Camden County election office reports equipment tests complete and staffing ready ahead of June special primary

Camden County election staff told the Board of Elections and Registrars on May 15 that the office has completed required equipment testing, trained poll workers and is preparing for a June special primary for public service commissioner districts.

Election Supervisor Shannon Nettles said the office’s budget is “at 75% right now” but noted that remaining election expenses (poll workers and routine supplies) still need to be paid before the fiscal year ends in June. She told the board there are just under 40,000 active registered voters and about 6,500 inactive voters — a total of 46,096 on the rolls — and said the numbers are “very fluid” as registrations and address changes arrive.

Nettles also reported that the office had received 37 absentee-by-mail applications so far for the upcoming public service commission race and urged eligible voters to submit applications before the county’s deadlines. She said staff expect state mailings to the voter list (for things like cross‑state or change‑of‑address notifications) to cause further roll updates after the June election.

Deputy/technician Dennis (election staff) told the board he completed logic-and-accuracy testing this past Monday. “Overall, I tested 48 ballot marking devices, 13 scanners,” he said, and confirmed setup of the in‑house ImageCast central scanner and the election management system. Dennis said poll pads also passed required testing and that the office trained roughly 40–45 poll workers for the upcoming election.

Nettles also reminded the board of routine public outreach: she is scheduled to present to the county’s Citizens Academy on the evening of May 15 to explain office operations and to encourage awareness of the June election.

The board and staff reviewed next steps and calendar items: advanced in-person voting is scheduled May 27–June 13, the last day to accept absentee‑ballot applications is June 6, and the special primary election day is June 17. Nettles advised the board that the county will perform a state‑mandated post‑election audit for the statewide race on the audit day and that staff availability around that audit shaped the board’s work‑session scheduling preferences.

Staff characterized the office’s implementation risk as low to medium: equipment, testing, and training are complete, but the voter roll updates and remaining budgeted expenses are active tasks before certification.

The board did not take formal action on operations at the meeting; the reports were received and staff were thanked for preparations.