Yeah.

Good morning and happy new year to everyone here.

Uh we'll we'll uh call the Marion County Election Board meeting to order here.

It is uh 1004 uh January 30th.

We'll get started with uh introductions here in the room for everyone uh here and uh listening online.

Uh I'll start with myself and then we'll have the staff and uh counselor introduce themselves.

So first Nalita Stewart chair, Jennifer Ping, Vice Chair Kate Sweeney Bill, Secretary, Patrick Becker, Director of Elections, uh Brad Boswell, outside council, Adam Wicker Corporation Council Great, thank you guys.

Uh we'll get started here.

First, we have a order of business here of adopting uh the minutes.

Um we have a I know a staff sent this over to everybody to review, so we have a series to catch up on here.

So were there any uh questions from the board on um the minutes that were sent over for review or changes?

Nope.

None.

I will move to adopt the minutes for January 21st, 2025, February 26th, 2025, March 20th, 2025, April 18th, 2025, May 21st, 2025, and July 18th, 2025.

Second.

Okay.

Properly motion is second.

I'll call Roe, uh Vice Chair, aye.

Madam Clerk?

Aye.

Okay, and show the chair voting aye.

Okay.

All right, we'll move on to the next order of business.

Um the next piece is around administrative closure of campaign finance committees.

Uh Director Becker, would you give an overview?

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, you should have in front of you a uh table that um has uh four different uh committees uh that staff has done an evaluation.

Um the law requires um that not later than the Friday uh of January, the last Friday of January, uh which happens to be today, um, that the board shall review a list of committees uh that have filed statements with uh to determine if there are any that can be administratively closed.

Um and what's in front of the board here are four committees that um staff has identified that fall uh into that um category of eligible for administrative closure.

Um the requirements for that are that the the committee's not filed a report of expenditures in the three previous calendar years, and that the report uh the committee's reporting a cash on hand amount less than 1,000 dollars.

Um and so the board uh the the law then allows the board uh the board may vote to administratively close uh these um committees, and that is uh what staff is here uh requesting of the board.

And I'm happy to answer more questions, or I'm sure council can also uh answer more questions if there are any questions from the board.

No, I do note that these are um democrat, nonpartisan, republican, and independent.

So that that is uh I mean if we're doing it, I think uh it cut covers the gamut.

Yes, we're well balanced.

Okay, director have all are all of these committees informed of the closure or just because they have no response is by the recommendation why is part of the recommendation.

Uh once the board votes, they will be notified.

Got it.

Okay.

Okay.

And if they don't uh if we don't administratively dissolve every there will start every year is will there be new fees and fines accrued and accumulated for these committees?

Yeah, essentially um you kind of get into this point where they reach the maximum fine every filing.

Um and I I you know, especially if these folks um are no longer actively running or or campaigning, um, which there doesn't seem to be any evidence that they are.

Um I think the law kind of uh contemplates that the board can kind of take these these measures.

Um but they to your point, madam clerk, they have open committees with us that have not been filed for at least three years.

Okay, okay.

Um so do we need to make a motion we take these all together all together or individually one at a time?

All together.

Okay.

Well, I'll move to administratively dissolve the committees for Vincent Williams.

Nicole Sledge.

Meredith Alex Henby and Rodney Fields Jr.

Second.

Okay.

So properly motion and second.

Call Rowe, Vice Chair.

Aye.

Madam Clerk.

Aye.

Okay.

And show the chair voting aye.

All right.

Okay.

The next piece here is a review of the 2024 campaign finance fines.

Director Becker.

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

So the board had previously, you know, we have previously assessed fines from these filings in 2024.

There were a number of people who had requested an opportunity to speak with the, you know, uh have a hearing with the board uh related to their fines.

And uh as the board is aware, there was some scheduling conflicts through the end of November of 2025.

And so uh we felt like this was a good opportunity to kind of um allow these folks that did want to have um a hearing with the board to um have this hearing and we can kind of wrap up uh you know campaign finance business from 2024 uh today um as we're going to be getting into uh another election season with um you know campaign finance reports and deadlines uh we wanted to wrap this up um as soon as we could from a a public public meeting perspective so I believe there are uh at least three individuals who've reached out to us um as of Wednesday this week um that wanted to uh come and address the board regarding their fines and so um um I believe and I don't know if they're here but Danielle Colter uh Maxine King and um I believe we have a representative from Pike Proud Pack who um would like to address the board okay okay can we and I think Danielle Coulter here we are come up she's here she requested uh hearing yeah thank you madam chair and members of the election board I'm Danielle Coulter I'm here to respectfully ask for a waiver for um my late filing of my 2024 annual campaign finance report uh by way of um my reasoning uh this unfortunately is the uh busiest time of the year for me day job wise and I had completed my uh campaign finance report and was going to uh the night before it was due was planning on once I got in front of a computer to send it the next morning so it wouldn't get lost in the shuffle by sending it late at night I unfortunately um ended up just having an incredibly busy day at work that left me not in front of my computer at all and I'm human and was tied up with so many other things I just completely spaced the timing and so I did file it later that afternoon but unfortunately had missed the noon deadline um also I would have been here for I believe it was the April election board meeting last year unfortunately I never received the letter notifying me um of that opportunity and as soon as I got the letter in the mail saying that I had missed that opportunity I immediately reached out to the elections office and said I very much would like to um appeal that that fine and uh would like to thank Brent and Chad in the office because I've been pestering them uh every few weeks saying is there a meeting scheduled yet is there a meeting scheduled yet um and I bring that up because I don't take this lightly um I'm I'm very upset with myself that I missed the deadline I have never missed one in the uh past practically decade that I have been filing these reports since 2016 so this is my first offense and uh you know I the the two campaigns that I ran I did so with dignity and I tried to do everything the right way and so for me this is very important to uh achieve this waiver and not have this mark on my record so uh with that I really appreciate your time and uh respectfully ask for the the uh the waiver for this please okay thank you thank you thank you miss coulter any um go ahead questions um no no questions um I did staff uh thank you for uh the the details so we know that letters did try to go out they went to the wrong address we we appreciate that and Danielle I know this is a very busy time for for us um and I um appreciate that and thank you for coming here today um on this bitter cold day and with that um madam chair I'd like to make a motion to waive the fine for Ms.

Um I did staff uh thank you for uh the the details for we know that letters did try to go out, they went to the wrong address.

We we appreciate that.

And Danielle, I know this is a very busy time for for us, um, and I um appreciate that and thank you for coming here today um on this bitter cold day.

And with that, um Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion to waive the fine for Miss Coulter.

Second, okay, properly motion and second.

Uh call robe.

Um Vice Chair.

I uh thank you so much.

Thank you for okay.

I think next do we have Maxine King.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Hi, Judge.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Board members.

Um again, I am Maxine King up here because unfortunately, I filed a report that was late.

Um but also I did not receive any notification whatsoever.

However, I did receive two phone calls and I returned those phone calls.

I was advised then of the meeting, date, time and place.

I want to confirm.

And I also asked about the procedure of how do we go about um representing ourselves that I was advice that was in the mail to the last mail address.

But as you all know, we have so a snowstorm, correct?

And I have yet my neighborhood has yet received any mail whatsoever.

So I'm here for two reasons.

Number one, acts for, I guess it's a committee meeting, would it be at the table it or continuous?

And the reason why is because I've yet to find my 2025, as well as my 2024.

And I would like to if the board finds favor the rent and grace and mercy, I'm gonna be back here again, deal with the 24 and the 25.

I believe in one of my reports, I reported my address in my home address, and I believe the information is going to my former office, which I'm no longer here.

Um I have yet to be active, I have not been politics or any of that for several years now.

Um the amount of money that's in my account is if I can approach, I obtain a recent um called base statement to show you the amount that's here.

Is it okay?

Yeah, that approach everyone.

I'll sorry.

And what I'm gonna do is I have two 24 and 25.

Unfortunately, I also ate the gig 24.

It has not been redacted, the capital is still there.

2023, excuse me, and the manager's gonna take a couple of weeks.

And so what I like to do is everything at once and one ball of wax, and as you can see, it's um and then payment of the dormant fee, and they're gonna add another 50 fee and put another 50 and that account.

Should I show this?

Yeah, correct.

Oh, yes, yes.

She did, okay.

My apologies.

Yeah.

Um do you mind if I ask?

Um, do you is your committee still open?

When we open, so have not been closed.

So it's yes, okay.

Is that correct?

Well, I think you may know more than me.

It has not been closed.

So unfortunately, because it's not in my mind, I am what happens I get email or not an email, but something in the mail, like a reminder, but happy to receive that.

Okay, well, just so you know, this is one of the you can close your committee today after this meeting.

You can go down, we've got the forms and we've got the people to explain, you know, if if your eyesight is anything like mine, and um you have to keep doing this.

Uh they can say, Oh, here's what that is.

So if that's something that you want to do, that is available for you to do today.

Um, but one thing that we're not doing is talking about 2025.

So if you would like for us to table this until we can talk about those 2025 due today, there's a lot of paperwork you can get done here just one floor down today.

And uh I I guess if the board uh decides we can um talk about the other the entirety of it uh at a future meeting if that's what you are still wanting to do.

If the if the court rescues me to court, if my best someone before if you get the mercy now and see me six months from you know what I'm saying is what weren't you here before?

So I just want to be respectful of your time and uh do respond.

And then if the board thinking this way still, then Maxine, you could take care of this right now and deal with the other later, then I would do that.

I I don't know, and um maybe our esteemed legal minds can let us know if if we are able, I I don't think we can since no fines have since the 2025 due 2026 has not been uh passed assessed uh assessed.

I don't I don't think we can uh proactively uh discuss any fines.

I don't I don't know that though technically they happen like at the moment that they're late, they just by statute they occur.

I think our our our larger issue is they're not on the agenda today, and so I would be a little hesitant to sort of take up something that we really didn't publicly notice.

Um if there were other people that wanted to come before the board on that topic.

I'd hate to take that up without having the public notice.

I think that's more the concern.

Um so I think you you could certainly table it and come back to this collectively, or you could address just the 24 report now and then take up the 26 report at a or the 25 report at a later at a later day.

You could bifurcate it or you could table it.

Um it's it sounds to me like maybe there's some more fact finding to be done too, so maybe tabling makes a little bit more sense.

Yeah, is that the do we need to take a vote on being able to table it in that situation?

Okay, yeah, probably motion to table.

Um actually I'm wondering have have you come to any conclusion on the 24 fees?

I have not.

I was waiting for discussion here for concurrent.

So um well, I wouldn't mind getting this one out of the way.

Uh the it sounds like we had an address on a form and you moved.

And but also for some other parts you used a different address, is that right?

Yes, and I noticed um 2022 or 2023 before it on the form to ask you is this a new address?

And I did mark it's a new address.

Um moment, please.

Yes, um, it was filed January 30th, 2023.

Um, and I believe it's the number four mailing address, and then there's a box check as a new address.

So what I did is check my home address because I will uh get my mail at my home.

Unless it snows.

Yes.

Uh okay.

And so what happened was I think when it was time uh the clerk noticed that this was right, they actually did send a notice to my home address.

So my foot trend received when I received it, everyone the committee is already there, and so of course I call and say, Well, the committee has been there, so the those will be again.

Yeah, sometimes we go for for months in between, especially on election years.

Yeah, yeah, a lot of work is happening.

It's just uh a lot of phone calls, right, Patrick.

Madam Claire.

Um, well, I am ready to make a motion uh if the board is ready.

Yeah, um, I move to waive the fees for uh Maxine King for um the reports previous to this year.

Second 2024, okay.

2024 second.

Okay, properly motion and second, Kyle Rowe, vice chair.

Aye, madam clerk, aye.

Okay, and show the chair voting aye.

So it so um your fees for 2024 have been waived.

It sounds like there's some process you can do to close the committee and then address 2025 at a later date.

I appreciate it.

Thank you all.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for coming today.

Madam Chair, if I could.

Um I just wanted to also uh as the clerk mentioned.

There are staff downstairs right now if you would like to go down there.

Our ballot administrator Chad Klingerman is there, and um he'd be happy to help you get any paperwork or anything that you need information to to kind of close all this out.

Okay, so thank you.

Thank you for being here.

Okay, and the next note is there someone here from Pike Proud Pack?

Okay.

Could you introduce yourself before you start?

Watch your head, madam chair.

Yeah, my name is Michael Eagle.

I'm here representing the Pike Proud Pack.

Thank you for giving me a few minutes to consider.

Can you make sure your mic is on?

Oh the the gray button.

Do you see a green light on okay?

Thank you.

Yeah, yes.

Um thank you for taking a few minutes um to um address uh this request.

Um our PAC was uh created to work towards uh a referendum for the MSD of Pike Township.

Um it was the first time I had served as treasurer on a PAC.

Um I did everything that I could to try and do things by the book, and then after the election, um I thought we were good to go, and then there was the year in filing.

Um we had a PO box for the PAC that then after the election we no longer used, and we had mail forwarding set up.

Um the mail forwarding seems to have been delayed, and then I didn't get notification until December that I had not filed the proper um disclosure.

And so upon filing that, uh Chad and Brent have been wonderful.

Um they said, oh, go ahead and get it filed.

You know, you will potentially have late fees, but you can go to the board and see if that can be waived.

And so I promptly went ahead and got everything in order, um, made sure that we were in order for this year as well, and I'd like to respectfully ask a waiver of those fees um so that we can then go ahead and close down the committee and any remaining funds invest back into our school system through our uh through our educational foundation.

Um we I feel like that'd be a great use and something that would align with our donors um in terms of making good use of the hard-earned money that they donated to the PAC that is left over.

Did the referendum pass?

It did.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Yeah, and I I don't I don't like to fall on the defense if I'm you know I was a newbie, but um, my apologies.

You know, the end of the year I'm I'm a financial planner, we do tons of tax planning, so it's just very very difficult at the end of the year, and I should have been paying more attention.

The the fault lies on me.

I just don't want our donors to have to pay for for my mistake if we can get a waiver of the fees and use those funds to help our students.

Well, far be it from me to uh uh take take books out of children's hands.

Um the uh I understand the feeling.

Um it is you know, and and I can see that you are chagrined.

Um but as as you heard earlier, this happens.

It does, it's something that happens, and um I uh did you file this year's I did on time on time ahead of time.

I moved to waive the fees, I second the waiver uh probably motion and second Kyle Rowe, vice chair, aye, madam clerk, aye.

Uh and show the chair voting aye.

Thank you very much, and I'll file what we need to to get closed properly.

Uh yeah, it's uh called an administrative disband.

Okay, and it's just one box that you check, and uh I'm not saying all your cars will go away, but at least this point, yeah.

As long as it's not a C FA4, right?

Thank you very much.

Perfect thing thank you for coming today.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the audience who had planned to speak about a campaign finance rebuttal?

No, okay.

So we've so for the rest, do we need to take those one by one and review?

Uh Madam Chair, those are fines that have already been assessed as council uh alluded to.

Uh these were just individuals that had reached out uh to us requesting uh time to uh discuss with the board.

Um and so I believe at this point we've closed up our 2024 campaign finance election business.

All of these other folks, the fines have been assessed and they've been notified.

Um and they've now missed their opportunity to come.

So come in here.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you, Director Becker.

So we've closed that part of the agenda out.

Um excuse me, Madam Chair question.

Uh Director Becker, um, the the back side of this sheet that shows uh the list of going to collections.

Obviously, there was one that we've already dealt with here that's on this list that will be removed.

Three of them, miss yeah.

Sledge Williams King.

Right.

Yeah, so staff will go through uh those administrative closures and we'll modify that list.

Uh I just didn't want accidentally a notice to go out that we just cleared up.

So thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Next thing on their agenda, um resolution for student poll workers.

I feel like we've done this before, but it maybe is an update.

Director Becker.

Uh thank you, madam chair.

Uh so yes, this is a resolution that this board has has adopted in previous election years.

Um and typically um, you know, what you will see in your copy.

Um there's a number of requirements.

Uh this resolution is for uh allowing uh students who to be poll workers who are not 18 years old and therefore not eligible to register to vote.

Uh so it provides some qualifications if they're 16 uh but not yet 18.

If they're a resident of the county, if they're a citizen of the United States, uh they meet a certain uh GPA requirement, uh approval from the school, approval from their parents, uh they have to attend training.

Um and if they're otherwise eligible to serve as a poll worker other than their age, uh this resolution allows them to serve.

Um and then as you mentioned, we do this um almost every election year.

It is uh written in a way um when we get to the now therefore, you'll see it is specific to the May and November election of this year.

Uh and so typically this board will do it um for the election year and and then revisit it the next every year.

Okay, okay.

I think it's a great service to be able to offer and allow the opportunity for students to engage.

Any questions from the board or concern?

No, yes, I have a question for the board.

Okay.

Would either of you have uh qualified with that GPA requirement to serve as a floor?

Yes, yes, yeah, yes.

There are some times during my uh not so illustrious high school career where I may have dipped below that.

Uh I could have talked them into it though, of course.

No doubt.

I'm sure I I I took a mental health day so I could help pass out uh flyers for candidates.

So if anyway, if anyone's listening, even Madame Baclerc is an example of you can still recover after bad grades and be great in the world and make an input back grade.

It's cumulative though.

You've the more school you miss, the less you learn.

Anyway, uh it is right.

I'm all for these these smart kids working the polls.

Yes, so I I move uh to pass are we voting on this?

We have to vote on this, yes.

Well, I'm I'm all for it.

Uh I I move uh to adopt resolution one-26.

Second, probably motion and second, a call row, vice chair.

Aye, Madam Clerk, aye.

Uh and should the chair voting I.

We should do recruiting around this.

There's probably a way to get a lot more folks involved.

Yeah, get out of school.

I would have signed up in October if you had a 3.0.

You're so mean.

All right.

Um the next resolution uh 2.26 is absentee ballot counters.

Uh, Director Becker.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

He doesn't, he doesn't find us entertaining at all right now either.

So yeah, I do.

Um we're hilarious.

Trying to maintain.

Um this is another uh resolution that this board often uh um addresses in in an election year specifically.

Uh it is also specific to the May and November elections of this year.

Um this is a resolution that is based on a a recent fairly recent change in state law that allows uh Marion County to um allow absentee ballot counters who are registered to vote uh in the state of Indiana uh to work at the central count of the absentee um the absentee central count on election day.

Uh so it's for uh specifically for those that are working on election day, uh not any of the bipartisan teams uh that are working prior to for early voting uh for our male signature teams for our traveling board is specific just to election day central count, uh and it's an effort to you know sort of expand uh the the pool of folks that we can get um to uh to work elections and and count absentee ballots.

Um clarifying question, uh Director Becker.

Um many times um central count processing takes longer than just election day.

So this would does this only apply for election day, or does this work for the entire processing of the absentee ballots?

Election day moving forward, yeah.

Yeah, it's written in a way that it is for the central count of the absentee ballots, um, and I will allow council to correct me if I'm wrong, but um if the count continues into a second day, it is still the central count of the absentee ballots.

It is, I think, an extension of election day um by virtue.

So I believe this um contemplates a central count that might go more than one day.

Great, thank you.

Okay, any other questions, clarifications and did somebody specifically request this?

So we've had uh conversations with both political parties, um, and I want to thank um you know, Vice Chair uh Payne for or helping us um meet with the new uh county chair of the Republican Party.

Um and it did come up in our meeting uh specifically um around the recruiting of Central Count absentee.

Um and so um yeah, through my meeting with the chair, I understood that this was going to be a request for uh this election.

Um I my understanding is that the chair is going to be relying on this to help recruit uh folks for central countries and if if we did not have people in in the past couple of elections who came in from other counties, how much longer do you think the central count would have been?

You know, it's I think it would be hard for me to to give very specific um you know metrics around that.

Um I I would say uh I would not I would say the majority of the folks that are counting um you know overwhelmingly are from Marion County, um, and that the folks that come from out of county um really just I think help supplement some of those um you know teams.

What I would say is that um in 2024 um on election day we counted um 90,000 absentee ballots in one day.

Um and as far as I've been around this county, that has never been done or close to being done, and so as an administrator and as someone who's looking at staffing concerns, um being able to perform at a level like that.

I would I would hate for us to um make that more difficult for us to achieve those those standards.

Um but again it's that's the board's discretion, and I'm sorry if I can't answer that question directly, but it would have been more difficult for us to do uh that much counting in one day had we not had been fully staffed.

Um Madam Secretary, um one of the volunteers um who helped um process absentee ballots in the general election of 2024.

Um she was um she grew up in a in a family where um her parents were very active, and she did not have a uh a good memory about how active her parents were, and um she is is is now a uh a mother of of three and lives in Johnson County, and I um I coerced her to come and help us count ballots, and now she's gotten the the the bug again is now uh decided that um um elections aren't aren't as what she remembered as our youth, so she'll be another volunteer for us.

So it was it was nice to have have her join us on the election day.

I think it's the the value in all of the work that is able to get done in one day.

If you haven't seen it, uh it's it's pretty impressive.

You've got um uh uh unlikely folks who are sitting next to one another quite quite often.

Um the juxtaposition is uh fun to see, but it's also rewarding to see so much getting done and people actually working together to count people's votes.

So I'm I'm uh I think it's important to know where it comes from, but also that you know we're able to get it done.

So I'm uh ready to uh move to approve resolution two-26.

Second properly motion and second.

Kyle Rowe, vice chair, aye, Madam Clark.

I show the chair voting aye.

We need all the help we can get on election day.

All right, moving on from resolutions.

Um the next thing on the agenda um is uh I guess procedure review to for election board meetings virtual participation.

Thank you, madam chair.

Yeah, the um the board previously um adopted this um virtual meeting participation um almost a year ago to oh two years ago today, sorry, um January of 2024.

And I just wanted uh I thought it would be um a good time to remind the board of the policy, but also the public.

Uh there are a number of requirements as you can see.

Um, but um generally what I would say is is it allows for um a policy to be adopted uh that would allow one of the board members to attend a meeting virtually.

There are some requirements as far as um you know, you need to be able to be sort of if we're streaming live, that member would have to be able to interact, you know, in a live stream and be visible to members of the public.

Um and then it also um there's some some things that uh it does not allow the board to do in a virtual meeting.

Um and so um again, the the policy has been adopted already.

I thought it was just a good uh opportunity for the board to review um and and uh discuss as far as knowing that this option is available, um, and especially as we get into an election season, um, that we've got this policy in place, and I thought it also be helpful for the public to know that this policy exists, so um all the people watching at home if they uh join a meeting where someone is virtual um it's an understood policy, and um there's there's definitely a lot of parameters around how that would work um and and what is allowed within those meetings question for council.

Um is this uh policy that we currently have published and where we will be updated on our website.

Is this so the public can read the whole policy?

Well, that's a question for Patrick on where it's posted.

Um I drafted it for you in right uh right around the 23 general election.

Because if you remember there were COVID concerns going around, and the thought was did we need to have the the law allows this in the open door law, and we did not have something like this in place, and we thought, oh, you know, it'd probably be smart to get something like this in place, and so we we we drafted this, and then coming off of that election in early 24, the board adopted it where it is publicly.

I am not certain.

And Madam Vice Chair, we can certainly post this probably to our meetings um card on our website.

Um and just to kind of um continue with what council was saying, this is reflective of the there was a a change in uh law around virtual meetings, and this is reflective of those changes.

Okay.

So Brad drafted this policy after those changes in law were in effect, and so this is a policy that we believe is is good going forward.

Yeah, so there were things put in place like in the pandemic, coming immediately off of the pandemic, and then there were more updates in the 23 um session, and there have not been any changes since then.

So this is drafted based off the most recent um statute.

Um and it's really sort of just like a a tool in your toolbox.

Obviously, one thing that's unique about this board is that there's only three of you.

Um so um there are a lot of um considerations as we think about like what do we need to establish a quorum and how do you take votes, and when there's uh when we need two of three, we have to be very careful about that, and that's different if you have a five-person board or seven, etc.

And so the way in which a virtual policy impacts a three-person board, um it's a little bit different than a five or seven, and and that's reflected in in here.

Um as you guys use proxies quite a bit, and that's that's perfectly fine too.

But in the event that one of you are saying, hey, I don't want to use a proxy, this meeting for whatever reason I need to participate in it, but I have to do it virtually, then we have this um this tool available to you.

Thank you.

And and if I could add as you read the policy, um, it would just take a coordination with staff, right, to make sure that administratively we can accomplish everything that we need to have that that person attend virtually.

Right.

Thank you for your work.

Thank you.

Um, I did not apparently read this uh all the way through before.

And my question for you is okay, we have eminent domain authority.

Uh well, you don't, but uh the uh in in the event that um you you somehow get it at some point in time.

The um we got a new year for that part.

You got it, yeah.

Just just in just in case at some point this board is given imminent domain authority.

You're all you're all gonna have to be present to execute that one.

So uh that was uh that was a preemptive, so I didn't have to go and amend this later.

She was looking forward to that one.

Yeah, well, I mean, there they're I look at the time.

And to demand if that I know that statute doesn't say you don't have it.

So hey, I don't know.

I don't know, you know.

I think that some uh public institutions feel like we have it.

Oh no, we don't want to be a vote center.

Well, we were asking to be polite.

Is this do we have to vote on this council day?

Or just necessarily that thing, yeah.

Thank you.

I just thought it'd be helpful to discuss the board.

Yeah, much appreciated.

Thank you.

Here I am, disappointed.

She thought she had new powers.

Unknown.

Okay, uh next thing to cover.

Um IEC22 certification of voting system and electronic poll book inventory.

Uh Director Becker.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um if you recall our our typical January election year meetings, this is uh another recurring document that this board signs.

Um this is a state form and is um our county certifying to the state that the inventory of our voting systems and our e-poll books is accurate in the voting uh and in the the statewide database that maintains uh those voting system that inventory that's done through uh VStop, which the voting systems technical oversight program um out of ball state.

They manage that statewide database that has that inventory.

Um, and so what this board will be doing is signing a document certifying that the information in the attached inventory is is accurate, and um I have just a copy of what that looks like.

It is a um it's 50 or so pages of a bunch of serial numbers.

Um, but uh if you want to review that, um, but that's what this is.

This will get filed uh with the state today.

The deadline for uh counties to send this to the state is January 31st of every year, and so that's typically why in the first meeting of January we have the board sign this and we'll get this over this afternoon to to comply with that deadline.

Great.

If we get new uh electronic poll books, do we have to do a mid-year or a middle yeah?

So the way that will work is we will work with VStop to remove old uh serial numbers and assets in that database and and put in what those new ones are.

So as we get those those um devices and we have those serial numbers, uh then we'll start to work to basically replace what's in there uh with the new ones, and then uh really going into uh next year, then the board would then certify again that these are accurate and um you know reflective.

Um question.

Um this um list of serial numbers that you're sending it to to VStop, is this also the list that they use to pull out the random um uh serial numbers for our public test equipment?

Yes, that's correct, uh Madam Vice Chair.

What they'll do is they will randomize this list, and then they will start with um you know take the top five percent from a randomized list, and that's kind of how they will um provide that to us from for our our poll work um for our our public test, um, which again if we ever swapped out any units or anything like that, that's why that um becomes very important, which we have had to do in the past, right?

Where we've had units that have been replaced, um, we need to update that with V stop, and then um you know that way they have an accurate list to circulate for the public test.

Okay, I know that that's come up in um questions.

Where does the the list of the the assets that we have for the public test come from?

I thank you for making sure that the public is aware.

Okay, and and that's just this again, this is just the make sure we're aware and need a signature, but we're not actually taking a vote to action, right?

That's right.

You don't have to vote.

Um it is something that uh the board is it's there.

You guys are certifying this.

Um so wanted to make an agenda uh topic for discussion as well.

But um, yeah, you'll just sign this, we'll send this over to the state um after this afternoon.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Um we trust the 50 page document and all the codes are correct.

Staff staff has verified, yes.

So uh staff has worked on this um you know earlier this month.

Staff verified that all that information was correct, and and to your point um about units, you know, we rent um expressboat units, right?

We rented ballot marking devices for the the 2024 presidential election.

So those get added to our V stop inventory and part of our public test.

We've removed those as well, right?

So um it's a it's an annual sort of process for us to make sure that our our inventory is is accurate with the state.

Okay.

Perfect.

All right, the next uh piece here is unopposed pre-seat committee committee persons and state convention delegates.

Yes, um thank you, madam chair.

This um I wanted I think it's helpful for us to talk about these things as we're getting into uh candidate filing ending um and and as we start to get towards building our ballot.

Um there is a a law uh you know, Indiana Code 310 3-10-1-5 that states that unopposed precinct committee persons and state convention delegate races.

Um if there's only one candidate or um if it's unopposed in a delegate race, for example, if there's six spots for a delegate uh delegate district and only six people have filed.

This law says that those folks are not put on the ballot by law.

Um there is a process where the board can request that a member of the board can request that they be put on the ballot.

Um, but I think it's helpful for this board to talk about this as we get into the end of candidate filing and as we get to ballot building.

Um that if you are running um for PC or delegate, and you are not going to have an opponent, you will not see your name on the ballot.

Um the reason that helps administrators like us is it it reduces the number of candidates that we have to proof, uh the number of races that we have to proof, it reduces the number of ballot styles that we will see throughout the county.

Um and so there's an administrative benefit.

Um it shrink and you know shortens the length of the ballot.

So for our mail ballots, you could potentially see two pages of ballots, two sheets of ballots if we kept all of these folks on.

So it's really an effort to um you know minimize the the administrative burden, I I think in that that way.

Um and I think what we will probably do is discuss this again uh when we ratify the ballot in March, just to kind of remind folks again that this is this is a law that's in place.

And director Becker, when you say it's administrative, is there also a cost implication just because you have much more if everyone's on there?

Yeah, so if you can imagine we have um it's over 400 now, maybe close, you know, over 400 candidate filings for various offices in our county.

Um all of those folks get entered into a list.

Um their name is proofed, their address, you know, their their office, and then all of that information actually becomes how we build the ballot in our voting uh software.

And so um if you are reducing the number of names that you have to check and the number of offices and things that you're proofing, um it just it reduces staff time and also you know errors, right?

Um, and um the end of February we'll start having proofers come out and start proofing all this information.

So uh that's where we see the most benefit, I think is um it makes our proofing process go a lot faster.

Question?

No, no, no, I mean no, I although I do know that uh each one of us is going to hear about it, and saying this is a state law is uh cold comfort to somebody who thinks their name should appear on a ballot.

But co-comfort.

Well, if your name's out there, what did you want?

Exactly.

I want everybody to know that I won.

You might remember the last municipal election, we had folks that were um uncontested, and we voted to um help Patrick and his team do the streamlining that that this law allows to if you were not contested, we did not put you on the ballot, and we did hear from a lot of people that didn't understand the um benefits of that provided to staff.

So we will hear it, but still the right thing to do, how it goes.

Yeah, all right.

Um I think we've covered the majority uh of the business for January anyway.

As we uh start to wrap up, do we have uh any updates, Director Becker or Ben of Clark that we want to share while we have time with uh the team here as well as anyone listening?

I I do have a couple of things that I would like for people to know.

Uh if you're uh doing election work and you are comfortable, you are in the wrong business.

Uh the primary election is less than a hundred days away.

And I just want that to sink in because there's uh uh heck of a lot of work that has to be done uh ahead of that, and we do have some uh new people that we would like to celebrate.

Uh Constance Elliott.

If if someone is uh looking to become a poll worker, they contact the party, and then Constance is uh she's been with us a few months and uh she still hasn't left, so I think that as a good sign.

Um she will be reaching out and uh recruiting poll workers.

Bree Joyce has joined us.

Uh she worked for the city previously, and um she started uh last month, and um she is going to be our or she is our early voting administrator.

So welcome and thank you.

And um, you can't leave until uh December.

You have to you have to stick at least a whole year.

Um David Hughes is with us now, he's our project manager.

He also joined us last month.

He is uh he's seeing how the sausage is made and uh working to help us better our process to make it more streamlined, and um we're always looking to save uh taxpayer money, but not at the expense of the ballots or the vote.

So and finally, I don't know if she's in here, Annie Schrader.

She's probably watching.

Um Annie Schrader worked right next to me for as long as she could stand it, but uh the poll of elections just it kept calling her.

So uh she has also gone over um not to the dark side, just to the election board.

Um the other side of the office.

So uh I I think fully staffed with uh phenomenal individuals who are um you know they're they're doing the important work.

The um some more exciting news, and this is for anyone who has ever been to 3737 East Washington Street that's our service center.

Um we're moving.

We're moving closer to downtown.

Um there will be uh an introduction of a lease.

I it's a whole thing when when you move any sort of uh government building.

Um there had been a uh process uh when I took office to build a new election service center, and um that was at 34 million dollars, not something that was tenable.

So uh this is well under 34 million, and but it's not going to smell like rotten vegetables and um you know expired hamburger.

Um the lease is uh it will have to we'll have to jump through some hoops.

Um but we expect by March uh we will have approval and in by this summer.

So uh and ain't nothing like an open house to have a great party, no alcohol, of course, because you couldn't do that on the government.

Um you could still have a good party, a very good party.

So we we will have uh uh a rager, well mini rager.

Um we'll be we'll be uh drunk off of sugar.

How about that?

Yes, yeah, yes.

Um we do have more deadlines that are coming up.

Uh candidate filing has been open for a few weeks, it closes at noon on February 6th.

If there are people in line at noon, do they somebody asked me that and I said, I'm pretty sure once that clock strikes noon, it's we I would be remiss if I wasn't echoing our ballot administrator Chad Klingerman.

Um you're late at noon.

You're on time at 11 59 and 59 seconds.

So even if you're in line to uh file your uh delegate papers, uh get there get there before then because uh we will close the tour on you because you will be late and we will not accept your filing.

Yes, thank you, madam uh clerk.

I wanted to clarify this is not like campaign finance where you can file late and you get a fine.

This is we do not accept filings after noon.

So at noon, we are closed for filing.

It's not like voting.

When you're voting and you're in line and six o'clock hits, uh we will have a poll worker stand at the end of the line and tell the hordes of people who come after.

I'm sorry, you're too late, but so this is different.

So get here if you if you want to if you want to file the run for something, do it before noon on the 6th of February.

Um anyone who wants to vote absentee, they can make that request right now.

Uh that's an application process, and they can find information on voting absentee at vote.indy.gov, the best website uh in the entire enterprise.

Uh that's for mail ballots for traveling board.

That's a bipartisan team that will come out and help vote you for voters with print disabilities and military and overseas voters.

Um vote.indie.gov.

The first ballots will be mailed out by March 20th.

That's uh they have by statute requires that they be mailed by March 21st.

We will uh beat that by at least a day.

So uh in just a few short weeks, uh ballots will be uh sent out.

Voter registration closes April 6th.

So we uh as a board and the entire staff encourage all voters to confirm their voter registration status, and that can be done at Indiana Voters.com.

Again, that website to confirm uh voter registration status is indianavoters.com.

That's also where people can register to vote uh online um where uh requests can be made to vote absentee.

So a lot can happen there, but not everyone is comfortable and confident using the internet still, and it's understandable.

So uh if anyone has questions, they can contact our office by phone also or come visit us in person.

Um our phone numbers 317 327 5100 5100.

Um the request for well, we'll we'll get into the others, but uh May 5th is uh the next huge day that we're aiming for.

Um that is election day in the in the media, but for us, election day starts uh as I said in March because that's when the ballots are gonna go out, and all of this candidate stuff, and it all has to be right before then.

So there's a lot of work taking place uh behind the scenes to make sure that it is a smooth process that is uh available for all of the voters.

I know that there have been um I'm on a lot of conference calls, and um I've I've had this job for a few years now, and um I do believe that this election will be uh more reminiscent of 2018 than uh of 2022.

So 2018 we had a much higher voter turnout than we did in 2022 in that midterm.

Um I think this midterm will be similar more so to 2018.

So if somebody's on the fence about being a poll worker, or if they think uh this is just gonna be another anemic election, you have another thing coming.

This is going to be a big one, and we will need all hands on deck and people uh doing their best work to ensure that every vote gets counted.

So please please keep that in mind.

And as I said again, if you were on the fence, cut it out and sign up because we need you.

That is that is my uh plea to to the people thank you for thank you, madam clerk.

Extremely helpful.

A lot of work happening.

Huge kudos to Director Becker and his team.

Like I think I was joking with them when we started, like this is a really hard job.

Like it's a hard job, and I think it it gets underestimated how much work goes into people deciding if they want to show up and vote on election day, right?

Regardless if they show up or not, all the work has to happen.

So thank you.

Um, and we appreciate that because it's not can't underestimate it.

I think I work hard at work, but I I know there's these jobs are way harder, so appreciate you.

Thank you.

You good?

I'm okay with that.

I think our our next scheduled meeting is uh Wednesday, February the 4th, back here at City County Building.

Um and we will reconvene then until then I'll ask for a motion to adjourn.

I move second, second, we are adjourned.

Thank you.

Oh, yeah, well, we're talking about any questions.