Electoral Board Meeting Packets

CITY OF SUFFOLK ELECTORAL BOARD MINUTES APRIL 6, 2021 _______________________________________________________ CALL TO ORDER: Erin Rice, Chairman, called to order the telephone conference call meeting of the City of Suffolk Electoral Board at 9:00 a.m., on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. This meeting was monitored by Charlie Harcum, Network Manager for the Information Technology Department for the City of Suffolk. The telephone conference call was necessitated by the Covid-19 virus and under the guidelines presented by Governor Northam. ROLL CALL: The following persons were in attendance on the conference call: Erin Rice, Isaac Baker, Beverly Outlaw, Susan Saunders and Charlie Harcum as monitor of the meeting. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF LAST MEETING: Ms. Saunders read the minutes from the March 9, 2021 meeting and Erin Rice moved that the minutes be approved as read. Rev. Baker seconded the motion. OLD BUSINESS: Ms. Outlaw made a motion that the recording of the Electoral Board minutes be delegated to the Registrar, whether that be in the form of hand written and/or electronic recording. Rev. Baker seconded the motion and the motion carried by a vote of 3-0. Ms. Outlaw commented that in response to Mr. Miller Carey’s comment regarding review of public comment that only items that come to motion shall be recorded in the minutes and this is evidenced by Roberts Rule of Order. Ms. Rice stated that it is the city protocol to electronically record the minutes of the Electoral Board meeting and to make it available on the city’s website. Ms. Outlaw requested that Ms. Saunders check into the purchase of a recorder that can be used in the Board meetings in the Voter Registration Department. Ms. Rice commented that Michelle Holland agreed to having the June 8, 2021 Primary held at the Holland Community, but thereafter the precinct needed to be relocated. Ms. Holland requested that the facility be cleaned after use and the fee of $400.00 be paid for the use of the precinct. Ms. Rice stated that the Pioneer Elementary School should be considered as a future precinct location for the Holland Precinct. It allows for adequate room for the voters,  -2- proper egress and ingress, handicap voting, adequate parking and room for the outside poll voter. The Board should go before City Council to request the precinct relocation after the June 8, 2021 Primary. Ms. Outlaw commented that she will contact the Salvation Army regarding conflict on election days with the food distribution being held at the same time as elections. Ms. Rice brought up the possible remote, satellite locations for voting in the northern and southern portions of the city. The location would need to be in an appropriate, secure location and adhere to the rules, regulations and guidelines set forth by the Department of Elections. Ms. Outlaw made a motion that two drop boxes be installed in the city. One in a northern location and one in a southern location. Rev. Baker seconded the motion. The vote carried by 2-1. Ms. Outlaw suggested that the Board wait until after the redistricting to determine future precinct locations other than the Holland precinct. Ms. Outlaw made a motion that the time frame for early, remote voting sites be determined at a later time. Rev. Baker seconded the motion and the vote carried by 3-0. Mr. Miller Carey joined the meeting at 11:40 a.m. NEW BUSINESS: Ms. Rice commented on the possibility of voting on Sundays and requested that the office not consider being open the Sunday prior to the election, as the staff needed time to prepare the equipment for deployment on Monday prior to the elections. PUBLIC COMMENT: Mr. Miller Carey commented on the availability of counting votes by precinct for the Central Absentee Precinct. Ms. Rice commented that she will check with the City of Chesapeake to find out how they processed this information. There being no additional comments from the public, Ms. Outlaw moved that the Electoral Board for the City of Suffolk, Virginia convene in closed session pursuant to Code Section 24.2-653(B) of the Code of Virginia for the purpose of discussing matters concerning personnel issues. Rev. Baker seconded the motion and the motion carried by a vote of 3-0. Ms. Outlaw moved that the Electoral Board for the City of Suffolk, Virginia, certify that the only matters discussed in the closed session just concluded were the matters concerning personnel issues as directed by Code Section 24.2-653(B) of the Code of  -3- Virginia, and as identified in the motion to close the meeting pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. ADJOURNMENT: Ms. Rice made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Rev. Baker seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 a.m. The next Electoral Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 in the Voter Registration Office Training Room, 440 Market Street, First Floor, Suffolk, Virginia 23434. ________________________________ Erin Rice, Chairman ________________________________ Rev. Isaac Baker, Vice Chairman ________________________________ Beverly Outlaw, Secretary