Douglas County Board of elections 7/30/2024

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

Director: Milton Kidd

Felon hearings—none 

Office operations

• Staff reported they have been looking for a new location for precinct 734 because Bright Star Church is no longer available. They could not find a location within the precinct boundaries but Elizabeth Baptist Church, just outside the boundary, has agreed to be a polling site. M. Kidd recommended the change and said there are legal provisions for having a polling site outside of a precinct. They will work with legal counsel to insure they meet the requirements.

The board unanimously agreed to the new site.

• A staff member reviewed the dates for absentee ballot applications and submitting absentee ballots.

She also reported they will be interviewing new poll worker candidates in August and September, and they are contacting current poll workers about their availability. Training for advanced voting poll workers will be September 30 to October 5. Training for election day workers will be October 21 to October 26.

K. Evans had a question about making online changes in voter status. Kidd and staff replied that voters can now go online to cancel their registration if they have moved out of state.

• Kid reported they will be making a presentation on the office activities at the Board of Commissioners retreat August 1.
• Staff reported there will be a regional meeting of county election offices on August 6. Douglas County will make a presentation on absentee ballots.
• Staff reported the Secretary of State’s office is working on a voter roll maintenance project with two other states. They have sent Douglas County a list of 161 names of voters who they said have moved to the other two states. Staff will also be checking the 408 signatures from Douglas County voters who have signed a petition to put Robert Kennedy on the ballot. 

New business

• Kidd and staff read a resolution submitted by the Douglas County Board of Education for an ESPLOST item they want added to the November ballot. Kidd said he was unaware of the proposal and expressed his concern they had given his office short notice. He added that in the future they will have a timeframe for submitting requests. The resolution had to be approved at this board meeting in order to meet the requirement that it be published in the legal organ ninety days before the election.

The board voted unanimously to approve it. 

• Kidd reported the board had approved a TSPLOST item at a previous meeting but the Board of Commissioners have not transmitted the final language to the legal organ. He notified the commissioners board that day. A county attorney called into the board meeting. She said she had talked to the newspaper that is the legal organ, and they assured her they would be able to publish the notice once they get the final language. She said the Board of Commissioners will be meeting to approve the final language.

Director’s concerns

Kidd said some people, including a board member, did not get their precinct cards. Even though the address was correct, the postal service returned C. Word’s card as undeliverable.  He would have been put on the Inactive list if he had not found out about it when he checked the My Voter page. Kidd said they will be putting ads in the paper to alert voters to the possible problem, and they will meet with the county communications staff to get the message out in other ways.

Board concerns

• M. Crochetiere asked for an update on meeting with the commissioners about the need for more space. Kidd said a time has not been scheduled yet.
• Evans asked about the status of the complaint concerning a candidate who campaigned within 150 feet of a polling site that was sent to the SoS to investigate. Kidd said they sent it but have not heard back. They will check with the SoS on it.