Director Phillips reports turnout, a late-opening polling site and provisional-ballot totals; board recesses until results

Director Phillips delivered an election-night update and reported that one polling site opened late and provided turnout and provisional-ballot figures before the body recessed to await results.

At the start of the meeting, the chair turned the floor over to Director Phillips for an update on voting operations. “All polling locations were prepared to be open this morning,” Phillips said, adding that one site, identified in the record as Elizabeth 03, experienced a delay and opened at 7:16 a.m. The office told the board staff determined the cause was within precinct leadership and tied to opening procedures.

Phillips provided vote and ballot counts for the runoff election: 516,365 registered voters; 32,962 voters who cast ballots advanced in person; 1,980 absentee-by-mail ballots received; 172 UOCAVA ballots issued and 25 returned (24 accepted); 29 provisional ballots issued with 14 returned; and a total of 39,646 voters recorded as of the briefing. When asked to repeat the provisional numbers, Phillips confirmed the office issued 29 provisionals and received 14 back. He also confirmed poll pads were functioning normally.

Earlier business included a procedural vote to approve the evening’s agenda, which passed 3-0 with two members absent. Following the election update, a member moved to recess until election results are complete; the motion was seconded and approved 3-0, and the body recessed at 7:04 p.m.

The meeting record does not identify the members who moved or seconded the motions by name; vote tallies were announced as counts rather than roll-call votes. The board is recessed to continue after official results are compiled.