The Columbia County Board of Elections is continuing to prepare for the Nov. 5 election.
During the Board of Elections meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 17, Nancy Gay, executive director for the Board of Elections, said on Wednesday the logic and accuracy testing would begin for the voting machines. She also said on Wednesday the state was coming out to swap out battery backups.
“It’s not the same battery, it’s different levels of battery we’re going to get,” Gay said. “Right now, one battery pack will power two voting units, two BMDs (ballot marking device), two printers. While they’re giving us 80 similar batteries to what we have the one BMD with a printer and a hearing-impaired kit. They’re giving us like 156 other batteries that will run a BMD unit for 30 minutes and then they’re giving us 300 and something batteries…”
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Since the batteries have different tiers of what they can run, the staff will make sure they are labeled properly to avoid confusion.
Gay said sample ballots are available at the Board of Elections office, but are not yet available on the My Voter Page. The Georgia Secretary of States posts them there and she doesn’t know when they’ll become available.
State Election Board changes
On Friday, the State Election Board will be discussing 11 proposed rules during its meeting on Friday. The list of proposed changes can be found at the State Election Board website. She added that the Secretary of State sent out a notice clarifying the SEB rule regarding an affidavit for absentee ballots.
“The biggest one (proposed rule) will be the counting the ballots. It’s funny in my opinion, it comes down to terminology between the state election board and what’s actually written in law. The state election board is coming up with terminology that’s not codified or specified in law and therefore it kind of negates the rule.”
From what the Secretary of State said, an affidavit would only be if the elections office sets up a staff member at another location for absentee ballot drop offs. Then, the affidavit would be needed. But, if it’s being sent via the mail, left in a box or taken to the Board of Elections office, then one isn’t needed.
Precinct information
Gay also brought up the idea of asking the deputies who will be at precincts to sit through poll worker training.
“That way if the poll workers have any concerns or questions about how to handle an irate voter or citizen…I just think that it might help our poll workers have a little sense of comfort,” Gay said.
A citizen asked about making changes so Parkway Elementary School is no longer a precinct, citing concerns about safety following recent events. Gay and board members said they are trying to get out of schools but haven’t been able to find another usable location within the precinct boundary and might have to move outside the boundary. It was added they should be out of there by the 2028 election, but there isn’t enough time to happen before Nov. 5.
“What’s happened over the last 10 to 20 years is this county has grown so fast and they’ve thrown neighborhoods up and house go up before any bigger infrastructure like public buildings,” said board member Larry Wiggins. “We’re required by law to have a polling site in a reasonable location for that precinct.”
Last year the board made changes to multiple precincts, several of which included getting out of schools.
It was also asked why Election Day is no longer a holiday for students, but the board said that is a question for the Board of Education, not the Board of Elections.
Safety of election workers
Gay also said bad/suspicious mail is going out to elections offices, so the staff members are taking extra precautions. She the Board of Elections office has received one letter since the August meeting, but there was nothing harmful. .
“The FBI and Secretary of State sent out (information about) suspicious packages apparently containing white, powdery substances going out to some offices across the state and across the country, so I discussed it with the girls out front and they’ve got gloves…apparently we’re going to be targets again,” Gay said.
The next Board of Elections meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 8 For more information, visit columbiacountyga.gov.
