Electoral Board Meeting Packets

CITY OF SUFFOLK ELECTORAL BOARD MINUTES FEBRUARY 11, 2020 ______________________________________________________ CALL TO ORDER: Erin Rice, Chairman, called to order the meeting of the City of Suffolk Electoral Board, at 9:03 a.m., on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, at the Voter Registration Office, 440 Market Street, First Floor, Suffolk, Virginia. ROLL CALL: The following persons were present: Erin Rice, Chairman; James Banks, Vice-Chairman; Beverly Outlaw, Secretary; Lester Ward, Officer of Election Advisor; Susan Saunders, General Registrar; Burdette Lawrence, Deputy Registrar; Ken Beam; Hasani Patterson; Lakeith Lowther; Rob Salak; and Tim Forbes. Ms. Outlaw made a motion to move the order of business so that the personnel from the Information Technology Department of the City of Suffolk could discuss with the Board cybersecurity issues and concerns presented to them by the Department of Elections. James Banks seconded the motion and it was carried by a vote of 3-0. Mr. Ken Beam, Director of the Information Technology Department for the City of Suffolk, informed the Board of processes and procedures performed by his department in order to safeguard against cybersecurity attacks. He will return to the office in order to participate in a teleconference meeting with the Department of Elect and Ms. Saunders. The meeting will commence at 4:00 p.m. Ms. Outlaw moved to continue the Electoral Board meeting and to commence with the minutes. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETING: Ms. Saunders read the minutes from the January 7, 2020 Electoral Board meeting. Ms. Rice moved that the minutes be approved as read and Mr. Banks seconded the motion. OLD BUSINESS: Ms. Outlaw inquired as to the progress of the reconstruction in the office. Ms. Saunders replied that everything was proceeding as planned. The workers will not be in the office the week of the election, but will start back the second week in March.  -2- Ms. Lawrence explained to the Board the procedures of a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, “FWAB” regarding absentee voting and the issue with FVAP providing information that does not necessarily apply to all states. If you do not receive your state ballot in time, you may vote using a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB), available at www.fvap.gov. NEW BUSINESS: Mr. James Banks reported to the Board that he and Ms. Saunders made a precinct site visit to the Holland Community House in order to ascertain the appropriate use of space to accommodate election day voting and the homeless, who had been scheduled to use the facility on the same date. He stated that the homeless would vacate the premises prior to 6:00 a.m., on Election Day, he would set up a barrier between the area of voting and the area occupied by the homeless and that they would not return to the facility until after the polls closed at 7:00 p.m. Ms. Outlaw made a motion for the Board to send an appropriate contract to all non-city owned properties that were used as polling sites and to enlist the assistance of William Hutchings on proper action. Ms. Rice seconded the motion and the vote carried by 3-0. REORGANIZATION OF THE ELECTORAL BOARD: Ms. Outlaw made a motion that until she was duly sworn in as an Electoral Board member, that the functionality of the Board would remain the same as the previous year. Mr. Banks seconded the motion and the vote carried by 3-0. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, this meeting was adjourned at 10:30 a.m. The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, 12:00 p.m., at the Decoys Restaurant. ________________________________ Erin Rice, Chairman ________________________________ James Banks, Vice Chairman ________________________________ Beverly Outlaw, Secretary