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Charlotte County Electoral Board hears Nov. 3 election complaints, holds closed session on personnel
Summary
On Dec. 2, 2020, the Charlotte County Electoral Board heard public complaints about meeting notice, ballot-counting notifications, inter-agency communication and CARES-fund accounting tied to hazardous-duty bonuses, then entered a closed session on personnel and later certified the closed meeting.
The Charlotte County Electoral Board met Dec. 2, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. in the registrar’s office to hear public concerns about the Nov. 3 election and to address internal personnel matters. Chair Glenwood Foster, Vice-Chair Lawrence Clark and Secretary Robert Bradner were present.
During the public-comment portion, several citizens and local party leaders told the board they had problems with how the Nov. 3 election was run and with the board’s communication. The complaints included a failure to post proper notice for an Oct. 28 meeting (a lapse the Secretary acknowledged), requests for an e-mail distribution list so party officials receive the same notifications as board members, and confusion about the exact times when ballots would be counted on Election Day. The Registrar told inquirers that he did not know when some procedures might begin because the board, the Virginia Department of Elections and federal authorities had implemented new processes, and the board said it would work to make communication clearer before the June primaries.
Commenters also raised questions about hazardous working-condition bonuses approved at the Nov. 25 meeting. Chair Foster said he had learned that some charges that should have been billed to CARES funds were instead paid from county funds; he said the board will correct the accounting and take action as permitted by available CARES funds. The amount charged to the county was not specified in the minutes.
Under new business, Foster described a number of incidents he observed on Election Day that caused concern; some were handled immediately and others were referred for later board discussion. Vice-Chair Lawrence Clark moved that the board enter a closed session under Va. Code §2.1-3711 to discuss personnel matters. Secretary Robert Bradner seconded the motion and it carried.
After the closed session, Secretary Bradner moved that the board return to regular session. The board then adopted a certification resolution stating that, to the best of each member’s knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meetings were discussed during the closed meeting, citing Va. Code §2.1-3712. A roll call vote certified the resolution: Foster — Aye; Clark — Aye; Bradner — Aye.
Bradner then moved to adjourn; Clark seconded and the motion passed unanimously. The minutes bear the signatures of Glenwood Foster, Lawrence Clark and Robert Bradner.
The board did not specify any timelines, dollar amounts for the hazardous-duty bonuses, or identify personnel discussed during the closed session in the published minutes. The board said it plans to review and strengthen notice and communication procedures ahead of the next primaries.
