Douglas County Board of Election 10/10/2024

Members present: Myesha Good (chair), Chad Word, Kevin Evans, Maurice Hurry, Michele Crochetiere   

Director: Milton Kidd

Office operations

M. Kidd and staff reported on the following:

• Staff reported there will be 7 early voting and 25 election day polling sites. Early voting poll workers have been trained. 
• Staff noted the equipment is in compliance, though some of the early voting sites are in small rooms. Kidd said many of these sites are used for other activities. M. Good asked if backup poll workers will be available. Kidd said they will have extra poll workers as backups.
• Staff announced the waiting time tool discussed at the previous meeting will be live. Good asked a demonstration for board members. Kidd said they will arrange it.
• Staff said they mailed 2,844 ballots. Twenty-one had returned by the time of the meeting.
• Kidd reported the Secretary of State’s Office has sent them ballot applications, some of which go back to August 30. He expressed his concern it has taken the SOS so long to send these applications.
• Staff announced they concluded L&A testing with no problems with the equipment.
• Staff announced they will deliver the equipment to the advanced voting sites on October 11.
• Staff announced they will do early processing of absentee ballots on October 21, 25, 31, and November 5. 

Old business

• Kidd reported they met on October 1 with law enforcement agencies and the district attorney’s office to coordinate security arrangements. A sheriff’s deputy will be assigned to each precinct during early voting and on election day.
• Kidd said the police department trained poll workers on security procedures on September 24.

New business

Good said she asked Kidd to check with other counties about how they are handling the new State Elections Board rules.

Kidd provided the board with an Attorney General’s Opinion that hand counting ballots before they are tabulated at the county is not provided for in state law. This opinion was sent to the SEB.

Kidd said he had been in touch with Muscogee County about their response to the rules. He said they passed a resolution critical of the SEB for acting outside their authority and stated the need for a ninety day “quiet period” when no new rules can be implemented. 

Kidd explained the process that the new rule will put into place for counting ballots on election day. He said they have not received guidance from the SOS. Good asked the county attorney if they have to count the ballots at the end of the day in each precinct. The county attorney said they do. She also said the new rule amounts to an unfunded mandate. 

Kidd said that the reconciliation of the machine counts with the number of ballots has been done in the central office after the ballots are delivered from each precinct. He said asking poll workers to count ballots after working for twelve hours will lead to errors and delay. 

M. Hurry moved to propose they pass a resolution that there be a 90-day quiet period during which rule changes cannot be made. 

The motion passed 4 to 1.

The legal counsel said she could draft the resolution.

Hurry moved to have her prepare a draft that the board chair could sign after review by the board members.

The motion passed 3 to 2.

Director’s concerns

Kidd said he would like to work other election boards to prepare a list of proposed changes in the rules for the SEB to consider.  This would take place next year. 

Kidd deferred to the legal counsel for a proposal she has. She asked the board for input on hiring an attorney on retainer who specializes in election law. It would be for the rest of this cycle. She and Kidd would have to go to the county administrator to request funds.

Good stated she would like to be involved in the selection process. She was critical of attorneys they have used in the past. C. Word said he does not see a need to hire another lawyer. M. Crochetiere said it is too late to hire an attorney. Good told the attorney to keep her in the loop. She did not stop her and Kidd from discussing funding with the county administrator. The preceding discussion made clear the board would have to call a meeting to approve an attorney, if one is hired.