Columbus, Georgia

August 1, 2002





The Board of Elections and Registrations board meeting was held August 1, 2002

at 2:00 p.m.



Members present: Jan Dickens ? Chairperson

Margaret Jenkins

Kenneth Barfield

Eleanor White

Walter J. Wright, Jr.





The Board of Elections and Registration Board Meeting was called to order by

the Chairperson, Jan Dickens.



Mrs. Linda Pierce, Clerk of Superior Court, conducted the swearing in of the

board members.



The chairperson asked the members for a motion to accept the minutes of the

July board meeting. Mr. Barfield had a question about the excused absence of

two board members.



Mr. Barfield would like for the minutes to reflect that he is opposed to

re-hiring Margaret Dawson as a precinct manager.



After discussion, a motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes of the

July board meeting as amended. Vote was unanimous.



NEW BUSINESS:



The board was informed that a precinct manager for Hardaway is needed. Mr.

Wright asked the board if they would be comfortable to hire someone that is not

a Muscogee County registered voter to work in a precinct. Mr. Barfield stated

that Nancy should get an opinion from the Secretary of State's Office

concerning employing electors from another county. We will not take any action

unless it is a last resort. The chairperson asked if all of the other

precincts were staffed. The board was assured that all other precincts have

the managers in place. We have the staff at the Hardaway precinct and only

need a manager.



Nancy told the board that we have 78 ballot styles. Thirteen split precincts.

We have our regular ballots and we have started absentee voting. Ken stated

that a question about incumbent being placed next to the name of the

legislators that have been placed in different districts was asked of him by an

opponent. Nancy stated that she had the same question and called the Secretary

of State's Office for clarification. She was told by the State that all

legislators who are presently in office will have incumbent placed next to

their names on the ballot. Nancy asked the board's opinion on having an

absentee voting precinct, as in the past, on the Monday before the election.

The board gave their approval. We will have four telephone lines that will

roll over for only the precinct managers to use on election day.



OLD BUSINESS:



New Voting Equipment: Ken asked if the board had to declare the old voting

equipment as surplus. Nancy stated that the city would make that declaration.



Nancy and Diane attended a training session for the new voting equipment. The

new voting machines can be programmed for a magnified ballot so that electors

who have vision problems will be able to vote. An audio ballot can also be

obtained for the visually impaired voter. We will have one handicapped voting

machine that can also be used by any voter. Nancy told the board that Diebold

will be here for the testing of the machines on Monday. She was asked by

Diebold to get volunteers to help with the testing.



We will be getting a $10,000 grant to employ someone to go out into the

community and demonstrate the voting equipment. Nancy asked the board to be

thinking about what should be done with the grant money. (Whether to hire one,

two, three or four people).

The board was told that we will have provisional ballots for the people who say

that they registered to vote but do not appear on the elector's list. The board

will have five days to certify the election.



Diebold will train two people from each precinct on October 15th and 16th in

the East Wing Training Room.



CORRESPONDENCE:



None.



Being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.





Diane scrimpshire Jan Dickens

Recording Secretary Chairperson