Alright, good morning.

We will resume the Baring County Election Board meeting.

But just for everyone new and everyone here, we'll go ahead and do introductions.

And so we'll uh have everyone introduce themselves here.

We'll start with the board, staff, and then council.

Sorry with myself, Melia Stewart, Chair.

Good morning, Jennifer Bean, Vice Chair.

Kate Sweeney Bell, Secretary.

Patrick Becker, Director of Elections.

Brad Boswell, outside council.

Thank you guys.

We'll go ahead and get started here.

We'll start with the certification of the 2026 primary election.

Director Becker, you want to give us an update on the votes that we walk through on Friday.

Sure, thank you, Madam Chair.

So this board recessed on Thursday.

I sent the board an email on Friday about the update.

We did have one of our provisional voters that did come in on Friday morning prior to the new deadline, provided their ID and completed their Pro 10 form.

And so a bipartisan team here ran that ballot through tabulator.

After noon, we uploaded all of those results to our website.

So that brought our total count of provisionals to 72.

And then if you include the 14 absentee ballots that the board counted, voted to count on Thursday that increased our total by 86 ballots.

And so we finished just shy of 100,000 total ballots cast.

The certification, I'm sorry, go ahead.

That's okay.

Just it's exciting that the last person came in, right?

Yeah, the Nick is running, huh?

Yeah, I believe like 45 minutes maybe before the deadline.

Yeah.

And then in front of the board here, is uh there are three uh different certification documents.

Um all of these get sort of via electronically now through the state system.

Um staff does like the board to go through and and sign one copy, which I have here, but uh the three different forms in front of you are the CEB9, uh the CEB 23 and the CEB24.

The CEB9 is a county election report that we provide to the state.

It includes information from our colleagues in voter registration as well about the number of registrated, uh registered voters, uh our turnout for this election, um, our absentee ballot um sort of uh figures, our provisional ballot figures.

It also even includes our uh budget and the equipment that we use, um and so uh that is one of the reports that we provide to the state.

The CEB 23 is a report of the um essentially it's a report of the democratic primary uh election.

So the results of the the democratic primary election, and you can tell by the thickness of the packet you have that there are a lot of candidates and a lot of um offices on the ballot for the democratic party, and then the CEB 24 is uh the certification of the Republican uh primary.

Uh so those are the the three different forms in front of the board.

Happy to answer any questions.

Um, any questions anymore?

No, there are no questions.

We want to take a motion to certify the 2026 primary election.

I moved to certify uh the 2026 primary election uh with and to submit the CEB9, CEB23, and CEB24 to the state for certification.

Second, yes, properly motion and second, call row, vice chair.

Aye, madam clerk aye, you show the chair voting.

Aye.

That's great.

How many lots of work was that?

Happy we're counting.

All right.

Uh next thing on the agenda campaign finance uh fine waiver and reduction policy.

Uh Director Becker.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um I want to say in April, this board uh um was the was the last time that this board uh meant to discuss campaign finance, and at that meeting, the board had requested uh revision to the policy um to um request waivers or reductions of fines.

Um, um and just to to kind of remind the public, the fines um in campaign finance are set out by statute um and so but the the this the law allows the board discretion um as to uh waiving and reducing those fines uh and so um the revised policy uh is in front of the board.

Um if the board would like to uh you know I'm happy to read through the the request policy here, um, but I wanted to kind of offer this as an update for the board.

If the board is ready to vote on this now, uh that would be great.

Uh and we can notify our committees of what the new policy will be going forward.

Um, if the board wants to make additional changes, obviously the board has uh the discretion to do that.

Um but if you'd like uh Madam Chair, I can I can read through the policy.

Yeah, I don't think we I think we can read it.

Okay, but any questions or comments from the board on the update?

Uh no, no, um, but I I move to uh adopt this campaign finance fine waiver and reduction request policy uh as amended, second, property motion second, call roll vice chair.

I now are fine, and so the chair voting packed.

Uh further, we do have a number of uh campaign finance uh fines and violations that are currently pending before us, and with this new change, uh I move that in whole they all be waived regardless of amount duration, status, you know, political party that they all do that and with this new policy we start fresh.

So my motion is that we waive all existing campaign fees and fines, um with this change um in the policy.

I agree with Madam Secretary.

Um, and I second the motion.

Uh properly motioned and second.

Uh call roll vice chair.

I uh madam clerk, I can show the chair voting aye.

And I think this is Madam Clark's comment to amend this policy is good so that when the fees do come up, people don't have to show up in person given their schedules and timing.

Um so I think it makes it a little easier for everyone to be able to accommodate the request.

So thank you for bringing it to everyone's attention, Madam Clark.

Yes, and this is if there's a lot of work that goes into, I mean, we statutorily we have to uh if reports aren't filed on time, uh this is something that we have to do, but and our staff makes a huge effort to make sure that uh those individuals are notified before um the deadlines of what they are and what is required.

Um that will continue.

They do a great job of that.

Um, and now that this policy is hopefully set in stone, but uh it's a it's a firm policy.

We will be able to uh well maybe help the city's general fund going forward.

I don't know where the money goes.

I don't and hopefully there will be none.

I would rather have zero campaign finance fines or fees paid by anyone, just get the reporting in on time and um let that sunshine uh shine its bright light on uh these campaign finance issues.

Director Becker, with the waiver here just voted on and approved.

Would those campaigns be notified that has been waived for this time?

That's correct, I'm sure.

So uh staff will provide a letter updating uh all committees of what the new policy is, and those that have fines will um also inform them that that fine has been okay.

But yeah, all uh all committees will get the new policy sent to them for their awareness.

Okay, everybody's really should be really happy with that.

Oh well, I'm sure there will be some critics.

All right, there's nothing uh else official on the agenda for today.

Um any other business or updates we want to share before we adjourn.

I have a couple.

Okay, um, we have in this county currently 632,125 registered voters, and uh we had about 75,000 people show up on election day to cast their ballot.

Uh we had just over 25,000 individuals who voted absentee, and absentee voting includes our travel board, and it includes uh military and overseas voters.

It anyone who voted before election day.

Um, so that's just over 25,000 in this election, and uh for those of you who really really like to dig into the numbers.

We had 99,851 individuals uh cast a ballot in this county.

So that's um as predicted.

Uh this election was uh uh higher turnout, and you know, hopefully it just keeps advancing from there.

I imagine that uh the turnout in the general election will be robust.

I think a lot of people are going to share their uh views and opinions with the leaders and hopeful leaders of our community.

So I look forward to being ready.

We'll be in our new facility probably by then, um, and not newly built, newly refurbished facility that's a little bit closer to downtown, and uh I'm sure we'll have some sort of celebration to open the once once we open the doors, but that is that will be between um now and the general election.

So we will be in a new facility for the general election, hopefully with uh a lot of uh fixed potholes leading to the work something we're working on, um, but uh it was great working with the two of you again for another election.

I'm I'm uh happy this one is in the rear view and looking forward to moving on to November.

Yes, you can touch ballots in October.

No, no, no.

I still will be okay.

Okay, I will touch my ballot.

I plan to vote.

I plan to vote in November.

I just says I hope all of you do.

All right, anything else, Director Becker?

Nope.

I should have all right.

So um I move to adjourn.

It's we are what uh we'll have a meeting sometime before the election, but we need to get calendars of the next schedule meeting to be determined.

Uh, and by that we are turned.