HCBOE Board Meeting Minutes - Dec 1 2021 - Regular MeetingHARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
REGULAR MEETING
DECEMBER 1, 2020
4:00 P.M.
Present were; Board Chairman Tony Spears, Secretary Lin Coker, Members: Steve Blackburn,
Betsy McCormick and Jim Currin.
Also Present were; Director Claire Jones, Deputy Director Claudette Williams and; see sign in
sheet attached hereto.
Mr. Spears called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes:
The Board reviewed the minutes from November 11, 12 and 24, 2020. After some discussion
concerning the wording of the minutes on Nov 13, Mr. Currin moved to approve the minutes as
amended. Mr. Blackburn seconded. Approved without dissent.
Business:
Mrs. Jones stated that the majority of the meeting today would be dedicated to hearing from the
public and discussing some "lessons learned" to help improve election administration and
processes in the future. Mrs. Sandrock submitted a list of concerns to the Board; attached hereto.
While not all inclusive, the list below highlights some common points of discussion:
• Virtual Meetings due to COVID
• Improve Election Worker Training
• Usage of schools as polling place
o Bathrooms
o Buses
o Safety
• More assistance for Spanish speaking voters
• Ensuring Election Judges are clearly identified
• Recruitment of Election Workers
With no further business to discuss, Mr. Currin moved to adjourn. Mr. Blackburn seconded. The
meeting was adjourned at 5:15 pm.
The next meeting of the Board will be an Evidentiary Hearing on December 8 at 4:00 pm at the
Harnett County Commons Area.
Approved by:
Tony pears, Chairman
C
Lin Coker, Secretary
Steve Blackburn, Member
Em
Betsy McCormick, Member
m Currin, Member
Harnett County Poll Observer
After Action Report
1 December 2020
This Report is being provided to the Harnett County Board of Elections as an after action report in an effort to
improve the voter experience and ensure smooth processes are in place for both Early One Stop Voting, Election Day
Voting, and processing of all ballots. It is offered by the Harnett County Republican Party and all of the volunteer
observers who participated in the process. The notes are in no particular order, merely as presented by observers
with duplicate observations combined.
1. The judges and assistant judges were not easily identifiable. No smocks or identifying name tags about their
designation.
2. The lines were mostly disorganized. People did not know where to go after filling out their ATV or which table
to go to after standing in line or where to go with the mail in ballot.
3. A poll worker interacted with a voter like they were at a neighborhood tea party. Brought them in from
outside, arm over their shoulders and sitting them down at the help desk. Observers were trained that
phones were to be on Airplane Mode and that we could acknowledge friends and neighbors but to politely
but firmly let them know we could chat at another time.
4. A poll worker had their phones close to them and were looking at them most of the time, even listening to
music.
S. On Oct 20, one poll worker was very vocal and animated at the end of the evening upset because how
unorganized the lines were.
6. The voting machines were not opened every 600 ballots. When opened, ballots fell everywhere, and had to be
picked up off of the floor.
7. Voters would benefit from a small handout regarding how to check the status of their votes on the Website.
HCGOP fielded numerous call from folks regarding why their vote was counted as absentee when they voted
in person at Early Voting, or why their vote, cast on November 3'd, was not showing up on November 4tn
8. The PVC piping and plastic sheeting was not workable. Most voters still had to show ID through the plastic
sheeting because they could not hear what the pole worker was asking them. Many voters just leaned over or
around the edge of the piping and talked directly to the poll worker.
9. Had 2 observers note that voters were asked what their party affiliation for the general election. Why is this
necessary?
10. One observer advised she was told she had an assigned seat and could not leave that seat and if she left the
polling place could not return.
11. One observer believed the Democratic observer I saw on election day was counting our yellow sample ballots
and communicating to others via his phone to counter the conservative votes. He was inside on his phone the
entire time until I noticed this. Why didn't the head judge notice this? The counter could have easily stood
outside and done the same thing. We were advised NOT to be on phones.
12. Better Signs and direction markers for voters... especially at new polling sites.
13. No early voting should be done at schools in the future, safety of both students, voters, and campaigns were
at risk. In addition cars coming in and out of the parking lots created confusion and in one instance blocked
busses from leaving the school. Voting day was not an issue.... Closed schools for one day if that is the polling
place . Board should look for other sites for voting during one stop.
14. Found poll workers appeared to be more concerned with wiping down voting kiosks rather than observing the
process. When asked to interact with a voter who was clearly confused about the process of assisting a voter,
Poll worker was unsure of herself, and said, "You're not voting for him are you?" Immediate response was
"No" and then the person began again to vote for the person. When asked to intervene again, I was
confronted with how can you tell? They are speaking Spanish. Poll workers need to be comfortable with the
law and processes. Most of the Poll workers were guiding voters from one station to the next, clearly part of
their job but not all of it.
15. Observed a mother who brought her son in to vote. Her comments to this young man were to fill in the dots
and he would get a bag of chips when he finished. Two ballots were required because he could not clearly
understand the process, much less who the candidates were. Illegally cast vote.
16. In a similar incident to 11, a Judge asked me..."You mean to tell me if that was your Mama, you wouldn't tell
her how to vote?".. Clearly comfortable with not following election law and this comment from a head Judge
is unacceptable.
While these are issues that were presented by observers to the process, the overall consensus is that both early
voting and election day voting were unmarred by tension or personal issues. Everyone worked well beside each
other. Most of the observers trained by the NCGOP indicated that poll workers and staff were polite, helpful and
considerate. These observations are provided for your consideration to improve the process, transparency and
validity of every legal vote cast. It is our belief, based on some observations, that illegal votes were cast.
Respectfully submitted,
Maggie Sandrock
Chair
Harnett County Republican Party
910.658.8175
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