Rockingham County elections board adopts public-comment rules and sets regular meeting time

At a special meeting of the Rockingham County Board of Elections in Wentworth, the board approved formal rules for its public comment period and set its regular monthly meeting day and time. The board voted to make the public comment period available for matters “pertaining to elections or items on the board of elections agenda,” with each speaker allotted three minutes and a total public-comment block capped at 30 minutes. The rules require speakers to approach the podium, state their name and physical address, and prohibit campaigning, promoting private business ventures, use of musical instruments, yielding time to others and personal insults unrelated to official duties. The board also said written comments may be submitted to the board director by hand or email. Board members discussed logistical details, including using a sign-up sheet so staff can track speakers and displaying a timer on a monitor; the rules note a beep will sound at one minute remaining. The board also said the public comment text will be read at the start of the public-comment segment rather than before each speaker. Board members debated whether to meet monthly if no business required a meeting; ultimately the board passed a motion to set its regular meetings for the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., with exceptions for statutorily fixed meetings. Members said the later evening start is intended to make meetings more accessible to working residents. The motions to adopt the public-comment rules and to set the regular meeting time were both approved by vote during the special meeting. Board Chairman (name not specified in the transcript) opened the meeting and led the discussion; board members participating in the discussion included Sheridan Powell, who made the earlier nomination for secretary, Miss Totten, Miss Wright and remote member Bert Jones, who participated by phone. Miss Seimster, identified in the meeting as the board director, was referenced as the point of contact for written submissions. The board did not specify a calendar date for the next regular meeting in the transcript and said it will notify the public by appropriate means when meetings are scheduled.