Electoral Board

City of Radford Electoral Board Minutes of Public Meeting April 17, 2024 Chairwoman Ann Craig called the April meeting of the City of Radford Electoral Board to order at 9:08 a.m. on April 17, 2024, in the conference room of the Radford Municipal Building located at 10 Robertson Street, Radford, Virginia. Present were Chairwoman Craig, Vice Chairman Chris Quesenberry, and Secretary Carol Colby, constituting a quorum, as well as General Registrar Lindsey Williams, Chief Deputy Registrar Missy Mayweather, Radford City Manager David Ridpath, and Radford Information Technology Coordinator Mel Kirby. At 9:10 a.m., Secretary Colby made a motion to go into a closed meeting to discuss information technology, as permitted by Virginia Code section 2.2-3711A19, to wit: discussion of plans to protect public safety as it relates to terrorist activity or specific cybersecurity threats or vulnerabilities and briefings by staff members, legal counsel, or law-enforcement or emergency service officials concerning actions taken to respond to such matters or a related threat to public safety; discussion of information subject to the exclusion of subdivision 2 or 14 of section 2.2-3705.2, where discussion in an open meeting would jeopardize the safety of any person or the security of any facility, building, structure, information technology system, or software program; or discussion of reports or plans related to the security of any governmental facility, building or structure, or the safety of persons using such facility, building or structure. The motion was also made pursuant to Virginia Code section 24.2-625.1A and B, regarding voting equipment security, to wit: A. Records of . . . a local electoral board, to the extent such records describe protocols for maintaining the security of ballots or voting and counting equipment, or reveal the results of risk assessments of specific local electoral procedures, the release of which would compromise the security of any election, shall be confidential and excluded from inspection and copying under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. B. [A] local electoral board may hold a closed meeting pursuant to the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act for the purpose of discussing protocols for maintaining the security of ballots or voting and counting equipment, or risk assessments of specific local electoral procedures, where discussion of such matters in open meeting would compromise the security of any election. Vice Chairman Quesenberry seconded the motion, which passed unanimously, at which time the Board went into a closed meeting. At 10:07 a.m., Mr. Ridpath and Mr. Kirby left the meeting. The Board reconvened in an open meeting and conducted a unanimous roll call in accordance with Virginia Code section 2.2-3712D, certifying that the only matters discussed in closed session were public business matters lawfully exempt from the open meeting requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, and specifically that only such matters identified in the motion convening the closed session were heard, discussed, or considered. Report of General Registrar Mrs. Williams shared with the Board details about the June 18, 2024, Republican primary election. She and the Board discussed details regarding the training for officers of election, central absentee precinct processing, equipment transport, and canvassing. Mrs. Williams recommended that new voter cards be sent to voters whose addresses place them in the Central District, which would be the second round pursuant to the plan to update all voters’ cards over the course of four years. The Board agreed with this recommendation. New Business The Board discussed its need to conduct a review of the General Registrar’s performance, and agreed to start the process at its next meeting. The Board considered post-election communications between the Board Secretary and the Clerk of Court. Mrs. Williams had previously provided the Board with a letter between those officials in neighboring Montgomery County. Upon motion of Secretary Colby and second from Vice Chairman Quesenberry, the Board unanimously agreed to adopt that letter as a guide for its future post-election communications. The Board conceded that it would not be able to seek grant-writing assistance from city staff, and agreed to pursue such efforts themselves. Upon assent from all Board members, Chairwoman Craig agreed to draft OE assignments for the June primary election and present it to the Board at its next meeting for review and comment. The meeting was adjourned at 10:49 a.m. The Board will next meet at 9:00 a.m. on May 13, 2024, in the office of the General Registrar.