MEMBERS PRESENT:
Dele Lowman Smith (Chair)
Nancy Jester
Susan Motter
Karli Swift
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NOT PRESENT
Anthony Lewis
Called to order 12:15 by Lowman Smith
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APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes for 10/10/22, 10/13/22, 10/21/22, and 11/07/22 all approved unanimously
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PUBLIC COMMENT
Liz Throop – Hold Sunday voting hours, allow ballot clerks to collect absentee ballots at Early
Voting sites
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Judy Sophionopolis – Thanks and good job.
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Madeleine Soloway – Father did not receive Absentee Ballot after 11 days. He could resolve it,
but the shortened timeline for the Runoff would have made that impossible. Wants Saturday
and Sunday voting for sake of college students
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Anjali Kulkarni – Wants early voting. She teaches so understands the difficulties of college
students and wants Early Voting on college campuses.
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Public commenter – Wants Saturday and Sunday voting particularly to help students and hopes there will be Early Voting before the holiday
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Jane Milam, Republican candidate. On behalf of DeKalb GOP would like to know more about
the processing time for checking in voters, and the tabulation processing and procedures. Will
have recommendations soon based on her poll watchers’ observations.
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Deborah Baker – Did poll watching for several days and suggests giving poll workers days off
and shorter shifts. Would like to retrofit the scanner/tabulators to keep ballots more organized.
BethAnn Frillman – suggests reducing the number of Ballot Marking devices and increasing Poll Pads. Asks for Early Voting before Thanksgiving so college students can vote, especially because it takes too long for their Absentee Ballots to arrive. Wonders about the point of origin for the Absentees and how that affects mail delivery times.
Saira Draper, State Representative – Suggests more early voting locations in Lithonia, Stonecrest, and Toco Hills. Says that way, no one in DeKalb would live more than 5 miles from
an Early Voting location.
4A. CERTIFICATION OF NOV 8 GENERAL ELECTION
NANCY JESTER – Staff recommends certification
SUSAN MOTTER says everyone did a great job
The vote is unanimous for certification
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EARLY VOTING TIMES AND LOCATIONS:
Director K. Smith: LAT can’t start until 5 days after being printed in Legal organ. If it’s OK for the LAT notice to just appear in their online edition, they can have voting at Memorial Drive location on November 22 or 23rd. Otherwise voting can’t start until Saturday Nov 26 (if that is allowed pending lawsuit) or Sunday Nov 27.
Karli Swift proposes adding more Early Voting sites including
Salem-Panola Library,
Ousley UMC,
New Bethel AME
Mack Love Center/Central DeKalb Senior Center 1340 McConnell Drive
If they are available and deemed suitable.
A lengthy discussion about legal requirements regarding advertising of LAT in print or online and
what this implies for the start of voting. Noted that current state rules and laws are antiquated due
to conversion to digital communication. The current plan is to begin LAT on Thursday 11/17 pending ability of legal organ to advertise promptly.
A lengthy discussion about whether voting on Saturday 11/26 is legal, and how to decide what to
do (pending lawsuit against the state) if they are, in fact, allowed to vote that day.
Vote to hold Early Voting on Saturday, November 26 pending the outcome of a state lawsuit. (Passes 3– 1 with Jester voting against)
Vote to hold Early Voting Sunday Nov 27, 7am – 7pm (subject to availability of staff or else
fewer hours as staffing permits) at all 16 locations that were used in the General. (Passes 4- 0)
Vote to hold Early Voting on Wednesday, Nov 23 at both Memorial Drive sites and Monday,
Nov 28 – Friday, Dec 2 at the 16 previous locations:
Dunwoody Library
North DeKalb Senior Center
Briarwood
Emory
Besse Branham
South DeKalb Mall
Beulah
Tucker Library
Clarkston Library
Memorial (two locations)
Former Sam’s Club at Stonecrest
Wesley Chapel Library
Ellenwood Library
Wade Walker Park
Berean
PLUS, pending viability:
Salem Panola Library
Ousley United Methodist Church
New Bethel AME
Mack Love Senior Center
Smokerise Elementary School
Tucker City Hall
Lynwood Community Center
Perimeter Center, Chamblee
Forest Fleming Arena in Honeysuckle Park.
(Passes 4 – 0)
DUNWOODY (DF) ELECTION DAY POLLING PLACE
Church at Chapel Hill Dunwoody has declined to be an Election Day polling place for the runoff,
so voters will vote at Dunwoody Library. It will be configured as a co-located polling place. After
the runoff Chapel Hill and Dunwoody Library voters will be collapsed into a single precinct and
all will vote on the same machines.
Affected voters will be sent notices about the changed location.
(Passes 4-0)
COMMENTS FROM BOARD
Board members thank poll workers, lawyers, and volunteers. Swift reiterates there should be
early voting sites near all voters.
ADJOURN about 2pm
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