Dekalb Board of Election Meeting

Thursday April 14, 2023, 4:40 

PRESENT 

Dele Lowman Smith (D) Chair 

Nancy Jester (R) Vice Chair 

Anthony Lewis (R) 

Susan Motter (D) 

Karli Swift (At Large) 

1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA 

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 3/1/23 Election Debrief and 3/9/23 

3. PUBLIC COMMENTS 

None 

4. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION 

A. DIRECTOR’S REPORT 

DEPUTY DIRECTOR JULIETTA HENRY: Provides update on current registrations; new Poll Pads; transferring records to GARVIS; contracts with voting locations, shredding of old ballots, hiring for new positions. Announces outreach event for Delta Sigma Theta  Saturday, April 29, 10 – 2 at a Baptist church which all can attend. The department is planning to survey all voting locations for ADA compliance. Their main expenditures are temporary staffing, professional staffing, and voting location rental. 

B. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS 

MOTTER: Suggests further amendment to drafts regarding electronic communications and time limits for reading public comments into the record; clarification of rules for remote attendance.  

Discussion of secure voting methods for remote participation. Atty Van Der Els suggests delaying vote until time for proper notification has elapsed. 

Tabled. 

C. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 

VAN DER ELS: Four bills not yet signed by the governor. 

SB129: Performance reviews by state bodies can now cover Board of Elections members. Provides time off to Early Vote; requires RLAs on 1 or more statewide races per election. 

HB254: Changes about legal notices – doesn’t apply to DeKalb. 

HB572: State Ethics can fine BRE members and municipal superintendents for willful nondisclosure of campaign finance records.

SB222: Exceptions made to prohibitions on outside contributions to counties. (Final version of the bill is not retroactive so DeKalb can keep their grant.) 

5. ITEMS FOR DECISION 

A. LEGISLATIVE ACTION 

JESTER: Suggests making a list of “nuts and bolts” issues that BRE might address to the state legislature, the County Board of Commissioners, and to GAVREO. 

SWIFT: Supports using county lobbyist to advance consensus issues. 

MOTTER: Says bylaws support the BRE’s supporting elections. 

JESTER: Not supportive of using county lobbyist because they serve the majority party.  Suggests BRE only advocate when board is unanimous in support. 

LOWMAN SMITH: asks what method should they use to advise county lobbyist? Note that there is currently no mechanism by which state legislators engage BREs. 

Tabled 

6. EXECUTIVE SESSION 

NA 

7. BOARD COMMENTS 

MOTTER: Describes a visit to Cobb Elections by BRE members, Election staff, Board of  Commissioners members, county Facilities, and Legal staff. Impressed with their renovated spaced with room to store voting “Hubs”, two call center spaces, and a GIS center. 

8. ADJOURNMENT 

5:37

These meetings are open to the public by Georgia law.  

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