Charlotte County readies staff, polling locations and security for June primary

The Charlotte County Electoral Board on May 4 reviewed a detailed plan to staff and operate the June 20 primary, including early voting beginning May 5, a polling-place relocation in Drakes Branch, and a multilayered training program for chiefs and officers of election.

General Registrar Virginia Booth told the board the registrar's office is set up for early voting and that absentee ballots had been mailed. She outlined the office timeline: early voting begins May 5; the last day to register for the primary is May 30; Saturday early voting is scheduled June 10 and June 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and the primary is June 20. Booth also said the deadline to file for local offices is 7:00 p.m. on June 20.

"We are ready to go into the chiefs' training and training for the officers," Booth said as she described practical exercises the office will use to prepare poll workers. The board noted that all officers of election have been selected and notified and that chiefs were asked to staff early voting sessions so they gain experience opening, running and closing the polls.

The board discussed a relocation of the Drakes Branch polling place; Booth said required notifications and filings have been completed and the county is in the 30-day waiting period after which new registration cards will be mailed to affected voters.

Training outlined by election staff emphasizes team-based, hands-on instruction. The plan calls for at least a half-day of in-person training at the general registrar's office, completion of the state Voter Education Board (VEB) online OE course as a team, mock polling setups with an electronic poll book, printer and voting machine, and practice printing opening zero tapes, closing tapes, and sealing procedures. Trainers will simulate exceptions — wrong address, incorrect name, unregistered voters and same-day registration — and rehearse closing procedures including counting unused ballots, printing three closing tapes for both the electronic poll book and vote recording machine, sealing equipment and returning materials to the registrar's office.

Staff also recommended minimum staffing levels: four officers of election for presidential and statewide contests and three for primary elections, with rotation of duties during long shifts.

Booth reported the registrar's office has completed logic-and-accuracy tests on voting machines and electronic poll books and that the security system already installed is working. She said there are funds remaining to add a camera outside the front door and one covering the waiting room to complete the planned security upgrade.

The board briefly addressed maintenance of the voter rolls after a news item noted deceased voters on the rolls. Booth said Charlotte County received state notice of about 10 deceased people on the rolls, and that until recently interstate notification of deaths was incomplete; the county also monitors local newspapers and state notices to remove deceased voters.

The board did not receive any public comments during the meeting. The session concluded with routine procedural items and scheduling as the office moves into final preparations for early voting and the June primary.