AND, UM, WE HAVE LIKE FOUR WORKSTATION IN THE STAFF AREA.
AND THOSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THREE VOLUNTEERS ON THOSE PHONES.
YOU JUST CAN'T PUT ANYBODY ON THE PHONE.
AND, UM, MOST INFORMATION, YOU HAVE TO GO INTO OUR VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM, WHICH DOES LIMIT, UM, ACCESS TO, UH, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
AND, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE VALANCE, SOME VOLUNTEERS HERE ALMOST EVERY DAY.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER AND WHY PEOPLE CAN'T GET THROUGH US BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO CALL AT THE SAME TIME.
AND WHEN YOU'RE ON THE PHONE, TRYING TO ANSWER A QUESTION AND PEOPLE ARE CALLING IN, YES, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A BUSY SIGNAL, OR IT'S GOING TO GO TO THAT VOICE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE UNPRECEDENTED IN TIME, THEN WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO ASK THE PUBLIC TO PEOPLE, PLEASE BE PATIENT.
AND, UM, THROUGH THIS, WE ARE RECEIVING, I GOT OVER 1200 EMAILS IN MY EMAIL BOX AND TRYING TO GO THROUGH THAT EVERY EVENING AND WINDOW HAVE THE SAME, AND CHRIS HAVE THE SAME.
AND SO IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST CAN ONLY PROCESS ONE EMAIL AT A TIME.
SO WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND GIVE VOLUNTEERS.
AND, UM, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH THEY CAN DO, RIGHT.
UM, WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING WHEN I LEAVE WORK, I'VE BEEN VISITING THE BLUFFTON OFFICE AND, UM, THEY'VE HAD, UM, SMOOTH TRANSACTIONS GOING ON THERE AND I'VE BEEN HELPING OUT AND, UM, LEARN A LOT OF STUFF.
UM, I WILL ALSO PUT MY NAME OUT THERE CAUSE I WORK IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT WE DON'T HAVE SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAYS.
SO I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO VOLUNTEER ALL DAY, EITHER AT BUFORD, UM, TO HELP.
BUT WHEN I'M ON WEDNESDAYS, I DO GO OUT.
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MARIE, WHEN I WAS WORKING AT AND T HERE IN HILTON HEAD, THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS, I HAD, UM, A VOTER THAT CALL ME OVER THERE AND SAID THAT HE HAD VOTED A STRAIGHT PARTY TICKET, BUT THEN HE WAS SHOWING ME THAT FIRST SCREEN.AND THEN THERE WAS A, NOBODY LIT UP.
AND I SAID, WELL, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LIT UP IF YOU DID A STRAIGHT PARTY.
AND HE SAID, WELL, YEAH, BUT THEN I VOTED FOR THE PRESIDENT AGAIN.
AND I SAID, NO, WELL, MAYBE WE SHOULD INCORPORATE A COMMENT OR SOMETHING BECAUSE ONCE THEY HIT THE STRAIGHT PARTY, LIKE YOU SAID, ALL OF THOSE STRAIGHT PARTY CANDIDATES ARE LIT UP AND THOSE ARE ALREADY VOTED AND YOU NEED TO JUST SKIP PAST ALL OF THAT AND GO TO THE ONES THAT ARE IN RON PARTISAN AND THEN VOTE FOR THE REST OF THEM.
BUT PEOPLE, AND I DIDN'T THINK THAT MUCH ABOUT IT.
CAUSE I ONLY HAD ONE THAT CAME UP AND I WAS THERE ABOUT 212 HOURS THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS.
AND UM, SO, UM, I DIDN'T THINK THAT MUCH, BUT IF THAT COMMENT IS COMING UP, THAT SOMEBODY WASN'T ON THE BALLOT AND I'M SURE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
THEY WENT IN THERE AND THEY RE HIT JAMIE HARRISON AND WHICH D VOTES, UH, THAT PERSON OR TAKES THEM OFF.
SO MAYBE WE OUGHT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THAT.
WHERE DO YOU THINK? SO THAT'S A PART OF THE PROCESS AND EXPLAINING TO THE VOTERS WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
AND CO-WORKERS, I KNOW IN THE BEEF OF THE OFFICE AND I'M SURE IN THE OTHERS AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO EXPLAINING THEM TO THEM, HOW TO OPERATE THE VOTING MACHINE, THEY ALSO REMINDING THEM HOW THE STRAIGHT PARTY DOES WORK AND REMINDING THEM TO REVIEW THEIR BALANCE BEFORE THEY LEAVE OR BEFORE THEY SEE IT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THEIR CANDIDATES ARE SELECTED.
AND IF IT'S NOT TO GO AHEAD AND QUESTION THE POLL MANAGER AS TO WHY CANDIDATES ARE NOT SELECTED SO THAT THEY'RE NOT HAVING VOTED FOR THE PEOPLE, THEY CAME TO VOTE FOR HIM WITHOUT HAVING SOME EXPLANATION, RIGHT.
THOSE WEBSITE LEAVES NO GOING BACK AND RESURRECTING THE BELL.
SO MR. ROBBINS HAS BEEN RAISING HIS HAND FOR AN HOUR.
WAIT A MINUTE, MR. ROWE, UNMUTE YOURSELVES.
ODDLY ENOUGH, A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, I SAT DOWN AND PUT DOWN SOME, SOME WORDS OF WISDOM.
I'M NOT SURE WHO WOULD CONCLUDE IT AFTER I GIVE THEM TO YOU THAT THEY'RE WORTH ANYTHING, BUT IN READING AND HEARING WHAT I'VE HEARD TODAY, PARTICULARLY WHAT I'VE HEARD TODAY, BUT, BUT FOR MANY, MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE STOPPED ME ON THE STREET, I'VE GOT TO STOP.
I GOT TO START WEARING MY GROUCHO OUTFIT AGAIN.
UM, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST CALL UP AND SAY, HEY, HOW COME I CAN'T DO THIS? HOW COME? AND TO ME, THE BIG ISSUE HERE THAT WE'VE BEEN ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS COMMUNICATION.
WE DON'T DO A GREAT JOB OF THAT IN THIS COUNTY.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE MORE RESOURCES I HAD SOME NOTES ABOUT SOME RESOURCES FOR RESPONDING TO TELEPHONE CALLS AND EMAILS.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT WE NEED TO DO IT TWO WEEKS AGO.
UM, CAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S, THE SOLUTION COMES A LITTLE BIT LATE IN THE GAME.
AND A SECOND POINT I'D LIKE TO BRING UP IS, IS LET'S TRY TO BE AS CLEAR AS WE CAN IN OUR INSTRUCTIONS TO QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.
AGAIN, GOING BACK TO PEOPLE THAT GRABBED YOU BY THE ELBOW ELBOW ELBOW, OR, OR, OR MAKE SEVERAL CALLS, WHATEVER, HOW ARE THEY CAN GET OUR ATTENTION, BELIEVE ME, THEY'RE GOING TO START WORKING THROUGH US.
THEY ALREADY HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RECENT EXAMPLE OF THE WITNESS SIGNATURE, NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN DONE MORE POORLY THAN THAT.
THE ALERT THAT WAS ENCLOSED IN THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS SAID THAT NO WITNESS NEEDED SITUATION COULD CHANGE.
OF COURSE THERE WAS NO WRITTEN UP.
THERE WAS NO WRITTEN FOLLOW-UP ALERTING VOTERS TO THE, TO THE, TO THE, TO THE CHANGE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO LEAVE US IN ALERT EVERY SINGLE TIME.
UM, AND PERHAPS MORE SERIOUSLY VOTERS WEREN'T TOLD WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF NO
[00:35:01]
WITNESS SIGNATURE APPEARED UNDER VOTER'S BALLOT.NOT A GOOD THING SINCE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED APPARENTLY BY THE PEOPLE WHO SIT UP IN COLUMBIA WHO CURE THE BALLOTS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT TO YOU.
THAT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE WE HAVE AT LEAST 275 BECAUSE THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WAS USED EARLIER IN THIS MEETING.
YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT EVERYBODY LISTENS TO THE MEDIA, DOESN'T LISTEN TO THE PAPER.
UH, YOU KNOW, I DID RE I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL CALLS TO MY HOME, MOSTLY ON MY CELL PHONE, UM, THAT THE VOTERS BELIEF THAT A WITNESS SIX SIGNATURE WASN'T WASN'T WASN'T WASN'T NEEDED BECAUSE AFTER ALL WE HAD INDEED SEEN IT WRITTEN DOWN.
BUT OF COURSE, AS WE KNOW, JUST LIKE THE DROP BOXES LONG AFTER THE LEGISLATURE VOTED TO DROP THEM, VOTERS STILL BELIEVED THAT THE BOXES WERE THERE.
AND THEN WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE THEY ARE COMING BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T SEEN HIM YET.
UM, I WANT TO TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND IF I COULD JUST OFFICES FOR THE OFFICES DECISIONS AND ACTION, I'LL JUST GIVE IT, I'LL GIVE ONE EXAMPLE FOR THE WHOLE WHOLE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO GO BACK AND CORRECT THE RECORD.
PEOPLE BREAK THOSE BALLOTS TO US IN GOOD FAITH.
THEY, THEY, THEY SUBMIT THEM IN GOOD FAITH.
AND FOR ONE OF THREE REASONS, AS I WAS TOLD RECENTLY, BY THE, BY THE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE, A VOTE CAN BE DISQUALIFIED FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING THREE MISSING SIGNATURE BY A WITNESS, A MISSING SIGNATURE BY THE PERSON WHO IS SUBMITTING THE BALLOT.
AND IF THE BALLOT IS NOT RECEIVED BY SEVEN O'CLOCK ON ELECTION DAY, IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE? YEP, IT IS.
UM, AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YES OR NO ANSWERS ARE NOT ENOUGH.
PEOPLE ARE WANT TO KNOW WHY I'D SURE.
WANT TO KNOW WHY IF I CALLED UP AND YOU COULDN'T TELL ME THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT SUBMISSION THAT I MADE, ISN'T SITTING OVER IN A CORNER SOMEWHERE BECAUSE A SIGNATURE IS MISSING.
WE AT LEAST HAVE TO HAVE AN ANSWER THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE, BECAUSE WHAT WE TELL PEOPLE IS THAT EVERY VOTE MATTERS, EVERY VOTE COUNTS, AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, IT DOESN'T HELP THIS BOARD AT ALL.
IF THE MEDIA IS TOLD THERE'S NO TIME TO MAKE CORRECTIONS OR THAT FEW OR NO QUOTE, DISQUALIFIED BALLOTS HAVE BEEN NOTICED THAT DOESN'T DO THIS BOARD ANY GOOD, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE SAYING ONE THING AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD SAYING, AND ANOTHER, WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME.
ISN'T THE SAME AS WE'VE BEEN TOLD, WE CAN'T, WE NEED TO GET OUR STORIES STRAIGHT.
WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO MOVE MONEY SO THAT THE RESOURCES CAN BE USED FROM NOW UNTIL NOVEMBER 3RD.
AT LEAST YOU, WE HAVE, AS PEOPLE HAVE SAID, WE HAVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO US.
WOULD I LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING IF I COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS PROBLEM, MOST OF THIS PROBLEM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WITH THE SIGNATURES AND BALLOT BOXES IS DUE TO THE LEGISLATURE AND THEY HAVE REALLY MESSED US UP.
AND I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD KNOW, AND THEY ARE THE ONES THAT SHOULD OFFER SOME EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THEY GO BACK AND FORTH AND IN AND OUT OF COURT ON THIS.
AND THEY DO IT WITHIN A WEEK OF WHEN PEOPLE ARE VOTING.
SO MY ISSUE IS WITH THE LEGISLATURE MORE THAN IT IS WITH OUR COUNTY OFFICE, TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THEM.
WELL, UM, IN RESPONSE TO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU SAID, JIM, UM, IN RECENT, IN PAST YEARS, WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT LITTLE NOTE THAT WENT IN THERE ABOUT THE PREVIOUS COURT RULING AND NO WITNESS SIGNATURE NEEDED.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU WHY THEY PUT THAT IN THERE.
IT WAS TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING A WITNESS WHICH MAY HAVE COVID OR WHATEVER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE REASON FOR HER WAS.
HOWEVER, THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THE WHOLE TIME I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD AND THESE ENVELOPES RIGHT NEXT TO THE VOTER'S SIGNATURE AND THE WITNESS SIGNATURE AS A BIG GREEN BLOCK THAT SAYS VOTER AND WITNESS SIGNATURES REQUIRED.
NOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON THE ENVELOPE.
AND IT TELLS THEM THEY'RE BOTH REQUIRED.
UM, AND I'M SAYING IN PREVIOUS YEARS, WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CONFUSION OF THE LITTLE NOTE, WE STILL
[00:40:01]
GOT A BUNCH OF BALLOT MISSING, MAYBE ONE OR BOTH, WHICH IS A PROBLEM.BUT I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT REGIS SAID ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO BACK AND DO ANYTHING.
BUT I THINK MY COMMENT WAS FAIR TO WE HAVEN'T GOT TIME TO, IF YOU HAVE 500, 700 TO 800 PEOPLE THAT DON'T DO THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO BACK AND REDO EVERYTHING FOR EVERYBODY.
YOU CAN ONLY MAKE IT SO CLEAR.
SO, UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I'M WITH YOU.
WE NEED TO BE TOTALLY CLEAR AND HAVE HER ANSWERS EXACTLY.
AND, UM, WE ALL NEED TO WORK ON, WE ALL NEED TO WORK ON THAT.
THAT'S FOR SURE, FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS, BUT ANYWAY, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THIS.
THERE'S NOT ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT, THE WAY THE LAW IS WRITTEN AND SO FORTH.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO GO WITH THE PUNCHES AND USES THE, UM, INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AND CARRY THROUGH.
IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE ABOUT THIS ELECTION OR WHATEVER THAT'S COMING, BERNADETTE? WELL, MANAGERS AND CLERKS ABOUT THE SITUATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDRESS HERE, ESPECIALLY IN REFERENCE TO SOMEBODY, A CANDIDATE AND BE LESS OFTEN A BALLOT.
HOW SHOULD THEY ADDRESS THAT IF THAT SHOULD HAPPEN ON ELECTION DAY? UH, WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR DEALING WITH THAT AND WE ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCING IT.
CAN WE COMMUNICATE THAT TO OUR POOL MANAGERS AND PULL CLERK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS THAT? AND THEN ALSO, UM, TO ENSURE THAT VOTERS ARE AWARE THAT IF THEY DO A STRAIGHT PARTY TICKET, THAT THEY WILL NOT VOTE FOR THAT SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE, AND THAT WILL COME UP AS WELL AND HOW THEY SHOULD GO BACK AND CORRECT.
THAT IS, THAT IS THE CASE FROM A VOTER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW BEFOREHAND AND ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE POSTING THOSE SAMPLE BALLOT.
SO PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF SPECIFIC CANDIDATES BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY GO AND VOTE.
JUST TRYING TO BE MORE PROACTIVE, AS OPPOSED TO BEING REACTIVE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE POSTING OF THE SAMPLE BALANCE.
AND THEN MARIE, EARLIER, YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD BE SHARING THE DATA.
HOW WILL THE DATA BE SHARED? WILL IT BE SHARED ON THE WEBSITE? WILL IT BE SHARED IN THE NEWSPAPER? HOW WILL WE SHARE THE DATA IN REFERENCE TO THE INFORMATION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLY ON? OKAY.
THE INFORMATION THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IS A REPORT OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE ABSENTEE PROCESS SO FAR.
AND, UM, THOSE REPORTS WILL BE EMAILED AND IT WILL BE UPDATED ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
LET ME, LET ME ADDRESS, EXCUSE ME, LET ME ADDRESS THIS VOTE.
UM, KENNEDY LIFTED OFF OF THE BALLOT EARLY ON.
WE HAD A LADY THAT CAME TO HILTON, HEAD ABSENT, KEY VOTING, AND VOTED, PUT THE, PUT THE BALLOT IN, IN THE SCANNER, LEFT THE PLACE, WENT AND THEN CALLED HER GUY.
THERE WAS A CANDIDATE IN WORD, I THINK IT WAS WORD ONE.
ANYWAY, HE CALLED AND TOLD HIM THAT HIS NAME WASN'T ON THE BALLOT.
SHE DIDN'T GET TO VOTE FOR HIM.
UM, I CALLED MARIE MARIE AND INCREDIBLE ANSWER TO THIS GUY ABOUT A TWO AND A HALF, THREE PAGE LETTER ON HOW THE THING WAS DONE, HOW WE CHECKED THE MACHINES.
SHE WENT AND LOOKED UP THAT VOTER LOOKED UP THE BALLOT.
IT HAPPENED TO BE THE VERY LAST THING.
AND I THINK SHE NEVER EVEN WENT TO THE LAST PAGE OF THE BALLOT.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT IS NEITHER HERE NOR THERE HE WAS ON HER BALLOT.
WE HAD LEFT HIM TOTALLY OFF THE BALLOT FOR SOME SOUND LIKE SOME SINISTER REASON.
BUT ANYWAY, MARIE THEN WENT TO THE OTHER NINE PRECINCTS, PULLED UP EVERY BALLOT STYLE FOR THOSE NINE PRECINCTS.
HE WAS ON EVERY SINGLE BALLOT IN THE WHOLE THING, VERNON AND MARIE AND WENDELL AND ALL OF THEM, PEOPLE IN THERE.
WE HAVE CHECKED THOSE BALLOTS EVERY WAY FROM SUNDAY.
PEOPLE CAN GO, THEY CAN JUMP UP AND DOWN, SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SO-AND-SO WOULDN'T KNOW MY BALLOT AND OH MY GOD, YOU'RE TRYING TO SCREW ME OVER.
AND YADA, YADA, YADA, WHEN YOU GO BACK AND RESURRECTED, IT WAS NOT TRUE.
[00:45:01]
QUESTION THAT.I MEAN, YOU CAN QUESTION THE SYSTEM OR YOU WANT TO, ALL I'M TO SAY IS THAT ANSWER TO THIS FELLOW, WHICH WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANOTHER WORD FROM OTHER WAY, BUT THAT ANSWER COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER, BUT MARIA GOT TIRED OF PUTTING THREE PAGE LETTERS TOGETHER AND COPYING 15 DIFFERENT BALLOTS AND SENDING THEM BACK OUT TO SOMEBODY JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY SAID, OH MY GOD, HE WASN'T ON MINE.
UM, WE NEED TO, SOMEHOW PEOPLE KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTION WHILE YOU'RE IN HERE ABOUT THIS BALLOT, DON'T VOTE THE THING AND RUN IT THROUGH THE SCANNER AND THEN COMPLAIN ABOUT IT, CALL ONE OF THE POLL WORKERS AND LET THEM TRY IT.
UM, SO I THINK WE DO AN EXCELLENT JOB IN THIS COUNTY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME COMMENTS, MAYBE WE DON'T COMMUNICATE IT AS WELL AS WE SHOULD.
HEY, I LISTEN TO NATIONAL TV EVERY NIGHT AND THEY DON'T COMMUNICATE WHERE THE FLIP EITHER.
SO THAT'S A NATIONAL SITUATION.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY COMMUNICATES AS WELL AS THEY COULD OR SHOULD.
UM, AND I'M CERTAINLY GUILTY OF NOT DOING THAT AT TIMES.
I KNOW, BUT I JUST WOULD SAY AFTER FINDING THAT ONE SITUATION AND SEEING THE ANSWER AND THE RESEARCH THAT WAS DONE, THAT GIVES YOU TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE.
UM, NOW LIKE, OKAY, SAY THAT ONE GUY THAT CALLED ME OVER, HE SAID, LOOK HERE, I VOTED STRAIGHT, STRAIGHT REPUBLICAN.
AND THE FIRST PAGE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TRUMP ON IT.
I SAID, WELL, DID YOU TOUCH THAT PAGE? HE SAID, YEAH.
I TOUCHED IT AGAIN TO MAKE SURE MOLDED.
I SAID, WELL, YOU JUST ERASE THE GUY.
WE WENT TO THE NEXT PAGE AND YEAH, THEY WERE ALL, ALL THE REST OF THEM WERE LIT UP.
SO HE WENT BACK AND HIT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY LINE PARTY VOTE AND THEY ALL LIT UP AGAIN.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, WE JUST NEED THEM, MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THAT.
SOME QUICK COMMENT THAT ONCE YOU VOTE A PARTY, THEY'RE GOING TO ALL BE LIT UP AND DON'T TOUCH THEM AGAIN.
JUST GO ON TO THE, TO THE OFFICES THAT ARE NON-PARTISAN BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO VOTE.
AS YOU SAID, BERNADETTE, YOU GOTTA VOTE FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD.
YOU GOT TO VOTE FOR THE OTHER OFFICERS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S IT? WELL, YES.
I HAD A PERSON IN INDIGO RUN WHO GOT A BLUFFED INVALID AND WENT HOME AND DIDN'T REALIZE HE HAD A BLUFFTON BALLOT.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED.
MAYBE HE GAVE THE WRONG ADDRESS OR THE WRONG ADDRESS WAS PUT IN MURRAY.
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? UM, OKAY.
ALI AND I'LL LET YOU SPEAK AFTER I GET THROUGH SPEAKING, HEY, THE BOARD SERVE AS THE AMBASSADOR FOR THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
AND LIKE MR CLIFFORD SAID EARLIER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME FAITH IN YOUR PROCESS.
AND, UM, YOU HAVE TO TRUST THAT IS TRYING TO ENSURE THAT EVERY VOTER GETS CORRECT BOWEL STYLE AND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE VOTER HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CAST A BALLOT.
ANKLE MANAGERS IS BEST WE CAN.
OF COURSE WE KNOW, UM, EVERYBODY'S NOT GOING TO RETAIN EVERYTHING, BUT HOPES THAT THE TRAINING WILL BE SUFFICIENT, AT LEAST GIVE THEM THE NECESSARY INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE, AND TOOLS TO WORK WITH SO THAT THEY CAN PROCESS VOTERS IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER.
NOW, I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT ACROSS THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND BEYOND OUR BORDERS OF OUR STATE, THERE WAS A RUMOR ABOUT JAMIE HARRISON NOT BEING ON THE BALLOT.
IT'S A REALLY, IT'S NOT A FACT DO NOT LISTEN TO THAT.
YOU HAVE TO TRUST THAT EVERY BALLOT THAT'S BEING CREATED IN BUFORD COUNTY HAS BEEN TESTED, TESTED, AND RETESTED.
YOU BALLOTS ARE CORRECT IN BUFORD COUNTY, EVERY CANDIDATE THAT HAVE APPLIED TO BE ON THE BALLOT AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE BALLOT.
SO FROM THIS POINT ON, I WOULD APPRECIATE APRIL BOARD WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT AND SUPPORT THAT TO NOT FOLLOW UP THAT, UM, RUMOR ABOUT PEOPLE NOT BEING ON THEIR BALLOT.
NOW, AGAIN, IT'S A VOTER RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK THEIR BALANCE BEFORE IT'S OKAY.
AND THAT'S AGAIN, A PART OF TRAINING FOR MANAGERS, MAKE SURE WHEN THEY GO TO THAT SCANNER, THAT YOU REMIND THEM TO REVIEW THEIR BALANCE BECAUSE ONCE IT'S SCANNED, OKAY, IT CAN NOT BE TAKEN BACK AND I'M GOING,
[00:50:01]
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET A SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE BECAUSE WHAT YOU SAID THAT YOUR CANDIDATE WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT RIGHT NOW, VOTERS VOTED DECIDE THAT THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHO IT IS THAT THEY'RE VOTING FOR.THEN THEY NEED TO FIND THAT OUT BEFORE THEY GO TO THE PRECINCT.
AND YOU DON'T SEE YOUR CANDIDATE ON THE, ALSO WHERE YOU FEEL IS YOUR CANDIDATE.
THEY NEED TO KNOW WHO'S ELIGIBLE WHO THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE FOR THEM BECAUSE YOU GO TO A CANDIDATE AND TELL A CANDIDATE, BUT YOU WEREN'T ON MY BALLOT.
WELL, ANY TIME OUT OF 10, YOU'RE NOT EVEN IN THAT CANDIDATES DISTRICT.
SO VOTERS NEED TO BE AT, IN THAT ASPECT AS TO WHO THEIR CANDIDATE REPRESENTATIVES ARE.
WHAT I, WHAT I DID, UM, WITH MY CLERKS, WHEN I WENT OUT AND I VOTED THE FIRST DAY, I WENT ON THE SYSTEM AND I LOOKED THROUGH THE SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER I WAS GOING TO VOTE FOR THAT THEY WERE THERE AND THEY WERE THERE.
SOME OF THEM DIDN'T HAVE EMAIL ADDRESS.
WE NEED TO SEND THEM AN EMAIL, BUT I SAID TO THEM, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION AND ALSO TALK WITH YOUR POLL MANAGERS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IF SOMEONE COMES IN TO VOTE A STRAIGHT PARTY TICKET, THAT'S THE FIRST SCREEN.
ALSO LET THEM KNOW THAT ONCE THEY DO THAT, UH, THEY JUST NEED TO PRESS THAT NEXT BUTTON SLOWLY.
SO THEY CAN VOTE FOR THE NON-PARTISAN, WHICH IS YOUR BOARD.
UM, THE SCHOOL BOARD NUMBERS, OR WHOEVER'S RUNNING PARTISAN TO MAKE SURE YOU DO THAT.
BUT I EXPERIENCED AND BLOGGED AND WHERE I HAD A LADY THAT I JUST TOLD HER THAT, AND SHE JUST WENT ON STRAIGHT THROUGH AND THEN SHE HIT THE EXIT BUTTON, NOTHING PRINTED OUT.
SO SHE CAME TO ME AND SHE SAID, I DIDN'T, I DON'T HAVE MY PEOPLE ON THERE.
AND I SAID, WELL, BECAUSE YOU WENT THROUGH AND YOU HIT EXIT AND HE WAS PUNCHING ALL THESE OTHER CANDIDATES.
AND SHE SAID, WELL, BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIND THAT YOUNG LADY WHO I WANT TO VOTE FOR ON THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SO I SAID, OKAY, UM, WHO IS THE PERSON? AND SHE TOLD ME, AND I SAID, WELL, GUESS WHAT YOU'VE MADE KNOW HER ABOUT.
YOU CAN'T REALLY VOTE FOR HER BECAUSE SHE IS NOT IN YOUR DISTRICT.
AT THAT POINT IN TIME, SOMEONE ELSE WHO WAS WITH HER TOLD HER, I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN THE SAME COMPLEX.
SHE DOESN'T, SHE, SHE'S NOT AN ALPHA DISTRICT.
SO YOU REALLY CAN'T BULLET FOR US.
SO IT'S MORE OF WE AS COMMISSIONERS TOO.
WE NEED TO LET OUR CLERKS KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSING WITH THE WHOLE WORKER.
SO THAT WAY WE'LL ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE.
I'M GOING TO SEND AN EMAIL OUT AGAIN TO REMIND THEM ON NEXT WEEK, THE SAME THING I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT WE DO NEED TO COMMUNICATE, UM, WHAT THE POLL WORKERS, THE, UH, AND THE POLL MANAGERS THAT I HAVE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR.
I WILL ALSO EMAIL THAT INFORMATION TO THEM.
SO THAT WAY THEY'LL BE EDUCATED WHEN THEY'RE IN THERE TO START THE ELECTION PROCESS ON THE SECOND, THIS A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION THAT MAYBE WE CAN ALL USE TO HELP, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WHO'S COMING IN.
SO NO ONE WILL FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT VOTING FOR THAT PERSON.
BUT, UM, I EXPERIENCED IT AND EVERYONE WAS OUT THERE.
EVERYBODY WHO'S RUNNING IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT I COULD VOTE FOR.
UM, LISA CLIFFORD, THERE'S ANOTHER GENTLEMEN.
BEREA IS, THIS IS DONALD LUCAS ON THE ISLAND.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? UH, JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ABOUT IN LISTENING TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT FIRST OFF, WHEN, UH, VOTERS HAVE SAID THAT THERE, THEY DIDN'T SEE A CANDIDATE, UH, ON THE BALLOT.
UM, THE CASES I'VE SEEN, UH, IT'S AN ISSUE OF WHERE THE DISTRICT LINES ARE CUT.
WE HAVE ONE CANDIDATE FOR A LOCAL OFFICE HERE ON THE ISLAND THAT LIVES IN MY COMMUNITY.
AND I GOT A CALL FROM HIM END OF LAST WEEK.
AND HE SAID THAT SOME OF HIS NEIGHBORS WENT TO VOTE FOR HIM, BUT DID NOT SEE HIS NAME ON THE BALLOT.
WHAT WAS THE SITUATION OF THE DISTRICT LINES WERE CUT SO THAT THOSE NEIGHBORS WERE NOT IN HIS DISTRICT.
SO WHEN YOU PULLED UP THEIR BALLOT STYLE, OF
[00:55:01]
COURSE, HE'S NOT GOING TO BE LISTED THERE.UM, THE CANDIDATE CALLED ME AND I HAD TO EXPLAIN IT TO HIM.
I THINK MARIE, YOU PROBABLY GOT SOME, SOME EMAILS OR VOICEMAILS FROM MOM.
I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT HE'S RUNNING FROM RUNNING THE POSITION HE'S RUNNING FOR, THERE ARE 10 PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR, BECAUSE IT ONLY CUTS ACROSS A CORNER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? THAT'S THE FOLLOW UP TO THAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THEY VOTED AND THEY DIDN'T SEE A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE ON.
AND JAMIE HARRISON HAS BEEN THE EXAMPLE.
I'VE BEEN WORKING AT THE, UH, THE GOVERNMENT CENTER HERE ON HILTON HEAD FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO AVOID THAT IS WHEN WE, WHEN WE TAKE THEM TO A VOTING MACHINE AND A CIRCUIT BALLOT ARE THE EXPLANATION THAT WE GIVE THEM THIS, THAT IF YOU VOTE A STRAIGHT PARTY TICKET ON THE SUCCESSES, FOUR OR FIVE SCREENS IS IT'S GOING TO BE A GREEN CHECK MARK.
BESIDE EACH OF THE PARTY'S CANDIDATE.
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS REVIEW IT, DO NOT CHECK IT.
YOU'RE JUST VERIFYING THAT THAT'S THE CANDIDATE YOU WANT TO SUPPORT.
AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD THAT MANY ISSUES MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE LAST WEEK, SOMEBODY RECHECK THE GREEN ARROW.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THAT DELETED THEIR VOTE, THE BALLOT, IT SHOW THAT NO SELECTION MADE.
WE HAD TO GO BACK AND RE AND CIRCA BALLOT.
AND AGAIN, THEY JUST WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION, BUT WE JUST TOLD THEM, JUST VERIFY THOSE CHECK MARKS, NO NEED TO RECHECK THEM.
ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE YOUR VOTE AWAY? AND IT'S BEEN WORKING FINE.
SO WITH THAT EXPLANATION HAS HELPED TO MINIMIZE THOSE CONCERNS ABOUT NOT SEEING A LOW CAST OR NOT SAYING THE PERSON ON THE BALLOT.
DOES IT COVER MOST OF YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE ROAD OR WHERE WE ARE MURRAY? HAVE YOU, UM, HAVE YOU GOT THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS TIME? WELL, WE PRETTY MUCH COVERED MY REPORT.
THE ONLY THING THAT I WANTED TO ADD TO, TO THE REPORT, UM, AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SLIDE IS THE FACT THAT I THINK I MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER IN THE WEEK ABOUT, UM, SPACING AND HOW OUR WAREHOUSE, WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH OUTGROWN OUR WAREHOUSE AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY LITERALLY NO ROOM LEFT AND WE ARE LOOKING INTO SOME ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF STORING, UM, SOME OF OUR EQUIPMENT, UM, THE FACILITY FOLKS ARE WORKING ON THAT.
AND, UM, THE OTHER THING IS I WANTED TO MENTION IS LOOKING FOR THE BOARD TO MAYBE EVEN LOOKING INTO SUPPORT, UM, PURCHASING SOME ADDITIONAL PROXY PROPERTY OR SOLICITING COUNTY COUNCIL TO SEE IF THEY CAN PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PROPERTY.
UM, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW PARKING IS ONE OF OUR MAIN ISSUES.
AND, UM, WE HA WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF ROOM TO PARK OVER AT THE 15 JOHN GROWTH ADDRESS AND WHAT WE FIND OURSELVES AS PARKING ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROPERTY.
AND THE OWNER OF THE, OF THE PROPERTY RIGHT NEXT TO US IS IN THE PROCESS OF SELLING IT.
AND MY CON MY SERIOUS CONCERN IS THAT WHEN WE ARE IN ONE OF THESE BIG ELECTION YEAR, UM, AND SOMEONE ELSE BUY THAT PROPERTY, ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IT LIKE WE ARE RIGHT NOW? BECAUSE HE IS VERY, UM, THE OWNER IS VERY, UM, FRIENDLY AND HE IS WILLING TO HELP US IN ANY WAY WE CAN, BUT ONCE THAT'S OUT OF HIS HAND, THERE WILL BE NO CONTROL OVER US, YOU KNOW, INFRINGING ON HIS, UM, ENCROACHING ON HIS PROPERTY ANYMORE.
SO I'M SOLICITING THE BOARD SUPPORT TO SOLICIT COUNTY COUNCIL, TO AT LEAST TAKE A LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF, UM, MAYBE PURCHASING THAT PROPERTY OR, UM, DO SOMETHING SO THAT WE WILL NOT BE PUSHED OUT ON THE STREETS, WHICH WE ARE ALREADY ON THE STREETS, PARKING ON THE CURB SIDE AND EVERYTHING ELSE EVEN PARKING DOWN BURTON HILL ROAD IN SOME SITUATION, UM, ON SOME DAYS, UH, JUST, I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
UM, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? SURE.
AND YOU GIVE US EMAIL US THE ADDRESS OF THE PROPERTY AND THEN THE CURRENT OWNER.
AND THEN I THINK WE CAN SORT OF PROCEED.
I THINK WE HAVE A COMMITTEE IN PLACE.
I THINK WE DO TO ADDRESS THAT, BUT THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA THAT WE NOT LATE UNTIL IT'S SOLD
[01:00:01]
OR UNTIL THE OWNER GETS AN OFFER, THAT WE JUMP ON THIS RIGHT NOW AND TRY TO ACQUIRE IT THROUGH, OF COURSE, THE COUNTY, WELL, MAYBE WE NEED TO, UM, GIVE A MURRAY THE, WHERE WITH ALL, TO CONTACT THE COUNTY AND PLEASE LOOK IN WHAT DIRECTIONS WE CAN GO TO SECURE SOME PARKING, BECAUSE WE GOT ALL OF THE NEW EQUIPMENT AND THIS STUFF IS HUGE.AND NOW WE GOT SCANNERS AND ALL OF THAT, THAT'S ALL THAT IT'S ALL JUST PILING INTO THE WAREHOUSE.
AND IT IS REALLY TO THE EMOTIONS.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TIME TO NEGOTIATE NOW IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, BUT WE CAN AT LEAST PUT THE WORD OUT AND MAKE A COMMENT TO THE NEW COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT, MARIE? YES.
UM, CAUSE HE IS ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, SHOWING THE PROPERTY.
AND SO I KNOW WE ARE ALL QUITE PRESERVED NOW WITH ELECTION, BUT IF WE GET A MOTION FROM THE BOARD AND THEN WE CAN FORWARD IT UP THE LINE THAT AT LEAST THEY CAN START LOOKING INTO IT.
AND MAYBE IF HE HAS AN OFFER, MAYBE THE COUNTY CAN PROVIDE A COUNTY COUNTER OFFER.
CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF FINANCIAL SHAPE THE COUNTY IS IN WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS NO, IF WE DON'T ASK, RIGHT, RIGHT.
WE MADE THE MOTION MOVE THAT WE INITIATE EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE THIS PROPERTY AND THAT WE AUTHORIZED OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO DO SO.
BUT I THINK THAT AS A BOARD, WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP WITH A LETTER OF SUPPORT ONCE, UM, RE UM, INITIATE THE PROCESS WITH THE COUNTY.
I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IF WE SENT A LONG, A STRONG LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
OF COURSE, WHENEVER I SPEAK, I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S ME AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
SO WHATEVER GOES TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OR THE ACTING COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WILL BE ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, THINK A LETTER WOULD HELP OR INITIATE AN EFFORT TO LOOK AT SURROUNDING PROPERTIES FOR PARKING AND ALSO FOR MORE WAREHOUSE SPACE.
I THINK THAT WOULD OPEN UP THE, I CAN PUT A LETTER TOGETHER.
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME, MR. CLIFFORD, IT SHOULD REALLY BE COMING FROM YOU AS THE BOARD CHAIR.
I AGREE, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, MARIA, IF YOU WOULD INITIATE IT.
WELL, ONCE WE GET THIS MOVING FORWARD AND AT LEAST I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DO SECOND, IS DID SOMEONE PUT THE MOTION INTO PLAY? I DID.
WELL, I SECOND YOUR MOTION IN ITS ENTIRETY FOR THE MINUTES, PLEASE.
I MOVE, YOU CAN PUT IT, SORRY.
I MOVED THAT OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR INITIATE TEACHERS TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY, UM, THAT SHE REFERENCED DURING THIS BOARD MEETING, UH, FUTURE USE AS PARKING, ET CETERA.
[01:05:01]
OKAY.UM, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THEY WANT TO BRING UP? WELL, I HAVE ONE MORE THING.
WELL, THE SAME MACHINES THEY USED, UM, ON NOVEMBER 3RD IS HAVE BEEN IN THE ABSENTEE VOTING PLACES, NO ABSENTEE VOTING PLACES, THE COMPUTER THERE THEY'RE PULLING UP THE ABSENTEE REQUEST FOR AN APP WE'RE USING ARE GOING TO USE IT.
THAT'S WHERE WE GET TRAINED ON THAT IN THE HANDS-ON TRAINING.
AND IT'LL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PULLING THE BALLOT INTO THE PRINTER AND PUTTING THE BALLOT STYLE ON THE BALLOT.
SO THAT ELIMINATES VOTERS GETTING THE WRONG BALLOT.
SO IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT PROCESS.
AND WHAT WE DO IN THE ABSENTEE, YOU WANT TO COMMENT FURTHER ON THAT MARIE OR WELL, MS. MS. ROSSI, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VOTING MACHINE ITSELF.
ARE WE USING THE SAME, THE SAME MOCKING DEVICES? YES.
WE WILL BE USING THE SAME BALLOT MOCK IN IT SAYS.
AND IF YOU, IF YOU ARE A BOARD MEMBER AND HAVE NOT ATTENDED ONE OF THE POLL MANAGERS TRAINING CLASS, I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO DO THAT BECAUSE IN THAT CLASS, WE WILL ALSO, WE ALSO INTRODUCING NEW EQUIPMENT THAT WILL BE USED ON ELECTION DAY, SIMILAR TO THOSE, UM, THE SIGNATURE PADS.
SO THAT'S BEING USED IN THE ABSENTEE, UM, PRECINCTS ALONG WITH BALLOT MARKING CAPABILITIES WHERE WE CAN IDENTIFY THE VOTER STYLE PRIOR TO THE BALANCE BEING, UM, BROUGHT UP.
SO THAT PRETTY MUCH IS ELIMINATING.
UM, ANY ERROR THAT POOR MANAGER WOULD HAVE IN ACCESSING THE WRONG BOWEL, SOUTH OF VOTER.
SO GOING TO BE SOMETHING GOOD AND IT'S BEEN SERVING THE PURPOSE OF WAY OUT IN THE ABSENCE.
SO I'M THINKING IT WILL BE A WONDERFUL THING FOR POLL WORKERS AND IT'LL TAKE THE STRESS AWAY FROM THE POLL WORKER, MAKING A MISTAKE IN THE WRONG.
MARIE, DO WE HAVE TO SIGN UP ONLINE OR DO WE JUST SHOW UP ACCORDING TO THE SCHEDULE, YOU WOULD NEED TO BE GIVEN AN INVITE.
SO LET US KNOW WHICH SESSION YOU WOULD LIKE TO OBTAIN SO THAT YOU CAN GET ENROLLED.
AND IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HAM ZONE, WE ONLY PUT 10 PEOPLE IN THOSE MEETINGS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ONE FINAL COMMENT ON SUNDAY WHEN, UM, SOME OF US ARE VOLUNTEERING, I WOULD SUGGEST IF IT'S OKAY WITH MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE PROVIDE LUNCH FOR THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE STAFF THAT ARE PLANNING TO WORK ON SUNDAY, IF THAT'S OKAY.
YOU KNOW, WITH MARIE, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT AS A TOKEN OF OUR GRATITUDE OR I'M WORKING ON THAT DAY AND WE COULD AGE JUST BY MAYBE $10 IN EACH AND MAYBE PROVIDE A HEALTHY INDIVIDUALIST CHECK EACH EMPLOYEE.
I WAS THINKING MAYBE FROM SUBWAY OR SOMEPLACE LIKE THAT QUIT WOULD COME INDIVIDUALLY CONTAINED THE ENTIRE LUNCH.
I MEAN, IT WAS EVERYBODY'S APPROVAL.
SO YES, I'M TEARING AND I CAN PICK IT UP.
I'LL JUST LET EVERYBODY CHOOSE WHAT THEY WANT.
AND THEN ONCE I PAY FOR IT, I CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU IT OUT AMONG THE BOARD MEMBERS.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR GUESS AS TO HOW MANY BALLOTS HAVE BEEN DISQUALIFIED? YEAH, MUTED MURRAY
[01:10:01]
275.SO THAT'S THE TOTAL SO FAR? YEAH.
SO WE HAVE PROCESSED TODAY'S MAIL YET.
UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF MY CLERKS CAME TO ME WITH AN UNCOMFORTABLE MESSAGE.
HOW ARE WE WITH REGARD TO THE E POLL BOOKS? ARE WE DOING, ARE WE, WHERE ARE WE? AS FAR AS THE SOFTWARE ON THERE ON THOSE? ARE WE, ARE WE, HAVE WE HAVE, ARE THEY READY TO GO? HAVE WE RECEIVED THE SOFTWARE OR WHAT, WHAT WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THAT? WE HAVE RECEIVED THE EQUIPMENT.
UM, WE STILL HAVE, WELL, WE RECEIVED THE ACTUAL PAD ITSELF.
THEY WILL BE COMING IN NEXT WEEK.
UM, BUT, UM, THOSE ARE BEING DONE OR WE'VE BEEN TRAINED ON THOSE AND THE HANDS-ON CLASS.
AND WE JUST GO OVER A SUMMARY DURING THE BRIEFING, BUT CLERKS AND 20 OTHER FOLKS WILL BE GETTING SOME TRAINING ON THAT.
UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, YOU'RE COMPETENT THAT COME ELECTION DAY WE'LL HAVE BOTH THE MOST OF THE INDIVIDUAL CAPABILITY THAT OUR PULL MANAGER NEEDS TO HAVE IN TERMS OF OPERATING THAT AS WELL AS OF COURSE, BEING ABLE TO THE SOFTWARE THAT, THAT ENABLES US TO USE THAT PARTICULAR MACHINERY THAT'S ON ITS WAY, RIGHT? THE SOFTWARE IS A PART OF THE EQUIPMENT.
SO IT'S A BUILT-IN IT'S BUILT IN ALREADY.
SO WE ALREADY HAVE THE SOFTWARE.
THAT'S A PART OF THE EQUIPMENT.
THE ONLY THING WE ARE WAITING ON IS THE BASE FOR IT TO SIT ON, BUT IT CAN'T OPERATE WITHOUT THE BASE.
GOOD TO KNOW MR. PALEY, MARIE.
UM, WHILE I WAS IN THERE LAST SATURDAY, I TOOK THE CLASS WHEN WE REALLY DIDN'T GET TO SEE THE, WE HAVE TO SEE THE EYEBALL OR EBOOK OR WHATEVER IT IS.
AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE A, UH, EITHER THE SUNDAY OR THE SATURDAY BEFORE, SOMETIME BEFORE IS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS AT LEAST TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO TOUCH THE, THE, AND TEST IT OUT AND JUST KIND OF LOOK AT IT.
AND SO WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR CLARKS ARE GOING TO BE USING.
SO AS SOON AS WE GET MAD AS WELL, SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE STEP AWAY SUNDAY AND DO IT TWO DAYS BEFORE OR THIS WEEKEND, YOU KNOW, I'LL MAKE IT DO A HANDS-ON CRAIG.
SO HAVE YOU BEEN TO A HANDS-ON OR NIGHT? WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY HANDS ON.
SO I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT YOU GUYS GOT A CHANCE TO TOUCH THE MACHINES.
WE WERE THERE FOR, I GUESS, OVER THREE HOURS AND, UH, NEVER HAD TIME I'LL CHECK WITH WOMEN, BUT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT EVERYONE WAS TOUCHING AND SEEING WHAT HAPPENED, WORKS WELL, APPARENTLY THE CLASS BEFORE US, THEY DID DO SOMETHING.
UH, THEY EACH GOT THEIR OWN MACHINE AND THEY STARTED IT UP OR WHATEVER, BUT WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME.
UM, SO, AND I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE OTHER MACHINES.
I KNOW THAT THOSE ARE LIFE, BUT I REALLY LIKED SOMETHING WITH THIS NEW EBOOK OR WHATEVER IT IS JUST TO TOUCH THEM.
CAUSE I KNOW I'M GOING TO GET THEM.
THAT'S GOING TO BE MY BIGGEST QUESTION TODAY IS WHY WON'T IT DO THIS OR WHY WANT TO DO THAT? RIGHT.
I WOULD PROPOSE MAYBE THE 31ST, WHICH IS THAT SATURDAY, IF YOU ALL WANT, AND AFTER WE CLOSED FOR ABSENTEE VOTING TO GO THROUGH THAT BECAUSE SUNDAY BALANCE OPENING BALANCE.
I'M JUST SAYING MAYBE LATER ON THAT DAY, IF WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE, WE CAN WALK AWAY OR GO AWAY TWO AT A TIME OR SOMETHING, BUT I'M, I'M HAPPY AND WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU, MARIA, I'LL TRY TO ARRANGE MY SECOND.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SUGGESTING RIGHT NOW.
IT WOULD BE THE SATURDAY, THE 31ST.
AND YOU FINISH ABSENTEE VOTING AT ONE O'CLOCK RIGHT? YES.
THAT'S WHEN THE ABSENTEE IS AND ONCE THAT'S OVER, WE CAN DO SOMETHING AFTER THAT.
SO CAN WE SAY, I MAYBE SAY THREE O'CLOCK BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE PEOPLE IN LINE.
[01:15:03]
SORRY, IS THAT THREE O'CLOCK IN BUFORD? YES.ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I THINK OUR NEXT MORNING THROUGH THE END OF NOVEMBER, WE DO A BOARD MEETING AFTER THE CANVAS MEETING AND WE JUST, WE HAD THIS MEETING, BUT, UM, WE WILL SEND A NOTICE OUT FOR THE NEXT MEETING AND READ THE BOARD.
THEY DON'T MEET IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.
WE'LL PLAY THAT RAY OR WHETHER WE NEED TO, USUALLY JACK IS THE FOURTH.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER IS THANKSGIVING, THANKSGIVING BEDROOM TO THE KITCHEN.
THAT'S ABOUT IT ON NOVEMBER THE SIXTH, THAT FRIDAY TO DO THE CANVAS AND THE HEARING.
WELL, PROBABLY WON'T HAVE TIME FOR A BOARD MEETING.
WE'LL DO THE NOVEMBER, DECEMBER.
AND UH, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY, MARINA? I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF MY BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE COMING OUT AND HELPING OUT AT THE ABSENTEE PRECINCT.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE YOU SEE HOW EVERYTHING IS WORKING.
AND UM, I HAVE SOME BOARD MEMBERS AND I'M GOING TO CALL YOU OUT.
UM, WHO CAME ONE WHEN WE FIRST OPENED UP ON MONDAY, WHO ARE ON THE WAY TO WORK AND THEY CAME TO VOTE AND JEAN AND CAROLINE CAME TO VOTE AND UM, THEY SAW THAT LINE CALL THEIR SUPERIORS AND THEY JUMPED RIGHT IN THERE AND START WORKING.
I KNOW THE VOTERS OF BEAVER COUNTY APPRECIATE WHAT THEY HAVE.
AND UM, MS. JEAN BEEN COMING OUT AT NIGHT AND HELPING US RECORD BALLOTS.
SO WE'VE ALREADY TAUGHT HER THE SYSTEM AND MS. CLIFFORD, IT WAS THE WAY I'LL GOING OUT TO THE HILTON HEAD PRECINCT AND HELPING THEM OUT.
YOU KNOW, ALLIE, I HEARD THAT YOU'D BEEN OUT IN BLUFFTON AS WELL OPEN.
ANYTIME YOU GUYS HAVE SOME FREE TIME, PLEASE COME OUT.
WE CAN FIND SOMETHING FOR YOU TO DO.
IF NOBODY ELSE, SORRY RYAN'S TO THE PHONES, BRIAN, YOU ORIGINALLY ASKED YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION.
WAS DO WE NEED CO-WORKERS THE ANSWER'S YES.
UM, W I HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT NOTES I MADE AND, UH, LET ME RUN THROUGH THOSE REAL QUICK.
ONE IS MAKING SURE YOUR CLERKS CALL ALL OF THEIR PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING FOR THEM.
CAUSE THEY'VE ALL GOT BRAND NEW PEOPLE, TOUCH BASE WITH THEM.
WHAT TIME THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO SHOW UP AND SO FORTH.
UM, IF A POLL WORKER HAS NOT GOTTEN INTO A BRIEFING, WE NEED, NOW, WE WANT THEM ALL TO GO TO A BRIEFING, BUT IF THEY CAN'T GET INTO THEM GETTING CLOSER TO THE END, AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE STILL NOT BEEN ABLE TO OPEN THEIR EMAIL AND GET INTO THOSE BRIEFING.
WE WANT TO GET THE CLERK TO TELL THEM THEY NEED TO COME TO WORK.
ANYWAY, WE CAN BRIEF THEM ON THEM, ON THE FLY ON ELECTION DAY, WHICH WON'T BE EASY, BUT I DON'T WANT THE ONES THAT HAVEN'T COME.
I HAD ONE CALL AND SAY, HEY, I STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET IN THERE.
YOU SURE YOU STILL NEED ME? AND I SAID, YES, WE STILL NEED YOU.
SO LET'S MAKE SURE WE DON'T LOSE ANY, UM, MY PRECINCTS HAVE TO HAVE A KEY TO GET INTO THE PRECINCT, MAKING SURE YOU REMIND YOUR CLERKS.
IF THEY NEED A KEY, THEY NEED TO START TOUCHING BASE WITH WHOEVER IT IS.
I'M SURE THEY WILL, BUT THAT'S JUST A REMINDER.
I'VE GOT FOUR PLACES THAT HAVE TO GET A KEYS SO WE CAN GET IN ON ELECTION MORNING.
UM, ANY SCRATCH I ASK A QUESTION, ARE THE POLL WORKERS MEETING ON THE MONDAY BEFORE THE ELECTION AT THE LIBRARY AND HILTON HEAD TO PICK UP THEIR MATERIALS? THE CLERKS ARE, OH, OKAY.
JUST TO CLARIFY, 11 TO 12 AND HILTON HEAD FOR YOUR CREW AND MY CREW, 11 TO 12 AND HILTON HEAD.
AND THEY'VE GOT VARIOUS TIMES IN BLUFFTON AND BUFORD.
AND THEN, UM, I HAVE NOT NOTIFIED MY CLERKS ABOUT THEIR POLL WORKERS BECAUSE I WAS WAITING TO MAKE SURE
[01:20:01]
WITH WINDOW THAT WE HAVE IT ALL STRAIGHTENED OUT AS TO WHO WAS WHERE, OR IF ANY NEW ONES THAT ARE COMING.BUT AFTER YOU JUST SAID WHAT YOU SAID, I GUESS I WILL LET THEM KNOW WHO THEY HAVE AS OF NOW, IS THAT WHAT I SHOULD DO? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO.
I'VE ALREADY SENT MY, I SEND MY RUSHER OUT.
I SENT IT OUT ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO WHEN I FIRST SENT IT TO WINDLE.
AND EVERY TIME I ADD PEOPLE TO IT, I SEND IT AGAIN TO THE CLERK.
NEW WINDOW TELLS ME WHO IS TRAINED AND WHO'S READY TO GO.
AND I ASSIGN THEM WHEREVER I WANT THEM AND SEND THE NEW ROSTER TO THE CLERK.
YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY WANT TO SEND THAT OUT RIGHT AWAY.
AND YOU'RE REALLY WANT TO HAVE YOUR CLERKS CALL THEM RIGHT AWAY.
BECAUSE OUT OF MY EIGHT PRECINCTS, I'VE HAD PROBABLY 10 PEOPLE BACK OUT.
THEY JUST DECIDED THEY JUST DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING IT FOR ONE OF MANY REASONS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY NEED TO GET THAT OUT BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT HAVE ALL THE PAPER YOU THINK YOU HAVE AND THEY NEED IT.
THEY NEED TO KEEP CALLING THEM OR TALKING TO THEM EVERY SO MANY DAYS JUST TO GIVE THEM AN UPDATE.
SO I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT I HAD ALL MY CLERKS ON A, UH, ON A ZOOM CALL SUNDAY NIGHT.
AND THEN NEXT SUNDAY I HAVE A, UH, WE HAVE TWO, TWO BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE USING.
SO I HAVE TWO ZOOM CALLS SET UP ONE FOR EACH OF THE BUILDINGS SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND ONE WORK WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BE THERE ON MONDAY TO SET UP WHAT THEY NEED TO BE THERE ON TUESDAY.
UH, AND JUST TO LET THEM KNOW SOME OF THE PARTICULARS IN EACH OF THE BILLS.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS MY NEXT NOTE THAT I HAD MADE IS THAT YEAH, THEY HELPED SET UP ON MONDAY AND PLUS YOU NEED TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH PARTICULARLY THE NEW PEOPLE, BECAUSE IF WE GET UP TOWARDS THE ELECTION AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T BEEN TO A BRIEFING, WE NEED TO TELL THEM TO COME ON TO THE ELECTION.
WE WILL JUST TRAIN THEM DURING THE DAY THERE AND BRIEF THEM THERE, JUST SO WE DON'T LOSE THEM.
WAIT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'VE HAD THEIR BRIEFING.
I ONLY KNOW EVERY ONE EVERY OTHER DAY, THEY WILL KNOW WHEN THEY GO TO THEIR BRIEFING OR NOT.
YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW YOURSELF, BUT THAT'S WHY YOU WANT THE CLERK TO BE IN TOUCH WITH THE POLL WORKERS SO THEY CAN KEEP TRACK OF WHETHER THEY GET BREACHED OR NOT.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE STUDENTS RUNNING THIRD THIS YEAR.
MURRAY, HAVE THEY BEEN TRAINED YET OR WILL THEY BE TRAINED? UH, I KNOW THERE WERE SOME STUDENTS THAT WERE ON THE ROSTER.
I DON'T, I ONLY GET THE NAMES WHEN I SENT THEM OUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY STUDENTS, ALL ADULTS, BUT STUDENTS WERE INCORPORATED IN THE LIST OF PEOPLE THAT, UM, WANTED TO BE POLL WORKERS.
I WAS REFERRING TO THE FACT THAT EVERY YEAR, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SITUATION WITH THE PANDEMIC.
EVERY YEAR WINDOW HAD BEEN GOING TO THE SCHOOLS, TRAINING PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK THIS YEAR SINCE SCHOOL'S HYPER, BUT WHERE WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT WORKED FOR US DURING THE JUNE PRIMARIES THAT WERE STILL INTERESTED IN WORKING.
AND WE HAD SEVERAL APPLICATIONS THAT CAME IN FROM STUDENTS WHEN WE WERE RECRUITING.
AND, UM, SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE CONTACTED AND ENROLLED, BUT THEY WON'T BE ANY REACH OUT TO THE SCHOOL.
UM, AT THE, UH, JUNE, UH, PRIMARY WE HAD AT OUR, THE POLE WHERE I WAS WORKING, WE HAD, UH, A COUPLE OF LOANED PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTY.
ONE WAS AN EMPLOYEE FROM DISABILITY SERVICES, WHO THEY CAME IN, SPLIT SHIFTS WHO HELPED KEEP THE PLACE SANITIZED, INTERMITTENTLY VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
AND THEN ON A COUNTY DETENTION OFFICER WHO WAS AN EXCELLENT GREETER FOR US IS THAT KIND OF A COUNTY SUPPORT NEWLY AVAILABLE.
THIS TIME WE HAD THAT SUPPORT THE LAST TIME I'M STILL WORKING ON WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AT THIS TIME, THE DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS DEPARTMENT, THEY WERE REALLY CLOSE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO THEY, UM, THEY'RE NOT REALLY WORKING WITH CLIENTS, YOU KNOW, WITH FACILITIES RIGHT NOW.
SO WE MAY, BUT WE ARE TRAINING OUR WORKERS ON WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FACILITY IS SANITIZED.
BUT IT HELPS US OUT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
[01:25:01]
IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS, SO GERMAN, ANY EARLIER COMMENTS, HE DID NOT MAKE THEM.NO ONE MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE LAST MINUTES.
JEAN, JEAN, YOU'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB AT THOSE MINUTES.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU HOW COMPLETE THEY ARE THERE.
I DIDN'T, I DON'T HAVE AN AGENDA LAID OUT HERE.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, TWO SETS OF MINUTES.
UM, THE FIRST SET WAS, FORGET THE DATA SAVED TIMBER TIMBER, 26 OR SOMETHING.
UM, EVERYBODY EVER READ THOSE? YES.
THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
WE NEED, THERE WAS A SECOND SET.
WHAT DATE WAS THAT? I DON'T HAVE IT DOWN HERE.
AUGUST 26TH AND SEPTEMBER 23RD.
WE JUST IMPROVED OVER THE 25TH.
ANY COMMENTS ON SEPTEMBER 23RD? I MOVE.
WE APPROVE THEM SECOND, SECOND BY HELENE.
ANY OTHER COMMENT HE WANTS TO MAKE ONE LAST SHOT? I HAVE A QUESTION.
I DIDN'T GET THE DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING.
WELL, WE DECIDED THAT USUALLY WE SKIP A MEETING IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER JUST BECAUSE OF WINTER.
AND THERE'S USUALLY NOTHING COMING AND THE NOVEMBER ELECTION IS JUST ENDED.
SO WE USUALLY DON'T HAVE A MEETING UNLESS THERE'S SOME BURNING REASON.
WHY DON'T WE? UM, AND IF WE DO WE'LL CALL A MEETING IMPROMPTU DEAL WITH WHATEVER THAT IS.
IT COULD BE WITH THIS FACILITIES THING.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A WHILE AGO, BUT THAT'LL BE PRETTY QUICK.
WE HAVE A MEETING IN JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, LET'S CALL A SPIRITUAL ONE.
WHAT ABOUT THE CANVAS MEETING? AN MS. MEETING WILL BE THAT FRIDAY AFTER THE ELECTION ITSELF IN A GENERAL ELECTION LIKE THIS IT'S ALWAYS ON THE FRIDAY.
USUALLY OTHER SMALLER ELECTIONS CANVAS ON THURSDAY.
THERE'S GENERAL ELECTION IS ON FRIDAY WILL BE THERE'S A NINE 30.
THAT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH US.
THAT'S ANOTHER CANVASSING GROUP, BLUFFTON, BUT WE WILL HAVE OUR MEETING AT 10 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE SIXTH.
IT WILL BE IN HIGHER OFFICE IN THAT MEETING ROOM WHERE WE NORMALLY MEET IN OUR OFFICE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE THERE FOR THE COMPUTER THERE AND ALL THE BALLOTS LEARNING AND SO FORTH.
WE CANVAS ALL THE PAPER, THEY TAKE THEM BACK AND ADD THEM TO THE UNOFFICIAL CALENDAR AND THEN BRING IT BACK IN FOR US TO CERTIFY.
SO IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, I THINK OUR MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
[01:30:37]
THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO, ON DEMAND.GO TO BUPA COUNTY, SC.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM MELISSA CALL TO ORDER IF YOU'D LIKE A DVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THIS IS NATALIE HEFTER FROM THE COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM, AND THIS IS EUROPEAN FOR COUNTY MOMENT.
TRUCK FARMING WAS INTRODUCED IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1868 UP NEAR CHARLESTON, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE MID 1870S.
WHEN THE PORT ROYAL AUGUSTA RAILROAD RAN THROUGH THIS REGION, THAT TRUCK FARMING BECAME A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR ECONOMIC INDUSTRY HERE.
OUR FARMERS HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY RELIED UPON THIS LONG GROWING SEASON THAT WE HAVE TO GROW PRODUCE THAT WAS NEEDED IN URBAN AREAS.
AND PARTICULARLY UP NORTH, AS THESE FARMERS GREW, THEIR POTATOES, TOMATOES, CORN BROCCOLI, ASPARAGUS, AND LETTUCE.
LETTUCE WAS ACTUALLY AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CROPS HERE AT ONE TIME, BUFORD WAS EVEN KNOWN AS CITY AS YOU TRAVEL PARTS OF BEAVER COUNTY AND SEE LARGE-SCALE FARMS TODAY.
REMEMBER THAT THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF BUFORD COUNTY'S HISTORY.
THIS IS NATALIE HEFFTER FROM THE COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM.
AND THIS HAS BEEN YOUR BUFORD COUNTY MOMENT TO SEE MORE BEAVER COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BUBER COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
I AM ALICE HOWARD AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT FOUR AND BUFORD COUNTY.
IT'S LOCATED IN NORTHERN BUFORD COUNTY AND THE BOUNDARIES INCLUDE A GOOD PORTION OF THE CITY OF BUFORD STARTING UP IN THE A HUNDRED PINES AREA DOWN TO MOSSY OAKS IN THE CITY OF BUFORD.
AND THEN OVER TO PORT ROYAL, ALMOST ALL OF THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL IS INCLUDED IN THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING THE PART, UM, WITHIN THE OLD TOWN OF PORT ROYAL AND ACROSS REBOUGHT ROAD UP TO PICKET FENCES.
THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF, UH, DISTRICT FOUR INCLUDES, UH, SOME PLACES LIKE RIGHT HERE AT THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL ACROSS THE STREET.
AND THEN ALSO ALL OF SHELL POINT ON THE SIDE OF THE SAVANNAH HIGHWAY TOWARD THE RIVER.
AND THE DISTRICT IS PRIMARILY A LOT OF HOUSES THAT WERE BUILT IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES.
AND IT'S, UH, A WORKING CLASS.
I CALL IT A WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE'RE SEEING SECOND GENERATION AND THIRD GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE MOVING IN THE AREA.
THIS IS THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL THAT RUNS THROUGH THE DISTRICT.
UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY CROSS REBOUGHT ROAD IN THE NEAR FUTURE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE PORT AND PORT ROYAL, WHICH WILL BE GREAT.
AND WE HAVE SEEN JUST HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE USE THIS TRAIL AND IS SUCH AN ASSET TO THE COUNTY, THE CITY OF BUFORD IN THE TOWN OF PORT OIL.
AND WE HOPE, UH, UH, PEOPLE FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY CAN APPRECIATE IT.
AND WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER, UH, WHO RIDE THEIR BIKES OR RIDE THEIR SCOOTERS OR WALK THEIR DOGS THAT USE IT DAILY.
WELL, DISTRICT FOUR HAS A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN IT, STARTING WITH TCL IS IN DISTRICT FOUR.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BUFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL AND MOSSY OAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO CHARTER SCHOOLS, UH, LOW COUNTRY MONTESSORI SCHOOL IN THE SHELL POINT AREA.
AND THEN THE RIVER RIVERVIEW CHARTER SCHOOL, AND THEN PORT ROYAL HAS HIS OWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THAT I THINK CREATES A GREAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
WHEN YOU SEE CHILDREN WALKING TO THEIR SCHOOL OR GETTING TO GO TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL THAT THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE GET TO DO BY CHOICE.
AND THEN TCL COURSES ARE OUR, OUR LOCAL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, UH, WHERE IF SOMEONE NEEDS TO STAY AT HOME OR THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO GO AWAY TO COLLEGE, THEY CAN GET A TWO YEAR DEGREE AT TCL.
UH, AND IT IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
[01:35:01]
AS FAR AS MOSSY OAKS BUFORD, MIDDLE DISTRICT FOUR HAS A LOT OF, UH, ASSETS TO IT SUCH AS HERE, THAT'S IN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, THE CYPRESS WETLANDS IT'S IT PROVIDES AN EASY WAY TO ACCESS THE OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT FOR FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN THE AREA, THE DISTRICT AND THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB WITH IT.AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, THIS AREA WAS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES THAT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COULD COME AND BE OUTSIDE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE SOME OTHER AREAS IN, IN THE DISTRICT LIKE THIS, BUT I THINK IT SPEAKS TO THAT DISTRICT FOUR IS A WORK AND LIVE DISTRICT AND YOU CAN WORK AND LIVE AND PLAY IN YOUR DISTRICT.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DO THAT THROUGH BIKE, RIDING, WALKING, AND ALSO WORKING BECAUSE THE HOSPITALS IN OUR DISTRICT TOO, AND PARIS ISLAND IN THE NAVAL HOSPITAL BACKGROUND IS BATTERY CREEK, WHICH BISECTS DISTRICT FOUR.
AND PART OF OUR BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT FOUR.
WE ALSO HAVE, THIS IS A BOAT LANDING, THE PARIS ISLAND BOAT LANDING NEAR PARIS ISLAND.
AND WE HAD THE SANDS, WHICH THE COUNTY MAINTAINS, WHICH IS IN THE TOWN OF FORT ROYAL LANDING.
AND ACCESS TO WATER IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE IN DISTRICT FOUR BECAUSE WE LIKE TO GET OUT ON THE WATER AND PEOPLE LIKE TO FISH.
AND THE ENVIRONMENT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, WE'RE IN A MORE SUBURBAN URBAN AREA, BUT WE HAVE READY ACCESS TO THE BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENT OF DISTRICT FOUR.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF GROUPS IN DISTRICT FOUR THAT DO THINGS LIKE PICK UP LITTER AND VOLUNTEER GROUPS, SUCH AS THE VILLAGE, PEOPLE IN PORT ROYAL AND OTHER, UH, KEEP BE HER BEAUTIFUL HIGHWAY GROUPS THAT HELP MAINTAIN DISTRICT FOUR IS A PLACE EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE HERE AT SHELL POINT PARK, WHICH IS IN THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF DISTRICT FOUR IN THE SHELL POINT AREA.
AND THIS PARK WILL HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE, WITH A PATHWAY DUE TO THE 1 CENT SALES TAX THAT WAS VOTED IN ALL THE WAY UP TO BEHIND THE BI-LO ON THE HIGHWAY, WHICH WILL BE A GREAT ASSET AND MORE CONNECTIVITY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD HERE IN SHELL POINT AND PEOPLE WHO LIKED TO COME TO THIS PARK, UH, THE ONGOING PRIORITIES IN OUR DISTRICT FOR CONTINUE TO BE STORMWATER.
THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE WAS BUILT YEARS AGO, WE'RE CONTINUING TO ADDRESS THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TWO MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTY AND THE SHELL POINT AREA.
AND ALSO, UH, ANOTHER ONGOING PRIORITY IS SIDEWALKS.
UH, OUR URBAN SUBURBAN DISTRICT NEEDS MORE CONNECTIVITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO PEOPLE CAN LIVE AND WORK WHERE THEY PLAY AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN MS
I'M YOUR COUNTY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT FOUR.
I HOPE YOU WILL CONTACT ME WITH ANY CONCERNS, COMPLAINTS, OR QUESTIONS AT MY CELL NUMBER (843) 986-7403 OR BY EMAIL, IT'S A H O W A R D@BCGOV.NET.
IT'S BEEN SAID THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE, AND THAT'S WHY HERE AT COASTLINE, WE WANT TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE CHANGES THAT TAKE PLACE IN BUFORD COUNTY AND THE CITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY.
WE HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US VARIOUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THE MONTH TO SEE COASTLINE AND THE GUESTS THAT WE BRING THAT WILL TELL YOU WHAT IS GOING ON THAT IS GOING TO AFFECT YOU DAY TO DAY THAT'S COASTLINE HERE ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MILTON BOSWELL.
I AM THE DEPUTY ASSESSOR OF BEAVER COUNTY IN THIS VIDEO.
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW TO USE THE REAL PROPERTY FUNCTIONS IN PROPERTY.
MAX REAL PROPERTY REFERS TO ANYTHING THAT THE ASSESSOR VALUE SUCH AS LAND BUILDINGS, MOBILE HOMES, OR CONDOMINIUMS. WE HAVE A LINK TO PROPERTY MAX LOCATED ON THE HOME PAGE OF THE ASSESSOR'S WEBSITE, AS WELL AS ON THE MAIN COUNTY WEB PAGE UNDER ONLINE SERVICES.
SO WITH THAT LET'S GET STARTED.
AFTER YOU COLLECT ON PROPERTY, MAX, YOU WILL SEE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS AVAILABLE, CLICK REAL PROPERTY, SEARCHING BY OWNER NAME AS THE DEFAULT SEARCH METHOD.
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YOU ENTER THE LAST NAME FIRST FOLLOWED BY A SPACE, AND THEN THE, UH, FIRST INITIAL.SO IN THIS EXAMPLE, SO YOU WOULD ENTER IT LIKE THAT AND THEN CLICK GO.
OTHER WAYS TO SEARCH WOULD BE BY PROPERTY ID OR ALTERNATE ID USING THE INFORMATION FOUND ON EITHER A TAX BILL OR AN ASSESSMENT.
NOTICE YOU MAY ALSO SEARCH BY THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION SHOWN HERE.
THE HELPFUL TIP WOULD BE TO USE AN ASTERIX.
THEN PART OF THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION, SUCH AS CEDAR CREST, YOU WOULD CLICK LEGAL DESCRIPTION AND THEN AN ASTERISK AND THEN CEDAR CREST.
AND IT'LL TAKE IT A FEW MOMENTS, BUT THAT'S THE BEST WAY THAT I'VE FOUND IF YOU SEARCH BY LEGAL DESCRIPTION.
NOW, THE MOST COMMON WAY TO SEARCH OTHER THAN OWNER'S NAME IS BY STREET ADDRESS SHOWN HERE.
SO YOU WOULD PUT IN JUST THE FIRST STREET ADDRESS AND THEN NAME AND CLICK GO.
YOU'LL BE TAKEN TO THE OVERVIEW TAB.
ONCE THE PROPERTY INFORMATION HAS BEEN RETRIEVED, WHICH INCLUDES VALUES AND TAX INFORMATION.
PLEASE NOTE THE DATE THAT THE DATA WAS REFRESHED AND MOVING DOWN IS THE PARCEL TAB, WHICH DISPLAYS CURRENT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION, INCLUDING APPRAISED VALUES, TAXABLE VALUES, AND THE ASSESSMENT RATIO.
JOAN HERE NOTE THAT 2020 IS A BLANK BECAUSE WE ARE NOT IN THAT TAX CYCLE YET THE LAND TAB DISPLAYS BASIC LAND ATTRIBUTES, SUCH AS, UH, ACREAGE OR SQUARE FOOTAGE.
IF WE HAVE IT IN THE SYSTEM, THEY IMPROVEMENTS TAB DISPLAYS, BILLING FEATURES SUCH AS SIZE AND YOUR BILL CLICKING ON VIEW DETAILS WILL DISPLAY A SKETCH OF THE IMPROVEMENT.
AND IF YOU CLICK ON THAT, IT WILL ENLARGE THE SALES DISCLOSURE TAB DISPLAYS DETAILS OF OWNERSHIP TRANSFERS SUCH AS THE SALE DATE, THE SALE AMOUNT AND THE DEED BOOK AND PAGE VALUE HISTORY SHOWS THE LAND AND APPROVEMENT VALUES FOR EACH TAX YEAR.
AND THEN GIS MAPPING OPENS A NEW WINDOW SHOWING WHERE THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED, JUST CLICK, OKAY.
AND IT ZOOMS OUT THE FINAL FEATURE PROPERTY MAX, THAT I WILL SHOW YOU IS SEARCH BY SALES.
THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO FIND SALES INFORMATION BASED ON FILTERS THAT YOU CREATE A HELPFUL TIP WOULD BE TO KEEP THE FILTERS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOU GET THE MOST RETURNS.
IN THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE, I WILL SET FILTERS TO FIND THE 2019 SALES FOR CEDAR CREST SUBDIVISION.
THAT'S SOLD BETWEEN $60,000 AND $300,000.
SO FIRST YOU WOULD SET THE LOW SALES PRICE TO ONE, ONE, 2019.
YOU WOULD SET THE HIGH TWO 1231, 2019, UH, SET THE LOW SALE PRICE TO 60, WHICH IS A DEFAULT AND THEN SET THE HIGH SALES PRICE TO 300,000.
NOW, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, YOU HAVE OTHER WAYS THAT YOU CAN FILTER THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO DO THIS BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO YOU WOULD SCROLL DOWN HERE AND THEN THEY'RE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
SO I'M GOING TO SCROLL DOWN TO CEDAR CREST AND THEN YOU WOULD CLICK GO.
AND THIS GIVES YOU THE RETURNS OF EVERYTHING THAT'S SOLD IN TAX YEAR 19.
AT THAT PARTICULAR SUBDIVISION, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT YOU CAN SEARCH FOR SALE.
I HOPE YOU FOUND THIS VIDEO INFORMATIVE AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING
THE LARGEST SHIPS IN THE WORLD COULD SAIL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THE FRENCH EXPLORER SAID SHE HAD ALL THE SHIPS OF FRANCE MAY ALL THE SHIPS OF THE WORLD COULD SAFELY RIDE AND IT'S BOUNDS.
IT'S VERY DEEP AND VERY UNUSUAL.
AND IF YOU'RE A SAILOR AND YOU GO UP AND DOWN THE COAST ON THE INLAND PASSAGE, YOU COME INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFERENT.
IT'S 60 FEET DEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF PORT ROYAL SOUND, 30 FEET DEEP OVER THE BAR.
AND THE INTERESTING THING TO ME IS THAT THE SHAPE OF THE ENTRANCE HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500
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YEARS.MILLIONS OF SHELLS LEFT BY NATIVE INHABITANTS OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS, ATTEST TO THE BOUNTY OF ITS WATERS, CLOVIS POINTS, WHICH ARE MORE THAN 10,000 YEARS OLD, HAVE BEEN UNEARTHED ON ITS SHORES.
INEVITABLY, THE NATURAL RICHES OF THE SEA ISLAND SURROUNDING PORT ROYAL SOUND ATTRACTED THE GREAT EMPIRES OF THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES.
THEN FRANCE CAME ASHORE IN 1562.
FINALLY, THE BRITISH CLAIMED THEM AS CAROLINA IN 1663, THE LAND OF CHARLES AFTER BARELY SURVIVING A DEADLY CLASH WITH THE NATIVE AMERICANS, THE SETTLERS DEMANDED PROTECTION FROM THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.
THEIR LOG FORD IN BUFORD TOWN HAD BEEN BURNED.
AND IT WAS IN THAT EARLY PERIOD IN THE EARLY 1720S THAT THE PEOPLE OF BUFORD SAID, WE NEED A FORT TO PROTECT US.
SO THEY BUILT THIS TO PROTECT THE INLAND PASSAGE BEFORE IT GOT TO BUFORD, WHICH IS THE REASON FOR THE LOCATION OF WHAT EVENTUALLY BECAME FORT FREDERICK OR FORT PRINCE FREDERICK.
THE NEW FORD BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE IN 1726 AFTER THE FAMOUS SETTLER COLONEL JOHN BARNWELL, BETTER KNOWN AS TUSCARORA JACK RETURNED FROM ENGLAND WITH THE INDEPENDENT COMPANY, A FOOT, A REGIMENT OF BRITISH REGULARS FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS, FORD PRINCE FREDERICK, A SMALL STRUCTURE MEASURING JUST 125 FEET BY 75 FEET EXISTED AS A TYPICAL STYLE LOG AND EARTH AND FORT ARTILLERY STOOD AT THE READY TO SLOW ANY APPROACH BY THE SPANISH FLEET.
AS SOON AS THE FIRST WARNINGS FROM THE WATCH CANNONS AT THE MOUTH OF THE SOUND WERE FIRED, THE MILITIA WOULD BE DISPATCHED STILL THE SETTLERS OF THE ISLANDS ENVISIONED SOMETHING STURDIER, A STRUCTURE THAT COULD OFFER THEM REAL PROTECTION IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
BUT THE PEOPLE KEPT PETITIONING THE COMMONS HOUSING ASSEMBLY OF THE CORNER OF GOVERNMENT FOR MORE MONEY TO FINISH THE FORT AND BILTMORE MORE STOUTLY IN 1773, THE FRENCH HUGUENOTS SETTLER AND CONTRACTOR, JOHN DILLER BEAR WAS HIRED TO DEVISE A MORE SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURE.
AND HE SAID, I'LL BUILD A FORT OF OYSTER SHELL IN LINE, WHICH IS WHAT WE SEE THERE TODAY.
AND HE BUILT THE FORT IN, AS IT WAS DESCRIBED IN 1733, IT WAS FIVE FEET THICK, FIVE FEET HIGH THAT'S PRETTY STOPPED.
THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR THE ELDEST SON OF KING GEORGE, THE SECOND OF ENGLAND.
SO FORT PRINCE FREDERICK, WHICH IS HIS FORMAL NAME WAS BUILT IN 1726, COMPLETED IN 1733, PROBABLY ABANDONED BY 1740.
AND FOR THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE, 1726 TO 1733, IT WAS THE SOUTHERN FRONTIER OF ENGLISH NORTH AMERICA.
AND ALTHOUGH THE BRITISH OCCUPIED PORT ROYAL FOR A TIME DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE GREATEST BATTLE WAGED BY FORT PRINCE FREDERICK OVER THE NEXT CENTURY AND A HALF WAS ONE WITH THE WEEDS AND THE WEATHER, A PLANTER BY THE NAME OF JOHN JOINERS SMITH CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THE LAND EARLY IN THE 18 HUNDREDS, TURNING THE EXPANSE ABOVE THE OLD FORD INTO FIELDS OF COTTON TENDED BY THE ENSLAVED.
BUT ALL THAT CHANGED IN NOVEMBER OF 1861, WHEN UNION FORCES OVERCAME THE CONFEDERATE TERRITORY, PORT ROYAL BATTLE OF PORT ROYAL SOUND HAPPENED IN THE FALL OF 1861.
AND THE PLANTERS FROM THE BUFORD REGION SKEDADDLED AS THEY CALL IT, UM, THEY LEFT BEHIND BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10,000 SLAVES.
IT'S THE PEOPLE WERE SO JUBILANT, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HEARD THE CANONS GO OFF BECAUSE THEY WERE ABOUT 55 SHIPS COMING INTO THAT AREA THAT THEY CALL IT BIG GUN SHOOT DATE.
AND WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HEARD THE BIG GUN, SHOOT IT, THEY SAID, FREEDOM IS THERE.
BUT THAT AREA ON THOSE BLUFFS ABOVE FORT FREDERICK IS, UH, WHERE THERE'LL BE CAMPS AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE WAR.
AND THERE'LL BE EVERYTHING FROM ARTILLERY TO INFANTRY AND CAMPED, BOTH WHITE AND BLACK TROOPS THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
THEY WILL BUILD A PIER OVER TOP OF THE WALLS OF FORT FREDERICK, OUT INTO THE BUFORD RIVER, OVER THE TOP OF OLD FORT FREDERICK STEP.
THE FIRST BLACK REGIMENT MUSTARD IN AS THE FIRST SOUTH CAROLINA OF AFRICAN DESCENT, IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE SUMMER OF 1862.
EVERYTHING SORT OF BEGINS TO CHANGE AND PERMISSION IS GIVEN TO
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BEGIN RAISING BLACK REGIMENTS.AT THAT TIME, ABRAHAM LINCOLN SENT A MILITARY GOVERNOR TO PORT ROYAL GENERAL.
RUFUS SAXTON IS GIVEN PERMISSION TO BEGIN RAISING UPWARDS OF 5,000 BLACK TROOPS AND ONES.
FIRST THINGS HE DOES IS HE PORTERS THEM TO ASSEMBLE AT THE SMITH'S PLANTATION AND THAT WILL BECOME THEIR CAMP.
AND EVENTUALLY IT WILL BE NAMED CAMP SAXTON AND HIS HONOR, DOESN'T IT.
AS OF MISSIONARIES TEACHERS AND PHYSICIANS FROM THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE U S ARRIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO BEGIN A PROJECT THAT WILL COME TO BE KNOWN AS THE PORT ROYAL EXPERIMENT, THEY ARE JOINED BY THE FAMED HARRIET TUBMAN WHO BROUGHT MANY PEOPLE TO FREEDOM WITH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
SHE NURSED THE CIVIL WAR INJURED WHILE SHE SHOWED THE NEWLY FREED PEOPLE, HOW TO WILLINGLY WORK IN A WAGE BASED SYSTEM RATHER THAN BEING FORCED TO LABOR UNDER THE THREAT OF THE LASH.
MISS LAURA TOWN ESTABLISHED THE PENN SCHOOL ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, JUST A FERRY RIDE ACROSS THE SOUND FROM FORT FREDERICK AND INSTITUTION THAT IS STILL IN OPERATION TODAY.
LINCOLN WATCHED THE EXPERIMENT WITH GREAT INTEREST AND DURING THE SUMMER OF 1862 ANNOUNCED THE PRELIMINARY EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION IMMEDIATELY PLANS WERE MADE FOR AN ELABORATE CELEBRATION AT CAMP SAXTON FOR JANUARY 1ST, 1863, THE DAY THE PROCLAMATION WAS TO BE SIGNED.
AND IT WAS SO THEY WERE ROASTING 10 OXEN AND, UH, PREPARING TABLES FOR FOUR OR 5,000 PEOPLE TO COME DOWN TO IT.
OF COURSE, WHEN IT WAS RED AND AFTER IT WAS RED, SOMEONE SPONTANEOUSLY POPPED OUT WITH THE SOUND, MY COUNTRY TISM D AND T RELATION TOOK PLACE, BUT THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS A HIGH POINT IN THEIR LIVES.
AT THAT TIME, WHEN THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS READ, THEY USED THAT FORT AS THE BASE FOR THEIR DOC, YOU KNOW, IN THE DOCK WAS BUILT OVER THE TOP AND FORTH AND BOATS CAME IN.
AND, BUT THERE IT WAS, I MEAN IN GROUND AT GROUND ZERO OF THAT EVENT.
AND THAT EVENT IS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT HAS EVER OCCURRED IN 500 YEARS OF HISTORY OF THIS COUNTY, CERTAINLY.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE STATE'S HISTORY, DEVASTATING HURRICANE SHOOK THE SEA ISLANDS IN 1893, CAUSING MASSIVE DAMAGE MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE DIED YET THE STURDINESS OF THE FIVE FOOT TALL AND FIVE FOOT WIDE WALLS SAVE THE FORD FROM ANNIHILATION TODAY.
IT STILL STANDS AS THE OLDEST TABBY STRUCTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE WINTER OF 2015 ARCHEOLOGISTS WORK TO EXCAVATE THE REMAINS OF FORT FREDERICK IN PREPARATION FOR THE DAY WHEN IT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC BY LAND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS OLD FORT FREDERICK IS ALSO BEING GIVEN A NEW LAYER OF TABBY IN PREPARATION FOR ITS FUTURE.
AS THE ONE REMAINING AMBASSADOR TO WITNESS A PIVOTAL HISTORICAL EVENT, THE FORD'S MOST IMPORTANT JOB AS IT TURNED OUT, WAS TO SERVE AS THE ACTUAL BRIDGE FROM THE WATERS OF PORT ROYAL SOUND, SUPPORTING PEOPLE AS THEY STEP TOWARD THEIR CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM.
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HAND-WASHING IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS YOU CAN KEEP FROM GETTING SICK AS SPREADING GERMS TO OTHERS, DIRTY HANDS SPREAD DISEASE.THIS HAND-WASHING DEMONSTRATION WE'LL SHOW YOU HOW HAND-WASHING CAN GET RID OF GERMS AND CHEMICALS THAT GET ON OUR HANDS EVERY DAY.
THIS GEL IS LIKE THE GERMS AND CHEMICALS THAT WE GET FROM THINGS WE TOUCH THROUGHOUT THE DAY, LIKE OUR TOYS AND PETS.
IF WE THEN ROB OUR EYES, NOSE, OR MOUTH, OR PICK UP SOMETHING TO EAT, THE GERMS OR CHEMICALS CAN GET INTO OUR BODIES AND MAKE US SICK.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT PEOPLE TOUCH THEIR EYES, NOSE, AND MOUTH ABOUT 25 TIMES EVERY HOUR, WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT TO GET RID OF THESE GERMS AND CHEMICALS.
CDC RECOMMENDS YOU FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS.
EVERY TIME YOU WASH YOUR HANDS, WET LATHER, SCRUB, RINSE, AND DRY.
WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THE RIGHT WAY TO DO EACH STEP.
WHAT'S YOUR HANDS WITH CLEAN RUNNING WATER.
TURN OFF THE TAP AND APPLY SOAP.
THEN LATHER YOUR HANDS BY RUBBING THEM TOGETHER WITH THE SOUP.
BE SURE TO LATHER THE BACKS OF YOUR HANDS BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS AND UNDER YOUR NAILS, SCRUB YOUR HANDS FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CLOCK NEARBY, KEEP SCRUBBING UNTIL YOU'VE SUNG THE HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG TWICE.
RINSE YOUR HANDS WELL UNDER CLEAN RUNNING WATER, DRY YOUR HANDS USING A CLEAN TOWEL, ELECTRIC HAND DRYER OR AIR DRYERS, WASHING YOUR HANDS.
USING THE STEPS WE JUST DEMONSTRATED IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET HANDS COMPLETELY CLEAN.
LET'S SEE HOW WELL WE GOT RID OF THE GERMS AND CHEMICALS.
GREAT, NO MORE GERMS AND CHEMICALS.
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT? JURORS AND CHEMICALS FROM UNWASHED HANDS CAN GET INTO OUR FOODS AND DRINKS WHEN THEY'RE BEING PREPARED OR WHEN WE'RE EATING OR DRINKING THEM, WHICH CAN MAKE US SICK.
ALSO GERMS AND CHEMICALS FROM UNWASHED HANDS CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER OBJECTS LIKE CELL PHONES, TABLETOPS, OR TOYS, AND THEN TRANSFER TO OTHER PEOPLE'S HANDS.
THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO WASH YOUR HANDS.
FOLLOWING THESE STEPS, WET LATHER, SCRUB, RINSE, AND DRY.
SO YOU CAN STAY HEALTHY AND HELP KEEP THOSE AROUND YOU HEALTHY FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT CDC.GOV FOR SLASH HAND WASHING I'M FROM SOUTH CAROLINA AND MY VOTE COUNTS.
I AM FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, THE PALMETTO STATE, A SOUTH CAROLINA, AND MY VOTE COUNTS.
THOUSANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINIANS WILL VOTE USING THE NEWEST, MOST ADVANCED VOTING TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORLD.
EVERY VOTE MATTERS AND EVERY VOTE COUNTS.