Members Present:
Wandy Taylor (Chair)
David Hancock
Loretta Mirandola
Anthony Rodriguez
Alice O’lenick
Meeting was called to order
Moment of Silence
Pledge of Allegiance
Opening Remarks: The chair welcomes everyone to the meeting as well as welcoming board members. I have faith in this board and introduce new board member Loretta Mirandola.
Approval of the agenda
David Hancock asks for public comment to be moved for the beginning.
Wandy Taylor says that this will not be considered at the time.
Alice O’Lenick says having the public comment at the end allows the public to comment on the current meeting rather than past meetings
Approval of Minutes
- Nov 15th
Amend minutes to include discussion BRE 603 absentee ballots being collected about a drop box in section 7.
Approved as amended.
- Dec 8th Special
Approved
- Dec 20th
Cancelled
Reports
- Committee Reports:
NONE
- Chairman Update:
As a result of new members, the committee list is the same except Loretta is substituting for Stephen Day.
Also, we are continuing policy updates. Some are 20+ years old and we speak through them. It has been a process.
I attended GAVREO in Athens in December. Most of what I heard from SOS is continual improvement, especially in the form of GARVIS. I liked the fact that Zack could bring a lot of staff to the conference. We need good solid processes in place
- Election Supervisor report:
Voter Registration
631,813 total voters
- GARVIS Update
Wishes that he heard more about GARVIS updates. There was a feeling about the conference that the SOS feels that it wasn’t up to standard. There are about 3 people from the SOS office working actively on GARVIS.
From a staff perspective, there will probably be a lot of starting and stopping.
David Hancock: Do we know of several outstanding issues
Zack Manifold: They don’t share that ticket info. With us
Alice O’Lenick: If our list is right and the state list is not what is on the poll pad
Zack Manifold: It is updated as we process.
- Organizational Updates
All full-time positions have been filled.
There are still a couple of part-time positions open (not specified)
We have poll hiring events coming up that will be posted to our social media.
18 ORR this month. None pending
The new training center at the Old Duluth Library
Old Business
A. BRE-402 Poll official Training
Wandy Taylor: It is at a point where pretty much everything had been addressed on the standards of poll official training
Zach Manifold: These are small changes. I don’t see anything here that isn’t small tweaks
Motion is made to accept policy
Approved
B. BRE-603 Return of Absentee Ballots by Early Voting Locations
Wandy Taylor: This is what we discussed before. We will have to visit this every election to determine that other than drop boxes this provides a step-by-step chain of command about returning an Absentee Ballot to a Poll Official for locations that do not have a drop box
Alice O’Lenick: I have been here since 2012 and before these absentee ballots were not turned in this way
Zach Manifold: We got some permission for this from the SOS, and we just want a policy in place for whatever the board decides on this matter
Alice O’Lenick: In 2022 it was clear that there were several early voting locations that collected Absentee Ballots that did not have a drop box. I was advised by SOS staff to not do this and that they would get back to me pending an investigation. I did not ask for an investigation.
I was on call with the SOS today. I do not feel comfortable with having a standard operating procedure for doing this. The SOS is drawing up new guidelines about Absentee ballots. I was advised to wait until these are drawn up. I really think we should wait. I do not understand why this is coming before us.
The law intends to not have a drop box at every location
Wandy Taylor: This is not static. Before there was the implication that this wasn’t determined which is why there was a procedure.
Attorney: I know member O’Lenick disagrees with me. The appropriate designation of additional places to accept Absentee Ballots. The purpose of this is to determine procedures for IF the board decides to allow it.
The board tables this for further discussion with the legal team
New Business
A. Polling Location contract updates
Zack Manifold: We have several locations that want to serve as dual locations in 2024 but we need some tweaks to the legal language.
Manifold presents a contract for Gas South, an election-day location.
I have talked with Melanie about approving this pending revision from our legal teams’ edits
Approved
B. Drop Box Locations
The board reviews drop box locations. (Cannot see the presentation)
They note that these are the same as the 2022 Election. There is a total of six
There is a note this could change for May.
Approved
c. Vote review and duplication panel compensation
Zach Manifold: We did budget for stipends for the panel if the board decides.
In 2020, we paid for this work, and in 2022. Then one party got the legal opinion that we shouldn’t pay the volunteers. If we go for volunteer work only then we will scale back frequency.
Motion for 75 for four hours and 150 for a day in compensation
Approved
d. Call for a special Election to increase homestead exemption
Approved
e. Call for special Election for additional homestead for PS workers
Approved
f. Special meeting to consider provisional and challenged ballots
The date is March 16 at 10:00 AM
g. Special meeting to certify March 12th
March 18, 10:00 AM
h. 2025 Capital Budget Discussion
Zach Manifold: Really, we wanted to discuss to see if you had any thoughts or ideas as this is upcoming and we want to get ahead of the curve.
Public Comments
Donna McCloud: I want to make sure registering voters is non-partisan. There is a demand for drop boxes as we are expanding. The laws around voting, Sb202 and otherwise are cumbersome.
David Iwon: I want to thank the young woman who spoke that we are a republic. Asks everyone to stand for an invocation.
Mary Belle-Hodges: I’ll go on record Hand count paper ballots. It is disappointing to see GARVIS be an issue. We are on the precipice of another election and our voter rolls are a mess.
Richard Porter: There is no evidence of widespread fraud. You are looking at the American people as your court. We all want legitimate voters.
Lisa Rutherford: No one in the community elected you here. I want to remind you of your oaths here. Your oaths should rise above anything as you are sworn to serve.
Closing Remarks
Wandy Taylor: Thanks, her staff, Colleagues, and the public
Meeting Adjourned 8:39 PM
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