Board of Elections & Registration - Regular Meeting

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Board meeting of the board of elections and registration is now called to order. Opening ceremonies, invocation will be by Joe and then pledge of allegiance. Thank you. Please stand. Dear heavenly father, we thank you for responsibilities that you pray that you'll be with. Grant us wisdom.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we're going to take a fivem minute recess. We're waiting on one of our members who's caught in traffic. Five minutes.

Hey, hey, hey. January 15th of the board of elections registration is back um back in order and we have already done the opening ceremonies. Thank you. At this time, we'll have a roll call starting with Mr. Holland on our left,

present. Julia Mulla, present. Joe Stale, present. Vernon Higgins, present. Robin Knight, virtual phone call, present. Thank you. We have a full quorum. Thank you. Okay. Um, at this time we need to move to item three, the adoption of tonight's agenda. Have all the board members had a chance to take a look at the agenda for tonight? Yes.

Chair McCulla, may I say something, please? Uh, in regards to the agenda, I mean, I'm sorry, in regards to the minutes that you have in your packet. Um, the list, there was a list under my supervisor's report that was erroneously placed in the underneath my supervisor's report. I want to make sure that you all know uh the correct contest as that was not correct what was on there. I was in the middle of cutting and pasting stuff and I do apologize. Uh but that's not correct and it's not complete yet either. But from what is on there, I needed uh you all to note that there are no Woodbine races in 2026. So those need to be struck from the minutes of the uh last meeting. And then there's also an addition of Kingsland has a council three and four seat that are going to be up for reelection or up for election in November. So in in your packet that you have in your books, you have the correct um the correct contest, although like I said, it's not a complete list. So I just wanted to make that clear. We did have a a resident that uh commented on that to those two cities. So, I want to thank them for bringing that to our attention. However, it wasn't even supposed to be in there. So, that's my bad and I apologize. Just wanted to set the record for that.

Thank you, Miss Nettles. Um let's step back to number three, the adoption of the agenda for tonight's meeting. Um everybody's had a chance to look at it. Can we get a motion to approve? I make a motion that we accept the adjusted minutes as Shannon has presented. We're just adjust We're just looking at the adoption of tonight's agenda at this point. The agenda. Gotcha. Uh so moved. Sorry, did I jump? It's okay. Can I get a second? Second. Okay. All those in favor? I thank you. Tonight's adoption of the agenda is passed. Uh number four, approval of the minutes from the December 18th, 2025 uh regular board meeting. Uh Miss Nettles, do you have anything additional to add to that? No, I do not.

Okay. And I think she's completely explained the um the error that happened. Can we get a um can we get approval to modify those minutes as written? I'll make a motion that we modified it as Shannon has presented. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. I Oh, thank you. Thank you, Miss Robin. You're going to have to remind me that you're there. Okay. I apologize. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Approval and minutes. Item number five, we're at public comments. These are for agenda items only. If we have anybody in the audience who wants to make public comments, now's the time. Okay, no public comments. We will continue on to number six, financial report, December month ending report. Miss Nettles. All right. Has everyone had a chance to review the financials ending December 31st? So, we're halfway through our fiscal year for the county and just I'll just say that we're about 43% of our budget spent by the end of December and currently at this point we have um another election in May. So, I think we're in a good position right now.

Thank you. Uh election supervisor update item seven.

Okay, let's see. Give me just a second. Uh well, our office has uh survived our first week or two without Miss Fields, although she was greatly missed. Um and especially for this meeting as well. So, um, we have gotten a chance to visit with her. She, little secret, she is already bored. Um, so we'll see where that leads. Uh, I want to uh let you all know we're still uh continuingly looking at the elector list and maintaining that every day. We work on uh any new online voter registrations, uh any new felons that have come across, any deceased individuals that have come across, anybody that um might come up as a duplicate where we need to check to merge those accounts together so we don't have an extra extra person with a different number. We do things like that every single day and we continue to do that. Dennis is also working to finalize our street list, which we like to check with the cities and do prior to our first election of each year, and that's going well. Um, in the street list check, we and I've included this in in the board members packets, we have a uh precinct map adjustment that staff would like to make. Uh, it will not be anything I'll ask of you to vote on today. Uh but in the next meeting uh I will need to vote on extending the northern boundary of the East Kingsland

precinct. Um, this would be to accommodate, I have this all jotted down, to extend the boundary lines of an already existing precinct, which is East Kingsland, that will encapsulate an RV park off of Harriet's Bluff, um, Hooks RV right there at the interstate, uh, that was annexed into the city of Kingsland. Uh we started noticing that we were getting voters over there, but they were utilizing the Huck main office address as their address. Um that office is in Harriet's Bluff or Woodbine technically um is what they call the address. So, uh, we started getting driver's license updates from DDS showing, uh, 183 EMS Tower Road. 183 EMS Tower Road that you'll see on your map. um that area and the RV park that was uh that is there now. That area was zoned or was like I said annexed into the city of Kingsland. The only ballot that we had available for Harriet's Bluff was a Harriet Bluff ballot. It's not a city ballot and it wasn't in the right district. Well, was it? It was in the right district. District two is that area. Um, so what we had to do, we had to create an extension of East Kingsland, um, which is District 2 and the city of Kingsland so that it could cover because there's no there's no municipal um, city of Kingsland at Harriet's Bluff, if that makes sense, except for this little spot. So, the only way we can make it with a ballot that we currently have because the park is so small and there's so few, how many do we know? Roughly

roughly 25

at the most people registered at that park. Um, because it's so small, our very best option was going to be incorporated with another precinct that fit both the district 2 combo as well as the city of Kingsland combo. And the only way that we could do that was extending the East Kingsland northbound precinct line. And that's what we've done working with GIS. Um, again, we had to be careful because of voter privacy issues and there being so few people at that location registered to vote and not all of those 25 are even active voters. My intent is to take a visit to the park. Um, get staff approval from the park manager or the the office manager there and um try to go visit the individuals that live back there and just kind of see make sure they realize what ballot they have um and that they understand when the next election is and and that they will be getting a new precinct card basically. Okay. So, in order for this to happen, we have to bring it before the board. Um, and it has to be approved by you all, but it also has to go to the board of reortionment in Atlanta. Um, they need to review the lines that our GIS department uh uh created for us and make sure that they can give the approval for that. Uh, and I'm going to probably turn that in tomorrow or Monday at the latest. What kind of timeline are we talking about for the for their portion of it?

I I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine since we're not doing a lot of redistricting or anything like that in the state right now, it won't take too terribly long. Okay. And um Oh, if we look back to 2023 when we did the new precinct opportunities committee, it only took them a week to finalize um our our requested changes. Okay.

Yeah. And if I if I may um add um why it looks specifically the way it looks um it's kind of because it was our only option. So as Shannon said with Harriet Bluff, there are no there is no combo that can that can suit a city of Kingsland ballot. However, also on the uh west is historic Kingsland, but they do not have a combo that can satisfy a District 2 ballot. So the only um neighboring precinct that could satisfy both a district 2 and city of Kingsland ballot was the East Kingsland precinct. So that's why we had to extend the East Kingsland boundary as opposed to any other precincts boundary. Regarding that, any other questions by the board?

I have a question. How did they vote in the uh the last election? What precinct did they utilize? It was uh uh well in the last election they were under Harriet's Bluff, I believe. So, they utilized uh Harriet's Bluff uh polling location, but it was a PSC ballot, so everyone had the same ballot. Thank you. Any other questions? No. Okay, Shannon, anything else? Uh, no, that's it. Okay,

we will continue on to number eight, old business. Uh we are going to be approving or um the amended version number three of the board of elections registration and bylaws. Um Shia, if you would, this is going to require a roll call. If you could you handle that, would that be okay? I can assist. Shannon, if you need to help us, please do. Thank you. Um okay. And so with um when your name is called, board members, um you've everybody's had a chance to review those. Okay. Thank you. um either approve with a yay or nay as your as your your name's called. Well, can someone um read out the motion which is

Oh, thank you. Sure. Um thank you. Can I get a motion for that? So moved. Well, let's read. Yeah. Oh, can you can you I thought it was You want me to read it? Either one. It's fine. Okay. The motion is to approve the amended version number three of the board of elections and registration bylaws. Can I get a second? Second. Okay. Roll call. All in favor. All in favor. I. We have to do an individual roll call for this. Yep. Do a yay or nay and and start with district one. District one.

District. District one. Yes. Yay. Thank you. District two. District two, yay. District three. Yay. District four. Yay. District five. District five. Yay. Okay. Any nays? Okay. We've got everybody in agreement that um the amended version number three is now approved. Thank you, board.

Okay, we've got some new business at the time. We've got um we've got chairperson Robin Mayor Knight on a uh phone calling in right now and at this time she has formally notified the board and Shannon's office that she is stepping down as the chairperson only. She will remain on the board of educ uh board of elections and we're forever grateful for that. Robin, I know um you've got a lot going on right now and so we thank you. Um we've received her letter and um Shannon um Robin thank you for everything. So um

yeah thank you. Thank you Robin. We appreciate your service as chairperson.

So continue. Okay. So at this time um according to our bylaws and this is um article 4 membership it's u my responsibility um to train oh actually um if I guess I can read section C and section C says if the chair becomes vacant prior to the end of the two-year term the vice chair will assume the duties as the chair for the remainder of the unexpired term and we'll call for the nomination and election of a new vice chair for the remainder of the unexpired term. So, at this point, I will become the chair for the remainder of Robin's term as chairperson, and I will um before I call for nominations for the vice chair position, it's my responsibility to train uh the board about the protocol for the nominations. And um the way this happens, the nominations are taken from the board members only. And uh anybody may nominate any member other than myself for the vice chair position. And it is not um required to have a second on these nominations. So at this time if we have any nominations for the vice chair position um speak now.

I would like to nominate uh Ray Holland. Hey we have a nomination for Ray Holland as vice chair. Do we have any other nominations? Okay. Um, we need to vote. Yes.

Okay. Um, all I guess do we need roll call again for this? Okay. We'll take roll call from each of the members uh to have um make I guess do we have to have a motion? We we have a nomination. No nomination. No vote. Okay. So, we'll take roll call for this at this time. And um Robin Mayor Knight, chair, would you please u vote in favor or opposed to Ray Holland's position as vice chair? District one. Yay. District two. District two. Yay. District three. District three. Yay. District four. Yay. District five.

Yay. That is a very good thing. Congratulations, Vice Chair Ray Holland. And he will serve for the uh for the remainder of of the um of my term. Okay. Congratulations. Um guess we're moving on to important dates. Yes.

Can you step up to the microphone and state your name and your address, please? Uh, Mary Beckman, before you go to public comments, I believe that uh the the don't you have to get uh the U board of elections and registration, the election superintendent to approve the precinct boundary moving? The precinct boundary moving will happen after it's been sent to the state for approval and then we will it will be brought back to I see. So, it's the opposite artist.

Yes, ma'am. Thank you very much. Okay. Okay. Um, important upcoming dates. Of course, we have um Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday, January 19th. President's Day holiday Monday, February 16th. The next uh board of elections and registration is February 19th. Candidate qualifying period begins March 2nd and runs through March 6th. And then the next board of elections and registration after that is March uh 19th

or do we have any other comments or questions? No. Uh additional public comments. Uh Mary Beckman, District 3. I I want to commend you on the solution to the uh to the annexed portion. That's that's neat. Uh it and uh I believe that technically it it actually does comply with the uh with the continuous uh boundaries because uh that rule doesn't uh observe bodies of water as being interrupting

uh the way that the Crooked River does. So I want to commend you for that very neat solution. Um I also wanted to um returning to the uh challenges last uh uh time I want to um ask about the uh criterion uh for rejecting a voter's address if it's uh if it's a business address that's not a post office box. Uh, I've been scouring the uh title 21 and I cannot find uh any um any uh reference in that to uh a business uh address that's not a post office being ineligible to be uh the uh doicile and uh and I looked through uh uh all all the places where the the word doicile or uh habitation was meant. mentioned in uh other other uh sections of the OGCA other uh titles of the OGCA and I don't find any that uh suggest that uh somebody cannot uh use a business address as their doicile and I' I'd like uh the board to revisit the uh guidelines that you've set for yourself uh and um uh think about that again because Uh what we don't want is people who do not have a a house who do not who are living in their car or whatever. We don't want them disenfranchised uh because of their circumstances. Uh and uh recall that the uh the state legislature has already made it difficult for them by saying that uh they have to have their mailing le uh

address up here instead of at uh say a homeless shelter where they uh sometimes sleep or at a social services office where they uh they go to pick up their you uh uh uh pick up other communications. Uh so I I'd like to uh request uh respectfully that uh you revisit that uh that um part of your guidelines for how to um how to um keep the voter roles uh uh in compliant. Thank

Thank you, Miss Begman. And Miss um Nettles, may we charge you with u finding those answers out for Miss Begman for next meeting, please? Okay. Thank you. Appreciate it. Any other comments, public comments or otherwise? Okay, no further uh comments. We can conclude our meeting tonight for the December 18th meeting. I move to adjurnn. Thank you. Second. All those in favor? Thank you. Bye. Hi.