Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Election Processing And Certification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission sets October counting, provisional and certification schedule; security preparations scheduled
Summary
The commission approved a sequence of dates and operational steps for handling absentee ballots, provisional ballots and certification for the Oct. 7 special primary, adjusted the date to lock security bags, and scheduled meetings for counting and certification.
The Davidson County Election Commission approved a set of operational dates and procedures to process absentee and provisional ballots and to certify the Oct. 7 special primary results. Administrator Jeff Roberts outlined dates and duties: locking provisional ballot bags and absentee ballot security bins; an absentee county counting board to meet on election day; opening provisional bags and conducting provisional research; a provisional county board to rule on whether to count provisional ballots; and a certification meeting to finalize the results. The commission approved these items individually by voice votes. Key approved dates and steps recorded in the meeting: commissioners scheduled locking of provisional and absentee security bags for August 8 at 9:00 a.m. (amending an original August 11 date); the absentee county counting board was scheduled for Oct. 7 at 9:00 a.m. in the commission room; the opening of provisional bags and associated preparatory steps were scheduled for the day after the election; the provisional county board was scheduled for Friday, Oct. 10 at 2:00 p.m.; and the commission set the certification meeting for Monday, Oct. 13 at 3:00 p.m. Roberts said those dates were in line with state recommendations to get counts submitted on a coordinated schedule. Roberts described operational details: locks and numbered seals will be used for provisional and absentee containers with separate seals for Republican and Democratic parties; two commissioners were nominated to hold keys and oversee unlocking; teams of poll officials (paired by party) will do counting and repackage ballots for sealing after counting. Commissioners discussed scheduling flexibility for members who might be out of town and adjusted the lock date accordingly. The commission also scheduled a provisional-county-board date for the Dec. 2 special general election (to meet Dec. 8 at 9:00 a.m.) so both elections could be noticed together in the newspaper per a recent state law change. All procedural items were approved by voice vote. Less critical: commissioners clarified the roles of counting and provisional boards, key holders and the mechanics of opening and resealing ballots and bins.
