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Lunenburg County electoral board tightens chain-of-custody and security steps ahead of November election
Summary
Board members and the General Registrar finalized chain-of-custody documentation, agreed sealing procedures for absentee ballots, and reported coordination with county emergency responders and local groups to limit security risks on Election Day.
Chairman Donna Dagner and the General Registrar outlined a series of new and reinforced security procedures for the Nov. 5 election aimed at protecting ballots and polling places.
The General Registrar said a recent roundtable with county administration and emergency responders reviewed safety measures for Election Day and that she has been drafting chain-of-custody documentation for ballots, equipment and controlled-space access. The board agreed to use existing sealable soft bags for absentee ballots returned at polling places and to carry ballot envelopes in plastic bins that can be sealed for transport to the Registrar’s office.
The board also adopted a change to how seals are handled after concerns that some had been signed in advance. Chairman Donna Dagner said the new practice is to sign seals at the time of application, cover them with clear tape, place the envelopes in plastic bins and then seal those bins for transport.
Other security measures the Registrar outlined include 40-foot exclusion-area cones fitted with restricted-activity signs and the use of hand-held radios for emergency communications. The Registrar reported that the Arrowhead Gun Club agreed to close on Election Days to prevent firearm-related issues at nearby polling places.
The Registrar described a separate incident in which a Trump campaign bus parked on Courthouse grounds contrary to local policy; she said the bus moved off county property quickly and the matter was resolved without further action. The board discussed alternate emergency polling locations in the event a polling site becomes unusable on Election Day.
The board concluded its security section by approving procedures for precincts to send photos of result tapes via text to the office as an alternative to calling in results if electronic transmission is available; calling in results remains the fallback option.
The board adjourned at 6:06 p.m.
