Macon-Bibb Board of Elections Meeting 05/28/20

RECOGNITION OF VISITORS:

1. Welcome & Recognition of Visitors via Teleconference

MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Request approval of the minutes from the regular Board meeting held Thursday, April 30, 2020 (ACTION)

Request approval of the minutes from the Special Call meeting held Monday, May 4, 2020 

(ACTION)

Request approval of the minutes from the Special Call meeting held Tuesday, May 19, 2020

(ACTION)

NEW BUSINESS:

• State Election Board (SEB) Adopted Proposed Emergency Rule: Early Processing of Absentee Ballots
  • They can be opened and counted as early as this coming Monday (June 1) thru election day; they can be placed in bundles of 100 for easy tabulation; but results will not be tabulated until after the election. Candidates may have a poll watcher on hand. BOE supervisor informs there is limited space in the building for handling the ballots, extra equipment and personnel. After tabulation, results remain secure in the computer.
• Is the tabulation info unknown or will the personnel be sworn to secrecy?
  • Legal Notice published proposed early tabulation.
  • See the following rule: RULE 183-1-14-0.7-.15 Processing Absentee Ballots Prior to Election Day (1) For the Elections held on June 9, 2020, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on the second Monday prior to Election Day, county election superintendents shall be authorized to open the outer envelope of accepted absentee ballots, remove the contents including the absentee ballot, and scan the absentee ballot using one or more ballot scanners, in accordance with this rule, and may continue until all accepted absentee ballots are processed. However, no person shall tally, tabulate, estimate or attempt to tally, tabulate or estimate or cause the voting equipment to produce any tally or tabulation, partial or otherwise, of the absentee votes cast until the time for the closing of the polls on Election Day. (2) Absentee ballots shall be processed in batches of not more than 100. At least three persons who are registrars, deputy registrars, poll workers, or absentee ballot clerks must be present at all times during the processing of a batch of absentee ballots.
• Request approval of Poll Manager Appointment for the March 24, 2020 Presidential Preference Primary Election according to O.C.G.A. 21-2-90 (ACTION)
  • Should state for the June 9 election. Motion to correct agenda; passed. Motion to approve Poll Manager appt. passed.

OLD BUSINESS:

1. Absentee Ballot Box – Update 
   • Box has been ordered but may not be on hand until November.
   • Are you saying drop boxes won’t be available for the June 9 election? How many boxes were ordered?

OTHER BUSINESS:

Discussion of challenges to persons running for office. A challenge (Mrs. Raines) to one person running for office who lives in another state (SC). Allegedly, the person is using the address of a local relative and running for Mayor of Macon. Ficklin reminds the board that if the challenge did not happen within a specified period after qualification. When the candidate qualified, he/she had to sign an affidavit of residency and voter registration within the county.

1. Items from the Chief Registrar (Veronica)
   1. (Include number abs applications mailed and ballots returned as of May 27, 2020)

• Absentee in-person – 2,175
• Mailed Ballots – 23,525
• Returned Ballots – 11,703
  • Ficklin wants to know more about mistaken ballots that had to be returned. He wants a detailed report of what happened and to make sure the candidates are aware. Voters 117 were mailed corrected ballots with explanations and materials to vote again. The office will keep track of how many come back in.
  • Discussion of pending litigation (unknown subject) will be handled in closed session.
  • Complaint from Powell that masks, gloves, sanitizer, PPE for workers not apparent; many voters are not consistently wearing masks, etc. BOE supv. Says state is reimbursing for supplies purchased to protect staff.
  • If voter received absentee ballot but decides to vote in person, they must bring the absentee ballot back in. If they fail to return the ballot, they must sign affidavit saying they have not voted absentee.

2. Active 106,057 Inactive 6,879 Combined Total 112,936 as of May 28, 2020
3. ElectioNet Voter Registration Dashboard Report 
   1. DDS Department Driver Services Applications – 668
   2. OLVR – Online Voter Registration Applications – 134
   3. Verification of Pending Voters – 1
4. Items from Board Members

2. Items from the Supervisor

3. Correspondence: (Copies for Board meeting files)
   1. SEB Adopted Proposed Emergency Rule: Early Processing of Absentee Ballots

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