Board of Elections & Registration - Regular Meeting

Good evening. The regularly scheduled meeting for the Camden County Board of Elections of Registration is now called to order. Opening ceremonies include Ms. Robin Maynard Knight with the invocation and Mr. Joe Stout with the Pledge of Allegiance. Would you please stand?

Good evening. Let us pray. God, we give thanks for this day. Thank you for the opportunity to come together. Let us use wisdom, knowledge, and discernment as we make decisions for our community. May this meeting be peaceful, productive, and effective. In your name we pray, God. Amen. Amen.

Thank you. Our first order of business is the adoption of the agenda. May I have a motion to adopt the agenda? So moved. Second?

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

The agenda is adopted. Next, we have three months' worth of meetings, minutes that need to be approved, and we'll go step by step. The first one is May 22nd's minutes. Do we have a motion?

I make a motion that we approve the minutes for May 22nd, 2026.

Thank you. A second?

Second.

All those in favor? Aye. Okay, those minutes are adopted. Our next set of minutes are June 15th. Do we have a motion?

I make a motion to accept June 15, 2026 minutes.

A second?

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Those minutes are adopted, and our final piece is June 22nd, 2026. Do we have a motion to adopt those minutes?

I'll make a motion that we adopt the minutes from the June 22nd meeting.

And a second? Second. All those in favor? Aye. Those are adopted. Okay, this time we have public comments. We'll now move on to the comments for agenda items only. Comments will be limited to three minutes each, and when you approach the podium, please state your name and address. Okay, this time there are no public comments. Mr. Carter, financial report and election supervisor update, and if you don't mind, would you please include the interim position in your report? An update?

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Within your binders, you'll find financial statements for both period end 5-31-2026, as well as 6-30-2026. However, please note that the 6-30 is the preliminary. And on each item, or each category, I should say, we are, for May, have only used 76% of the salaries and benefits of that line. Of the contracted services, 81.78. for supplies 67.95, giving us a total of favorable balance, variance, I'm sorry, of $118,209.13, equating to 76.97% used. That's for the month of May. You all have any questions for May?

Board, any questions on the financials? None. Okay, continue.

For the month of June, salaries and benefits, $49,929.63 used. which equates to 87.03% of that particular line. For contracted services, $8,736.76, equating to 89.53%. Supplies, $6,542.21, EQUATING TO 85.41%. GRANT TOTAL, $65,208.60 EQUATING TO 87.29% USE. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE? BOARD, ANY QUESTIONS? NO. YOU CAN CONTINUE. SUPERVISOR'S REPORT. FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND REGISTRATIONS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE JUNE 16TH RUNOFF AS WELL AS THE MAY 19TH GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION. THE FIRST ITEM I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT FOR VOTER PRIVACY staff is proposing a boundary modification intended to enhance the voter secrecy, which will affect 10 registered voters at this time. Of these 10, two are inactive and only one has participated in an election in the last four years. It is important to remind the board that these individuals registered use an office address because it serves as their mailing location. And that placed them in the Harriet Bluff district. However, where they reside and sleep overnight is annexed into the city of Kingsland, which is why we're proposing the boundary change to protect future voters, their privacy. Any questions regarding the boundary changes that we are proposing?

None.

Go ahead. I also wanted to update you on the Woodbine recall petitions that is ongoing. They have moved from step one, which was the applications for the recall petition. They were issued petitions. They are currently receiving signatures for the petition. They have until the 22nd of July to submit those signatures to our office to be vetted. Any questions?

None.

Next would be our monthly voter roll updates. As of today, we've had 336 new voters registered. Our total registered voter count has now reached 45,102. However, of that number, we have 4,918 who are inactive. Any questions regarding our voter roll updates?

None.

As you may have seen in the newspaper, Candidate qualifying will begin on Monday, August the 17th, at both the City of St. Mary's and the City of Kingsland. For the City of St. Mary's, they will be qualifying from 8.30 a.m. until 4.30 p.m., Monday through Wednesday. And the qualifying fee is $270. For the City of Kingsland, They'll be qualifying the mayor and council posts three and four. They will also begin on Monday, August the 17th at eight 30. However, they will continue until Thursday, August 20th, and they will end at 4 PM daily. They're qualifying fees for the mayor is $343 and 50 cents. The council posts $270 and 75 cents each. Any questions on the qualifying dates?

Okay. Go ahead.

Our office has completed our risk-limiting audit, the recount of the Georgia Public Service Commissioner District 3 with 100% confirmation. And again, I want to thank the board for your assistance. And also I want to thank staff. Lastly, Ms. Deborah Felix and Ms. Leona Fields have both returned to their retired status. So now it's just Dennis and I maintaining the office and preparing for November until the ladies come out for their siesta.

And we feel confident about that, right?

Oh, absolutely.

Thank you. Right, Dennis?

Yeah. Okay, we're good. And Madam Chair, that concludes my supervisor's report.

Anything on the interim position?

No, ma'am. Other than We're anticipating a decision in August upon which time the transition will follow thereafter and the evaluation will be made regarding the need for a full-time third person.

Okay, thank you. Do we have any other questions? Shannon, go ahead.

I was just going to say, it's probably more like August or September. There's no set date, but we'll, of course, keep you all in the loop. Okay, thank you.

Do we have any other questions?

Yes, Mr. Carter. Could you provide us an update on the status of the annex in relocation?

I cannot. I do not know. I know that we've had... Architects come out and take drawings, but after that, I don't know where we are in the process.

Could we get an update report at our next regularly scheduled meeting?

Yes, sir.

Thank you. And is there anything that we as a board can do to assist?

Yes, sir. If you would ask your particular commissioner where we are and what we need to do as staff to prepare.

Okay, thank you. You're welcome.

Any other questions from the board? Rock, any additional information? Are you finished?

I am finished, ma'am.

Okay, moving on to new business. Thank you, Acting Supervisor Carter. We'll move on to new business, reorganization of the Board of Elections and Registration. I have turned in my resignation as chair to Rock Carter as of yesterday. I assume that you have received that. And per our bylaws, Article 4, Section 2-C, if the chair becomes vacant prior to the end of the two-year term, The Vice Chair will assume the duties as the Chair of the remaining unexpired term and will call for a nomination and election of a new Vice Chair for the remainder of the unexpired term. Mr. Ray Holland, are you willing to accept the Chair position?

Yes, Madam Chair.

Okay, and in our bylaws, that is an automatic succession. So the resignation is effective as of the end of today, and he will become chair, which vacates our vice chair position. So at this time, we'll need to nominate for a new vice chair. Any board member may take that nomination, and nominations do not require a second. May I have a nomination for the position of vice chair?

I'd like to nominate Mr. Joe Still.

Joe, would you accept that chair, that position? Okay, the vice chair. Okay, are there any other nominations? Okay, all those, and can we get a motion to accept Joe as the vice chair, please?

I'd like to make a motion to... Select Mr. Joe Stell in the vice chair position for the Board of Elections and Registration.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Congratulations, Ray, and congratulations, Joe. I know we leave this board in great shape, and thank you.

Okay.

Can I just interject? Did we get a second on that motion? You don't have to. Oh, you don't have to?

No, ma'am. Katie, are we good? Yeah. Okay, thank you. Okay, we've got some important dates coming up. Mr. Vernon, if you need to answer that. You're good, okay. We've got some important days. Municipal qualifying for the November election will begin on Monday, August 17th. The first day to accept absentee by mail applications for the nomination election is also Monday, August 17th. Our next regularly scheduled board meeting is Thursday, August 20th. We have Labor Day holiday is observed on Monday, September 7th, and the county offices are closed. National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, September 22nd. And on that note, are we going to be at the high school that day or is that not the event or is that the plan? I'm sorry to interrupt on that. We have some time to talk about it. Would you please make sure that that's on the agenda for next time? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Just remember that. Columbus Day holiday is observed on Monday, October 12th, and the county offices are closed. The first day of advanced in-person voting for the November election will be Tuesday, October 13th, due to observance of Columbus Day. And the final day of advanced in-person voting for November election will be Friday, October 30th. Board, do you have any questions concerning those upcoming dates? Okay, at this time, we'll hear any additional public comments. Comments will be limited to three minutes. And when you approach the podium, please state your name and address. These are any public comments. Okay, having no public comments, I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

Madam Chair?

Yes, sir.

May I interrupt? I also want to add another date. August 14th, staff will be holding a voter registration training at the Joseph Building at 2 o'clock p.m. The Joseph Building.

Can you give that location?

120 Lee Street in Kingsland. It's the old bank.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Okay, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn at this time.

I'll make a motion that we adjourn.

Second.

Second.

All those in favor? Aye. Okay, this meeting is now adjourned. Thank you.