[1. Request for a discussion with the Harris County Elections Administrator regarding the elections being held on behalf of contracted Local Political Subdivisions on May 6, 2023.]

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

>> THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME BEFORE THE ELECTION COMMISSION TO SPEAK AND CHAIR SEAGULL AND CHAIR DOYLE . MY NAME IS CLIFFORD TATUM AND I'M THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR AND I'M HIT WITH STAFF TO TALK ABOUT THE MAY 6 PREPARATIONS FOR THE ENTITY ELECTION. THIS IS A CONTRACTED ELECTION FOR THE COUNTY ENTITIES , THE MUNICIPAL ENTITIES THAT SIT AND RESIDE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF HARRIS COUNTY AND THERE ARE 34 ENTITIES WE ARE CONTRACTED WITH FOR THIS ELECTION. THE MAY 6 ELECTION AND 324 VOTING PRECINCTS , MEANING PRECINCTS

[00:15:03]

WHERE VOTERS ARE ASSIGNED IN THEIR VOTING POLITICAL PRECINCT, IF YOU WILL WITH A TOTAL OF 534,872 REGISTERED VOTER AS OF MARCH 31. WE ARE DEPLOYING 29 EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS FOR EARLY VOTING AND WE ARE DEPLOYING 126 TOTAL LOCATIONS FOR ELECTION DAY. EARLY VOTING BEGINS APRIL 24TH AND WILL END ON MAY 2ND AND THE VOTING IS ON SATURDAY, MAY 6TH AND THOSE VOTING HOURS WILL BE FROM 7:00 A.M. UNTIL 7:00 P.M. WE WORKED WITH OUR COUNTY ENTITY, OR A MUNICIPAL ENTITIES, TO DEVELOP THE BALLOT IN EACH ENTITY SUBMITTED BOUNDARY LINE UPDATES AND SUBMITTED CONTEST AND CANDIDATE NAMES TO OUR OFFICE TO PREPARE THE BALLOT. WE'VE PREPARED THE BALLOT AND PROVIDED NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE WERE CONDUCTING LOGIC AND ACCURACY TESTING. THAT WAS COMPLETED MARCH 20. AS PART OF THE BALLOT TESTING, WE INVOKED OUR BALLOT LOGIC AND ACCURACY TESTING COMMITTEE, MADE UP OF REPUBLICAN PARTY MEMBERS AND DEMOCRAT PARTY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT LOGIC AND ACCURACY TESTING AND WE SUCCESSFULLY TESTED THE BALLOT TO ENSURE IT IS

RECORDING VOTES PROPERLY. >> THANK YOU. I WAS CONCERNED IF THERE WAS A SPEAKER BEHIND MR. TATUM. PLEASE TAKE A SEAT WITH THE REST OF THE MEMBERS VISITING, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. JUST JOIN US IN THE STANDS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I DON'T WANT THIS TRUMP-STYLE HARASSMENT OF OUR ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR. WHY ARE YOU STANDING BEHIND HIM? LOOK, SIR -- EXCUSE ME. ONLY THE PERSON AT THE MICROPHONE IS SPEAKING. PLEASE TAKE A SEAT AND WE WILL HEAR MR. TATUM SPEAK. GO AHEAD, MR. TATUM. DEPUTIES, SINCE WHEN DO YOU ALLOW SOMEONE TO STAND BEFORE A DEPARTMENT HEAD OR A SPEAKER? WE NEVER DO THAT. GO AHEAD.

>> THE BALLOT FOR THESE CONTESTS WILL BE ON THE 8.5 BY 11 SHEET OF PAPER AND THE LONGEST IS THE CONTESTS AND THE SHORTEST HAS ONE ITEM. THE ENTITIES AND LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY ARE THREE ENTITIES WITHIN PRECINCT 1 AND THAT IS COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 1 AND THERE WILL BE FIVE EARLY BOTH CENTERS AND 18 ELECTION DAY CENTERS PER THE PRECINCT COMMISSION 2 WILL HAVE TWO ENTITIES AND 12 EARLY BOTH CENTERS AND 64 ELECTION DAY CENTERS. PRECINCT 3 WILL HAVE 17 ENTITIES WITH 10 EARLY BOTH CENTERS AND 40 ELECTION DAY VOTE CENTERS. PRECINCT 4 WILL HAVE FOUR ENTITIES WITH ONE EARLY BOTH CENTER AND FOUR ELECTION DAY CENTERS.

ALLOCATIONS FOR EARLY VOTING AND ELECTION DAY HAVE BEEN FINALIZED AND THE FACTORS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR THE ALLOCATIONS RELATED TO EQUIPMENT, FACTORING IN THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF VOTING AREAS WITHIN THE FACILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SELECTED. THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE 324 VOTING PRECINCTS IN THE TIME ASSOCIATED WITH VOTING THE BALLOT . WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THE LONGEST BALLOT SHOULD TAKE APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES.

WE'VE ANTICIPATED HOW MANY VOTING MACHINES WILL BE NEEDED TO PROCESS THE NUMBER OF VOTERS ASSIGNED OR ADJACENT TO ANY PARTICULAR VOTE CENTERS WE'VE ESTABLISHED. WE PROJECTED VOTING TRENDS AT OPENING AND CLOSING AND WE REVIEWED THE HISTORICAL VOTING TRENDS , WHERE AVAILABLE, TO ASSESS WHAT WE BELIEVE THE VOTER TURNOUT WILL BE FOR THIS MAY ELECTION. FOR EARLY VOTING WE'VE HIRED APPROXIMATELY 500 ELECTION WORKERS AND 29 PRESIDING JUDGES AND 30 ALTERNATE JUDGES. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AND ARE BEGINNING TO TRAIN 441 CLERKS. FOR ELECTION DAY, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AND RECRUITED APPROXIMATELY 1114 ELECTION WORKERS AND 126 PRESIDING JUDGES AND 126 ALTERNATE JUDGES. FLOOR THE CLERKS, THEY ARE AUTHORIZED TO HIRE UP TO 862 CLERKS IN THE IDEA IS TO ENSURE THAT THE NUMBER OF CLERKS ARE ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE VOTER TURNOUT IN ANY PARTICULAR CASE. FOR HIGH SCHOOL CLERKS, THE ESS CLERKS, WE'VE HIRED

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126 OF THOSE FOLKS. RECRUITMENT EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY FOR BILINGUAL WORKERS AND WE'VE ASKED HER ENTITIES TO SUPPORT US IN IDENTIFYING THE BILINGUAL SUPPORT IN THE AREAS THAT NEED THAT SUPPORT. WE'VE SENT OUT EARLY VOTING PLACEMENT LETTERS AND WE'VE ALSO SENT OUT ELECTION DAY PLACEMENT LETTERS TO THOSE PRESIDING JUDGES AND ALTERNATE JUDGES. TRAINING STARTED LAST TUESDAY, MARCH 25. WE HAVE INCREASED OUR INTERACTION WITH HANDS-ON TRAINING AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 220 ATTENDEES WHO HAVE ATTENDED EIGHT CLASSES, SO FAR. WE CURRENTLY HAVE SET UP ROUGHLY 370 PARTICIPANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.

FOR THE TRAINING LOCATIONS, WE HAVE 15 USED FOR TRAINING WITH MULTIPLE SESSIONS TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 44 TRAINING SESSIONS AND TRAINING CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, AT THIS POINT, SEVEN TRAINING CLASSES SET UP FOR PRECINCT 1 AND 23 TRAINING CLASSES FOR PRECINCT 2 AND NINE TRAINING CLASSES FOR PRECINCT 3 AND FIVE TRAINING CLASSES FOR PRECINCT 4. AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WE'VE SET UP ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTOR SUPPORT HOURS FOR ELECTION WORKERS WHO BELIEVE THEY NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT , IN-PERSON SUPPORT, FOR TRAINING. THE TRAINING WILL FOCUS ON SETTING UP VOTING EQUIPMENT AND IT WILL FOCUS ON REVIEWING IMPORTANT FORMS AND REVIEWING THE OPENING AND CLOSING PROCEDURES IN REVIEWING THE ELECTION MANUAL, ITSELF AND ANSWERING SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AS RELATES TO THE JUDGES PERFORMING THE DUTIES. IN PREPARATION FOR THIS MAY ELECTION , AND IN EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE PROCESSES OF THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS OFFICE, WE ARE UPGRADING THE ELECTION SYSTEMS IN THE FIRST SYSTEM TO BE UPGRADED THAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN TAKEN LIVE IS TRANSITIONING OUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM TO CORE DIAL TO SERVICE NOW. THAT TELEPHONE SYSTEM WOULD ALLOW US TO IMPLEMENT A TICKETING SYSTEM WHICH WILL THEN ALLOW US TO SEE AS CALLS FOR SUPPORT COME IN , ABLE TO TICKET THOSE SYSTEMS, THOSE CALLS AND ABLE TO DISPATCH THOSE TICKETS AND WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THAT TICKET GET CLOSED AND ABLE TO MONITOR THE STATUS OF THAT TICKET UNTIL IT'S CLOSED. THE NEW SYSTEM WILL ALLOW US TO TRACK AND MONITOR OUR TECHNICIANS SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE OUR TECHNICIANS ARE AT ANY PARTICULAR POINT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO MONITOR THE TIME IT TAKES FROM THE POINT THAT TICKET WAS OPENED UNTIL THE TICKET WAS CLOSED. OUR VOTING SYSTEM HAS BEEN UPGRADED BY THE VENDOR AND WE RECEIVED A SOFTWARE VERSION THAT WAS CERTIFIED BY THE ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION AND CERTIFIED BY THE TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE AND THAT SOFTWARE UPGRADE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT IT WILL RESOLVE THE CONTROLLER ISSUE NOT FOUND, THAT WE EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST ELECTION CYCLES. WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL WEIGHT TESTED, VOLUME TESTED THESE CONTROLLERS TO PUT THEM THROUGH THEIR PACES.

NEW SOFTWARE VERSION WAS ACTUALLY PILOTED AND TESTED BY A SMALLER COUNTY IN THE PAST ELECTION AND DEMONSTRATED THAT IT CORRECTED THE CONTROLLER NOT FOUND ISSUE. WE'VE DEPLOYED THAT SYSTEM INTO OUR VOTING SYSTEM. FOR THE MAY ELECTION WE SHOULD NOT SEE A CONTROLLER NOT FOUND ISSUE. THE VENDOR IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING A PERMANENT PAPER GUIDE SOLUTION THAT WE ALSO HAVE VOLUME TESTED AND WE BELIEVE THAT IT WILL MITIGATE AND REDUCE PAPER JAMS . WE CAN'T SAY EMPHATICALLY THAT IT WILL RESIST DEUCE ALL THE PAPER JAMS BUT AS DEMONSTRATED, IT APPEARS IT WILL BE PART OF THE SOLUTION FOR THE PAPER JAMS THAT WE SAW. ONE OF THE SYSTEMS THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT UPGRADING IS THE INVENTORY TRACKING SOLUTION, WHICH HAS ALLOWED US TO DIGITIZE ALL SUPPLY DELIVERY . IT HAS ALLOWED US TO DEPLOY BARCODE

[00:25:04]

TRACKING TECHNOLOGY TO ALL OF OUR SUPPLIES THAT ARE GOING OUT OF THE WAREHOUSE , BE IT THROUGH SUPPLY DELIVERY OR BE IT THROUGH SECONDARY SUPPLY DELIVERY SO THAT EVERYTHING MOVING OUT OF THE WAREHOUSE IS SCANNED AND WHAT COMES BACK WILL BE SCANNED SO WE HAVE SOME SENSE OF WHAT WENT OUT AND WHAT CAME BACK IN. AS INDICATED, THESE BARCODE SYSTEMS WILL ALLOW US TO MONITOR THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF SUPPORTING TICKETS. UPGRADES TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT, ALL OF OUR TECHNICIANS WILL BE DEPLOYED WITH THE NEW SERVICE NOW SOFTWARE, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO GEO LOCATE WHERE THOSE TOES TECHNICIANS ARE AT ANY PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME AND WILL ALLOW US TO SEE WHAT SUPPLIES THEY HAVE AND ALLOW US TO TRACK WHEN THEY ARE DEPLOYED TO LOCATION AND WHEN THEY RESOLVE AN ISSUE AT THE LOCATION SO WE SEE THAT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. WE HAVE ALSO REVIEWED THE RATIO OF TECHNICIANS TO VOTE CENTER LOCATIONS WITH THE GOAL OF DECREASING THE NUMBER OF LOCATIONS THAT A TECHNICIAN WOULD HAVE TO COVER FOR ANY PARTICULAR ELECTION CYCLE.

WE'VE BEGUN IDENTIFYING AND DEFINING OUR ELECTIONS AS SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE, MEANING A SMALL ELECTION IS AN ELECTION WITH BOTH CENTERS OF 150 OR LESS AND A MEDIUM ELECTION, OF COURSE, 151 AND ABOVE AND A LARGE ELECTION IS MORE THAN 350 VOTE CENTER LOCATIONS. BY PROPOSING TO DECREASE THE RATIO OF BOTH CENTERS TO TECHNICIAN SUPPORT , WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A TECHNICIAN FROM ANY ONE PARTICULAR VOTE CENTER TO THE NEXT WITHIN A A VERY EFFICIENT AND MINIMAL AMOUNT OF TIME. WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK HOW LONG THE TECHNICIAN SPENDS AT ANY ONE PARTICULAR VOTE CENTER. FOR WHATEVER REASON, IF A TECHNICIAN IS SPENDING AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF TIME AT ANY ONE PARTICULAR VOTE CENTER, WE WILL ALERT OUR NEXT LEVEL TEAR TECHNICIAN TO MOVE INTO PLACE FOR THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION OR TO BEGIN COVERING THE NEXT LOCATION THAT PARTICULAR TECHNICIAN MAY HAVE NEEDED TO GO TO. WE ARE EXPANDING OUR CALL CENTER FOOTPRINT AND AS WE MENTIONED, WE WERE ON THE CORE DIAL SOLUTION AND WE ARE MOVING TO SERVICE NOW. THE IDEA IS TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF CALL CENTER OPERATORS THAT ARE TAKING THE CALLS FROM OUR JUDGES , PRESIDING JUDGES.

HISTORICALLY, IT APPEARS THAT WE'VE HAD A SHIFTING NUMBER OF OPERATORS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND WE'VE BEEN FROM 100 TO 120 TO 50 TO 80 AND THE GOAL FOR US IS TO DEPLOY 100 TECHNICIANS, OPERATORS, FOR THIS PARTICULAR ELECTION AND WE HAVE 48 IDENTIFIED TO SUPPORT THIS OPERATION. IT MEANS THAT EACH OPERATOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE A CALL FROM THREE DIFFERENT BOTH CENTERS. IF A PRESIDING JUDGES CALLING IN TO THE OFFICE, THEY ARE NOT WAITING FOR MINUTES OR HOURS, AS HAD BEEN SUGGESTED IN THE PAST. WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT AN OPERATOR SPENDS ON ANY ONE PARTICULAR CALL AND , BY DESIGN, THERE IS ONLY X NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT COULD TAKE PLACE AT A VOTE CENTER, AS RELATES TO TECHNICAL VOTING SYSTEM SUPPORT AND RELATES TO ELECTION WORKER SUPPORT. IF WE SEE AN OPERATOR SPENDING MORE THAN 1-2 MINUTES SUPPORT ON A CALL FOR SUPPORT, WE KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING MORE GOING ON THAN THAT OPERATOR CAN ASSESS AND ASSIST. THAT LEADS TO THE RECORDING OF A TICKET THAT ALLOWS A TECHNICIAN TO GO TO THAT LOCATION TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT SITUATION IS. THE GOAL, OF COURSE, IS TO DECREASE THE LOAD OF SUPPORT ON ANY ONE PARTICULAR OPERATOR. IT ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE QUALITY TIME TO ADDRESS ISSUES CALLED IN FROM THE POLLING LOCATIONS TO GET THE CORRECT TECHNICIAN TO THE CORRECT LOCATION, TO RESOLVE WHATEVER THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE MAY BE.

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THERE ARE SOME OTHER PARTICULAR DETAILS I COULD GO INTO, AS RELATES TO THE DETAILED PREPARATIONS FOR THE MAY ELECTION. THAT IS AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THE PROCESS AND THIS IS A MUNICIPAL ENTITY ELECTION, NOT A COUNTYWIDE ELECTION AND WE ARE NOT DEPLOYING THE SAME LEVEL OF RESOURCES, THE SAME LEVEL OF EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT THIS PARTICULAR ELECTION BECAUSE IT IS AN ENTITY ELECTION. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE ENTITIES AS RELATES TO THE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST. I SHOULD NOTE THAT WHILE THE CONTRACTORS -- THERE ARE OTHER ENTITIES THAT HAVE ELECTED TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN ELECTIONS, AS THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST AND WHILE WE ARE NOT CONDUCTING THE ELECTION, WE WILL PROVIDE THE REGISTRATION LIST AND WE'VE BEEN INTERACTING WITH A NUMBER OF THOSE ENTITIES TO SUPPORT THEIR VOTER REGISTRATION EFFORTS FOR THE VOTER REGISTRATION CUTOFF DEADLINE IS TOMORROW, THE SIXTH IN THE VOLUNTARY DEPUTY REGISTRAR'S HAVE UNTIL APRIL 7 TO TURN THOSE APPLICATIONS INTO US AND WE'VE COMMUNICATED WITH THEM. TOMORROW IS A COUNTY HOLIDAY FOR GOOD FRIDAY. BUT, WE WILL MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO COLLECT THOSE APPLICATIONS FROM THE DEPUTY REGISTRAR'S AS THEY HAVE THEM. I STAND READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

>> TODAY IS WEDNESDAY? OKAY. SOMETIMES I DON'T KNOW WHAT DAY

IT IS. ANY QUESTIONS? >> GO AHEAD, CHAIR SIEGEL .

>> THANK YOU, MR. TATUM. SO, DID YOU SAY THAT, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF ENTITIES THAT HAVE CONTESTS, PRECINCT 3 HAS

17 ? IS THAT RIGHT? >> THAT IS CORRECT.

>> IF I TOOK DOWN THE NUMBERS RIGHT, PRECINCT 1 HAS THREE AND PRECINCT 2 HAS 10 AND PRECINCT 4 HAS FOUR. IS THAT

RIGHT? >> YES.

>> OKAY. SO, I DON'T UNDERSTAND, THEN, WHY IS THE TRAINING SO HEAVILY WEIGHTED TO PRECINCT 2? YOU HAVE 20 -- MAIBACH TOOK THIS DOWN WRONG BUT YOU SAID YOU HAD SEVEN TRAINING AND THAT AT ONE, 20 AND SOMETHING, NINE AND THREE

AND FIVE AND FOUR? >> I BELIEVE THAT IS BASED ON THE JUDGES BEING DEPLOYED FOR THIS SELECTION AND WHERE THEY MAY RESIDE BUT I CAN CERTAINLY IDENTIFY WHY THERE IS MORE THERE THAN MAY BE IN THE OTHER --

>> OKAY. >> SO, YOU HAVE A NEW PROCESS FOR GETTING THE PAPER OUT. WHAT IS YOUR ASSURANCE AS A VOTER THAT I WILL GO TO A POLL AND THERE WILL BE BALLOT PAPER OR I WILL BE AN ELECTION JUDGE AND MAKE A CALL AND GET A RESPONSE AND GET BALLOT PAPER AND NOT HAVE TO WAIT 4 OR 6

HOURS? >> AS WE'VE LOOKED AT THE NUMBER OF VOTERS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE SELECTION AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE AREAS IN WHICH THOSE VOTERS RESIDE, WE HAVE PLACED VOTE CENTERS IN THOSE AREAS WHERE THOSE VOTERS RESIDE. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED , FROM THOSE VOTE CENTERS, THE NUMBER OF VOTERS WHO ARE WITHIN ONE MILE OF THAT LOCATION FOR ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS. BASED ON WHAT WE SEE FROM THE ONE MILE TO THREE MALE TO FIVE-MILE RADIUS, WE ARE PROJECTING WHICH OF THOSE VOTERS AND WHO OF THOSE VOTERS MAY TURN OUT FOR THIS PARTICULAR ELECTION.

PROJECTIONS ARE ART AND SCIENCE AND THERE IS ALWAYS A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA INVOLVED. THERE IS ALWAYS THE ART OF ASSESSING WHO IS GOING TO VOTE AND WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO VOTE BECAUSE WE SIMPLY DON'T KNOW THAT. WE PROJECT THAT 70%, AS ARE THE TRENDS IN HARRIS COUNTY, 70% OF THE LIKELY TURNOUT WILL HAPPEN DURING EARLY VOTING. WE'VE SUPPLIED OUR EARLY VOTING CENTERS WITH ENOUGH SUPPLIES OF EVERY TYPE TO HANDLE 100% OF THAT 70% TURNOUT . IF WE DON'T RECEIVE THAT 70% TURNOUT, WE HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLY FOR WHATEVER THAT IS . THEN, WE PROJECT 30% OF THAT TURNOUT WILL TURN OUT ON ELECTION DAY AND WE'VE SUPPLIED THAT IF THIS 70%

[00:35:03]

DOESN'T TURN OUT AND SHIFT TO ELECTION DAY, WE ARE GOING TO PREPARE FOR THAT PERCENTAGE, A HIGHER PERCENTAGE TO TURN OUT

ON ELECTION DAY. >> ARE THEY STILL GETTING THE

PAPER FROM THE ATC? >> THEY ARE GETTING THE PAPER DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO THEIR LOCATIONS FOR THIS SELECTION.

THAT WILL BE THE CASE FOR EVERY ELECTION MOVING FORWARD.

>> SO, WE HAD PROBLEMS BEFORE WITH EARLY VOTING AND WITH SOME OF THE PAPER TEARING AND SMUDGING, IF YOU HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM DURING EARLY VOTING THIS TIME WOULD YOU ADJUST THE ELECTION DAY ACCORDINGLY?

>> IF I BELIEVE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, ARE YOU REFERRING TO ADJUST THE NUMBERS AS RELATES TO VOTERS TURNING

OUT? >> I'M SAYING IF YOU HAVE THE ELECTION DAY POLL THAT HISTORICALLY HAS 250 PEOPLE TURNING OUT BUT YOU SEE THERE IS PROBLEMS WITH THE SECOND PAGES, WHAT WE'VE SEEN BEFORE WITH EARLY VOTING, I WOULD ASSUME THAT YOU WILL ADJUST UPWARD IF YOU SEE THAT YOU HAVE A BAD BALLOT AIR RATE OF X% THAT YOU WILL BUMP UP YOUR PAPER ELECTION DAY ACCORDINGLY?

>> THANK YOU . SO -- IN PROJECTING FOR THIS MAY ELECTION , HISTORICALLY, WE'VE SEEN THAT FOR THESE ENTITIES, THE LARGEST TURNOUT HAS BEEN 22% WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WHEN THESE ENTITIES HAVE THEIR CONTEST ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.

WE KNOW THE NOVEMBER BALLOT , THE GOVERNORS, THE PRESIDENTIAL DRIVES THAT TURNOUT. BASED ON OUR HISTORICAL ANALYSIS FOR THE ENTITIES THAT WE HAVE, NO ONE HAS A TURNOUT MORE THAN 22%. WE PROJECT AT 50% AND PLANNING FOR GREATER THAN 50%. SO, TO YOUR QUESTION, IF WE DON'T HIT THAT 70% MARK OF WHAT WE PROJECTED, BY DEFINITION, THAT MEANS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THOSE FOLKS MIGHT COME OUT ON ELECTION DAY. WE WILL BE PREPARED FOR THAT.

>> AS IT RELATES TO EQUIPMENT, I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN HISTORIC PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW EQUIPMENT AND IS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD.

THAT HAS CAUSED VOTERS TO BE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THE POLLS WENT DOWN. WHAT SORT OF PROCEDURES DO YOU NOW HAVE IN PLACE TO MAINTAIN THEM? AND TO KNOW THAT THEY WILL WORK.

>> THANK YOU. THE MAINTENANCE OF THE VOTING SYSTEM OCCURS YEAR ROUND. WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL THE READY POOL AND WE PUT OUR HANDS ON EVERY VOTING COMPONENT GOING OUT OF THE WEB HOUSE. FOR THIS PARTICULAR ELECTION WE TOUCHED EVERY UNIT IN THE WAREHOUSE BECAUSE WE'VE UPLOADED THE NEW SOFTWARE VERSION TO ALLOW FOR THE CONTROLLER NOT FOUND TO BE ADDRESSED. THAT SOFTWARE UPGRADE -- AND IT HAPPENS ON EVERY CONTROLLER AND ON EVERY DUO AND EVERY DUO GO AND ON THE SCANNER, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK THAT AND THEY DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT BUT PART OF THAT PROCESS, WE'VE TOUCHED EVERY UNIT THAT WOULD GO INTO THE FIELD FOR THE MAY ELECTION.

UNFORTUNATELY, AS WE KNOW, AND HE COMPONENT AND COMPUTER SYSTEM WILL DO WHATEVER IT WILL DUE ON THE DAY OF OPERATION.

OUR GOAL IS TO REPLACE A UNIT OR REPAIR A UNIT IF IT HAS A MALFUNCTION ON ELECTION DAY AND THAT GOES DIRECTLY BACK TO TO THE TECHNICIANS. AND, TRACKING OUR TECHNICIANS AND SEEING WHERE THEY ARE TO DETERMINE AND ASSESS THE ISSUE AND HOW WE RESOLVE THE ISSUE . EVERY VOTE CENTER, FOR THIS PARTICULAR ELECTION, RECEIVES TWO CONTROLLERS. 12-24 DUO'S AND THAT MEANS THE TWO LINES, AS YOU ARE USED TO SEEING, TWO LINES IN EVERY VOTE CENTER AND WE ARE TRAINING THE JUDGES TO SET UP ONE LINE AND HAVE IT READY TO GO AT 7:00 AND START YOUR NEXT LINE. IF YOU SET THEM BOTH BEFORE 7:00 AND HAVE ONE LINE READY AT 7:00, YOU CAN START VOTING AT 7:00 A.M. IN THE PAST, SEEN THE JUDGES ONE OF THE LINE SET UP BEFORE THEY OPEN THE DOOR. GET ONE LINE SET UP AND HAVE YOUR POLL BOOKS READY TO GO AND VOTERS CAN START VOTING AT 7:00 A.M. WE CAN GET THE SECOND LINE SET UP AFTER THE FIRST LINE. WE

[00:40:03]

WON'T BOOK LINE SEVEN BUT IF YOU ARE PRESSED FOR TIME, GET THE ONE LINE GOING SO EVERYONE STARTS VOTING. TO YOUR QUESTION, EVERY TECHNICIAN WILL HAVE EXTRA DUOS, AN EXTRA SCAN AND THROUGH OUR TRACKING ABILITY, WE WILL SEE WHAT THE ISSUE IS AND WE WILL SEE THAT THEY HAVE RESOLVED THAT ISSUE AND WE WILL KEEP THE VOTING MOVING GOING FORWARD. THAT'S

THE PLAN FOR EVERY ELECTION. >> WHAT'S YOUR METRICS FOR MEASUREMENT . DO YOU HAVE A CERTAIN TIME FRAME IN WHICH YOU WANT THE MACHINE TO GO DOWN FROM THE TIME YOU GET THE CALL CALL, DO YOU HAVE CERTAIN MEASURABLE GOALS SET UP FOR STAFF IN TERMS OF THE MACHINES BACKUP?

>> IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. IT TRULY BECOMES THE NATURE OF THE ISSUE AND HOW LONG IT CAN TAKE THAT ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED. HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE DONE FROM A METRICS PERSPECTIVE. WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AND WE KNOW THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EVERY VOTE CENTER, WE WANT TO BE BE 2-3-5 MILES AND FOR THIS PARTICULAR ELECTION, THE ENTITY IS SPREAD OUT AROUND THE COUNTY AND THE TRAVEL DISTANCE IS GREATER. FOR A LARGER ELECTION, 700 BOTH CENTERS, THEY WILL BE CLOSER TOGETHER AND WE ARE ROUTING THOSE VOTE CENTERS INTO WHAT WE DESCRIBE AS CLUSTERS. WITH THAT DIRECTION, THOSE CLUSTERS WILL BE WITHIN A CERTAIN MILEAGE OF ONE ANOTHER AND IT CAN GET THE TECHNICIANS TO ANY PARTICULAR LOCATION WITHOUT HAVING TO DRIVE ACROSS THE COUNTY TO GET FROM ONE LOCATION TO THE NEXT AND IT GIVES THE VOTER THE COUNTYWIDE VOTING OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THOSE LOCATIONS WITH EARLY VOTING OR ON ELECTION DAY SO THAT WE KNOW IF THE VOTER GOES TO PRECINCT 1 AND THERE IS AN ISSUE, THEY CAN GO TO PRECINCT 2 OR THREE AND THE TRAVEL DISTANCE WILL BE LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES, BARRING TRAFFIC AND FOR THE TECHNICAL ISSUE, THE QUESTION BECOMES TRULY WHAT IS THE TECHNICAL ISSUE? THE CONTROLLER NOT FOUND ? THE FIRST QUESTION THAT THE OPERATOR WILL TAKE ON FOR THE CALL, DID YOU PLUG IT IN? IS IT PLUGGED INTO THE WALL OR THE BACK OF THE MACHINE? AND DID YOU POWER IT ON? I WILL SEND A TECH AND IF THE TECH IS NOT BUSY AT ONE LOCATION, THAT TECH SHOULD GET TO THAT LOCATION WITHIN 5-10 MINUTES AND RESOLVE THAT ISSUE AND MAKE A MOVE TO THE NEXT LOCATION. IF THAT TECH IS AT PRECINCT VOTE CENTER ONE WORKING THAT ISSUE, THAT'S WHERE THE TIER 2 TECH WOULD HAVE TO BE READY TO STEP IN TO

RESOLVE THAT ISSUE FOR THAT. >> YOU SAID YOU ARE EXPANDING YOUR HELP DESK AND CALL CENTER AND INCREASING THE OPERATORS.

DO YOU ALSO HAVE A MEASUREMENT FOR HOW LONG PEOPLE ARE ON HOLD AND WHAT YOU WANT YOUR WAIT TIME TO BE AND -- I DON'T KNOW -- IF IT'S A TIER 1 PROBLEM, HOW LONG BEFORE THEY RESPOND AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM?

>> THAT'S THE RIGHT QUESTION AND WHAT WE WANT TO MEASURE.

FROM THE SMALLEST ELECTION, IF WE HAVE 150, 120 BOTH CENTERS, AND IF I HAD ONE TECHNICIAN , I HAVE 50 TECHNICIANS, 50 OPERATORS. IF EACH VOTE CENTER CALLS AND AT THE SAME TIME ON SATURDAY MORNING, SOMEONE IS GOING TO WAIT ON THE INITIAL CALL. THE QUESTION THEN BECOMES, WHAT'S THE FIRST CALL? MY WORKERS DIDN'T SHOW UP AND WE ARE TRANSFERRING TO RECRUITMENT. THAT SECOND CALL COMES TO THE OPERATOR THAT JUST HUNG UP. IT DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF THE CALL AND WITHOUT GETTING TOO IN THE WEEDS, THE WAY THE CALL CENTER WORKS IS THERE IS A DROP DOWN BOX SO THEY NOTATE WHAT TYPE OF CALL IT WAS AND WHERE THAT CALL CAME FROM. WE HAVE THE FOLKS WITH THE COLD AND THE TYPE OF CALL THAT IT WAS AND IF IT NEEDS TO BE ESCALATED TO A TIER 2 OR TIER 3 AND WE SEE THAT TICKET WAS MADE AND THE CALL WENT TO THE NEXT PERSON TO RESOLVE. THE GOAL IS, PERHAPS FOR THE FIRST OPERATOR, TO BE OFF THE CALL WITHIN 30 SECONDS OR ONE MINUTE. I DON'T WANT TO ARBITRARILY SAY THAT BECAUSE WE NEED TO SEE HOW IT WILL WORK.

WE DO KNOW WE CAN'T HAVE THE FIRST TIER OPERATOR ON THE

[00:45:02]

CALL WITH ONE JUDGE FOR 10 MINUTES. EVERYBODY IS BACKED UP. THE FIRST TIER TAKES THE CALL AND IDENTIFIES IT TO A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT WHO CAN SPEND TWO TO THREE MINUTES. IF WE ARE SPENDING TWO TO THREE MINUTES ON THE PHONE WITH THE JUDGE, I NEED A TECHNICIAN BECAUSE RIGHT AWAY I HAVE JUDGES WAITING FOR A CALL TO BE PICKED UP.

>> DOES THE NEW SYSTEM TELL A PERSON WHAT THE WAIT TIME IS?

I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER. >> MOST HELP CENTERS, EVEN THE IRS , IT WILL TELL YOU YOU ARE ON HOLD FOR FIVE HOURS -- TEASING -- BUT SOMETIMES I HAVE FELT LIKE I WAS ON HOLD FIVE HOURS WITH THE IRS. THE PLACEMENT OF JUDGES, WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? I KNOW YOU'VE SAID HOW MANY WORKERS BUT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE GOT THEM PLACED?

>> WE HAVE PLACED THE PRESIDING JUDGES FOR EARLY VOTING AND AS WELL, FOR ELECTION DAY WITH THE SAME GOAL OF PROVIDING BACKUP JUDGES , A RESERVOIR, IN CASE SOMEONE CAN SHOW UP. WE DON'T WANT TO BE CRAWLING AROUND ON ELECTION DAY TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE. WE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE WITH THE NUMBER OF JUDGES WHO SAID WE ARE WILLING TO WORK AND WE WILL HAVE A SUPPLY OF ELECTION CLERKS READY TO GO IN THE EVENT THAT THE PRESIDING JUDGE HAS SELECTIONS THAT DON'T SHOW UP HITS BACK WHAT SELECTION DID YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW?

>> 100%. >> WITH ONE OF OUR WEEKLY CALLS BEFORE THE ELECTION, THE BILL THAT HAD COMPLAINTS FROM SOME OF OUR OLDER PEOPLE, THE OVER 65 . THEY MENTIONED THE FONT SIZE. HAVE WE ADJUSTED THE FONT SIZE ON THE BALLOTS IN THE APPLICATIONS? I KNOW IT WAS TOO SHORT BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY'VE HAD ERRORS FILLING THEM OUT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T READ THE FONT. BACK ON THE BALLOT APPLICATION, ITSELF?

>> YES. >> WE'VE ADOPTED THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S APPLICATION AND IN THE PAST WE CREATED OUR OWN AND OUR FONT SIZE IS WHAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS PROVIDED

FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. >> CHAIN OF CUSTODY -- ARE YOU PLANNING ON PICKING UP THE BALLOTS AND DO YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT PEOPLE? HOW WILL THEY BE IDENTIFIED? THERE HAVE BEEN ISSUES WITH PEOPLE SHOWING UP SAYING THEY ARE WITH THE

COUNTY. >> AS THIS BODY KNOWS, WE'VE HAD CONCERNS WITH THE LEVEL OF VOLUNTARY SUPPORT FOR THE BALLOT PICKUP AND PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THAT WAS TO INSIST -- TO REMIND OUR JUDGES THAT BY STATUTE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO RETURN THE RESULTS AND THE DRIVER PICKUP PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED TO SUPPORT THOSE JUDGES THAT SAID I JUST DON'T WANT TO DRIVE . FOR THIS ELECTION, THE DRIVER PROGRAM IS BEING PUT TO THE SIDE AND ALL OF THE JUDGES ARE DRIVING THEIR RESULTS BACK TO A RALLY LOCATION AND THOSE RESULTS ARE BEING COLLECTED AT A RALLY LOCATION THAT WE BROUGHT TO THE CENTRAL COUNT.

>> HOW MANY OF THE RALLY LOCATIONS?

>> SIX THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. ONE IN EACH COURT PRECINCT AND TO SUPPORT EACH OF THE JURISDICTIONS AND ENTITIES HAVING AN ELECTION. THERE IS TWO ENTITIES THAT ARE WAY OUT WEST , WE'VE SET UP THE ET SEE TO BRING THE RESULTS IN.

>> THEY WOULD BE STAYING OPEN UNTIL THE LAST BALLOT BAGS ARE BROUGHT IN? THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE BEFORE.

>> THE BOAT CENTERS? >> THE DROP OFF. I'VE HAD JUDGES WHO AT 2:00 IN THE MORNING ARE DRIVING TO ET

SEE. >> I'VE BEEN TOLD OF THAT ISSUE AND WE ARE DEVELOPING A RESPONSE TO THAT. IF A JUDGE IS THERE UNTIL 2:00 A.M. AND THERE IS NOT VOTERS IN LINE, THAT JUDGE NEEDS SOME SUPPORT TO CLOSE. WE ANTICIPATE, UNLESS THERE ARE VOTERS IN LINE, THAT EVERY JUDGE SHOULD GO OFF LINE ABOUT 8:00 OR 9:00 P.M. AT THE LATEST, BRINGING RESULTS. IF SOMEONE IS MISSING THAT, WE WILL LIKELY HAVE TO

[00:50:01]

SEND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO HELP THEM WITH WHATEVER ISSUE THAT

MAY BE. >> SO, WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTED WAIT TIME FOR DROPPING OFF YOUR BALLOTS?

>> FOR THESE PARTICULAR SITES , WE'VE ASSIGNED THE SMALLEST LOCATION WITH ROUGHLY 14 TO 19 BOAT CENTERS RETURNING AND THE LARGEST HAS 40, BASED ON THE PROXIMITY OF THAT LOCATION TO THE NUMBER OF ENTITIES CONDUCTING AN ELECTION AND THE VOTE CENTER IS ASSIGNED TO THEM. WE ANTICIPATE 30 TO 45 MINUTES, LOOKING LIKE AN EARLY VOTING DROP OFF, IF YOU RECALL HOW THAT LOOKS. EARLY VOTING DROP OFF GOES RELATIVELY QUICKLY AND WE ANTICIPATE IT LOOKING LIKE EARLY VOTING DROP

OFF. >> THE WEBSITE -- THERE'S BEEN VARIOUS ISSUES THROUGHOUT LAST YEAR YEAR. I THINK IT CRASHED IN MARCH AND IN NOVEMBER I DON'T THINK THE WAIT TIMES -- NOT WAIT TIMES -- BUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN LINE BY THE POLLS WAS STUCK AT 10 PEOPLE AT EVERY POLL. HAS THAT

BEEN CORRECTED? >> LET ME ADDRESS THAT IN TWO PARTS. THE WEBSITE, SUPPORTED BY UNIVERSAL SERVICES, DID NOT HAVE AN ISSUE. IT WAS STRONG. IT WAS THE REPORTING TOOL FROM THE SOLUTION THAT WAS NOT PROJECTING AND DISPLAYING THE WAIT TIME PROPERLY. THAT WAS A TWO PRONGED ISSUE. NUMBER ONE, ARE THE JUDGES UPDATING TO SHOW WHAT THE WAIT TIME IS AND SOME OF THEM WERE NOT. NUMBER TWO, IF THERE IS A LAG IN THE REPORTING TOOL AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR VENDOR TO ASSURE WE HAVE ADDRESSED THAT ISSUE SO THERE IS NO LAG TIME

AS RELATES TO THAT. >> OKAY. RECONCILIATION REPORT, WHAT SORT OF DOCUMENTATION WOULD YOU HAVE ON THAT? DO YOU HAVE BACKUP ON EACH OF THOSE NUMBERS? LSU BALLOT BY MAIL RETURNED ? I WOULD ASSUME THAT ONCE THE OFFICIAL REPORT IS FILED THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME SORT OF SPREADSHEET OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD SAY, HEAR ARE THE NUMBER OF BALLOTS AND THE BILL COUNTED, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD?

>> I THINK I HEAR YOUR QUESTION BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. WHAT AM I USING AND WHAT SOURCE AM I USING TO COMPLETE THE NUMBERS ON THE RECONCILIATION FORM? IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE ASKING? BACK YEAH. I KNOW I'VE HEARD REPORTS THAT IT'S IN YOUR REPORT AND I UNDERSTAND THAT -- BUT, QUITE FRANKLY -- AND I'VE SAID IT. I SAID IT IN AUSTIN. I THINK IT'S A NO-BRAINER AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED FOR YEARS WITH SOME SORT OF RECONCILIATION. I WOULD THINK THAT EVERY NUMBER THAT SHOWS UP, SOME SORT OF REPORTING OR DOCUMENTATION SUPPORTING WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE. WHEN YOU GO TO CANVASS, YOU'VE GOT SUPPORT AND THE PUBLIC WOULD BE ASSURED THAT HEAR ARE THE NUMBER BALLOTS THAT CAME IN AND HERE IS THE NUMBER OF VOTERS. THE NUMBERS SEEM TO CHANGE IN THE NUMBERS CHANGED ON WHAT IS ON BY-ELECTION WITH THE REGISTERED VOTERS. I MEAN, THERE'S GOT TO BE A CUT OFF TIME WHERE YOU SAY THIS IS IT. TO ME, THE OFFICIAL RECONCILIATION REPORT AND WHEN

THE BOAT IS CANVASSED. >> I UNDERSTAND. AS I UNDERSTAND THE RECONCILIATION , IT IS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME OF WHERE WE ARE AT MIDNIGHT ON ELECTION NIGHT OR 2:00 A.M.

ON ELECTION NIGHT OR WHATEVER TIME WE COMPLETE PROCESSING THE BALLOTS IN THE MATERIALS THAT WE HAVE IN HAND. THAT REPORT STARTS WITH A VOTER REGISTRATION, HOW MANY VOTERS WE HAVE FOR THIS ELECTION. FOR THE MAY ELECTION, IT'S 534,872 AND THAT NUMBER SHOULD NEVER CHANGE. I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT

YOU ARE SAYING? >> YES.

>> LET ME INSERT SOMETHING. THEORETICALLY, THE NUMBER SHOULDN'T CHANGE BECAUSE THE POLLS CLOSE AT 7:00 BUT YOU HAVE THE ISSUE WITH THE BALLOT BY MAIL. TECHNICALLY, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHEN THEY ARE POSTMARKED AND THEN THE CUT OFF -- AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG -- IT'S 5:00 P.M. ON THE DAY FOLLOWING THE ELECTION. THAT WOULD BE IN NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 9TH AT 5:00 P.M. FOR BALLOT BY MAIL, THAT BECOMES THE OFFICIAL

CUT OFF, RIGHT? >> SO -- YOU HAVE JUST

[00:55:01]

IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM WITH THE RECONCILIATION DOCUMENT. SO, RIGHT AWAY, I KNOW THERE'S 534,000 REGISTERED VOTERS IN RIGHT AWAY, I KNOW, MAYBE, HOW MANY VOTERS SHOWED UP TO VOTE AT THE POLLING LOCATION, A NUMBER THE RECONCILIATION FORM ASKS FOR. I CAN TELL FROM MY SOLUTION THAT 300,000 SHOWED UP TO VOTE IN PERSON. SOUNDS RIGHT, RIGHT? EXCEPT -- THROUGH MY RECONCILIATION PROCESS, I CAN SEE THAT SOME OF MY JUDGES TYPED IN PROVISIONAL VOTERS AS CHECKING IN. WHEN I GO THROUGH THE RECONCILIATION, THAT NUMBER WILL CHANGE. IF YOU ARE USING THAT RECONCILIATION FORM TO SHOW ME AND FOR ME TO SAY, HERE'S MY NUMBERS AND THEY WON'T CHANGE FROM ELECTION DAY -- I CAN'T RECONCILE UNTIL I GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS. THE NUMBERS WILL CHANGE AND TO YOUR POINT, AS WE WORK EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES, IN-PERSON AND THEN AS PART OF THAT POLL BOOK CHECK IN, THERE IS LIMITED VOTERS AND THAT NUMBER DOESN'T SHOW IN MY POLL BOOK SOLUTION AND SOMEONE HAS TO MANUALLY TALLY THAT TO WRITE IN AND THEREIN LIES PROBLEM NUMBER TWO. I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RECONCILIATION FORM WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH BUT IT DOESN'T DO -- IT'S NOT THE PANACEA TO WHAT FOLKS THINK IT IS BECAUSE THOSE NUMBERS WILL CHANGE. THE ONLY NUMBERS THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE ARE THE TOTALS THAT ARE TABULATED ON ELECTION DAY AND THAT COME FROM MY B DRIVES.

EXCEPT FOR EMERGENCY BALLOTS. IF I READ ALL OF MY B DRIVES BY MIDNIGHT FOR THIS MAY ELECTION AND I HAVE 200 EMERGENCY SLOT BALLOTS , YOU ARE GOING TO SEE ON MY RECONCILIATION FORM, PERHAPS, THAT MY TOTAL VOTE COUNT IS THIS NUMBER BUT I STILL HAVE 204 THAT NEED TO BE ADDED AND PAID RIGHT AWAY SOMEONE SAYS, HE'S CHEATING. NO. IT'S A PROCESS, A SNAPSHOT IN TIME THAT ALLOWS ME TO RECONCILE. IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME THAT ABILITY TO RECONCILE, THE NUMBERS WON'T MATCH AND THAT IS IN EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE.

>> I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT. AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF THAT REPORT IS TO HELP YOU RECONCILE AND BY THE TIME YOU GET TO WHERE YOU CANVASS AND IF IT'S THE COMMISSIONER COURT APPROVING THE CANVASS OR THE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, THAT'S

WHEN IT CLOSES. >> YES.

>> TO ME, YOU SHOULD SUPPORT EVERY NUMBER ON THAT RECONCILIATION REPORT. I'M CONCERNED AND I'VE SEEN THESE NUMBERS CHANGE AFTER THE CANVASS. YOU KNOW, AND I'M JUST WEARING MY ACCOUNTANT HAT, IF THE REPORT DOESN'T WORK OR YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN SOMETHING FOR THE GOOD OF THE PUBLIC SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND IT, SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY, SEE THE ATTACHED REPORT AND REST RECONCILE WHAT THAT DIFFERENCE IS. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE REPORT, THERE IS THE UNRECONCILED DIFFERENCE AND IT SHOULDN'T BE MATERIAL. IT SHOULD NOT BE MATERIAL. BUT, I UNDERSTAND YOU GO THROUGH THIS SERIES OF RECONCILIATION REPORTS AS YOU WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS BUT BY THE TIME YOU GET TO YOUR OFFICIAL RECONCILIATION REPORT, I WOULD HOPE TO SEE, IN MAY -- 10 DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION -- THAT THERE WOULD BE A GOOD RECONCILIATION AND IT WOULD SAY HERE IS THE LINE AND SHUT DOWN THE BOOKS AT THIS POINT IN TIME AND THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE AND HERE IS OUR DOCUMENT, OUR BACKUP.

>> I DO NOT DISAGREE WITH YOU AND I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT. IF WE ARE USING OUR SOURCES TO COMPLETE THE BOXES AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE NUMBERS, THOSE NUMBERS SHOULD NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY . THAT RECONCILIATION, THAT PERCENTAGE IN THE MIDDLE ACCOUNTS FOR THE NUMBER OF VOTERS WHO CHECKED IN BUT WALKED OUT AND DID NOT CAST A BALLOT.

>> I WILL LET YOU ANSWER THIS AND I WILL MOVE ON .

>> THAT WAS THE LAST OF MY QUESTIONS.

>> GO AHEAD. >> WAS THAT IT?

>> THAT WAS IT. YES. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT FOR HOURS, I

THINK. >> THAT IS ALL MY QUESTIONS,

JUDGE. >> I HAVE QUESTIONS OF WHAT I BELIEVE CHAIRS SEAGULL HAS SAID WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE.

THERE IS NO NEED FOR ME TO REPEAT OR HAVE OUR ELECTIONS

[01:00:04]

ADMINISTRATOR REPEAT ANYTHING. THANK YOU FOR THE THOROUGH

UPDATE. >> CHAIR DOYLE?

>> GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. >> ADMINISTRATOR?

>> WE MAY NEED AN ACCOUNTANT. >> MADAM, ANY QUESTIONS?

>> NO QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, THANK YOU CHAIRS

SEAGULL. >> I WONDER IF YOU GUYS ARE USING THE COUNTY WORKERS PROGRAM FOR THIS ELECTION.

>> THANK YOU. YES, JUDGE, WE ARE. WE REDEPLOYED THE PORTAL FOR COUNTY WORKERS TO SIGN UP, I THINK, LAST WEEK AND TO DATE, WE'VE RECEIVED ABOUT 200 SIGN-UPS. VERY EXCITING FOR THREE DIFFERENT POSITIONS. THE CALL CENTER SCENARIO AND THE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR RESULTS RETURNED SUPPORT AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT . ONE OF THOSE TECHNICIANS WILL GO OUT AND SUPPORT THE TECHNICAL THINGS. THE GOAL IS TO SIGN UP AS MANY AS WE CAN. THEY MAY NOT SEE LIVE ACTION BUT WILL BE TRAINED AND PARTICIPATE IN SHADOW AND FOR NOVEMBER, 42023, BE READY TO ROLLOUT AND ROLLING INTO MARCH AND THE 2024 PRIMARY AND THE GENERAL 2024. THEY ARE SEEING SOME ACTION AND WILL BE

READY TO STEP RIGHT IN. >> IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING FOR THIS, I UNDERSTAND THESE JURISDICTIONS ARE CONTRACTING OUT WITH US AND IT'S NOT THE NORMAL CONCERN OF HAVING THE FUNDS TO ADMINISTER THE ELECTIONS BUT I WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU AND ANYTHING ELSE I HAVEN'T ASKED, IN CASE MY COLLEAGUES ON COMMISSIONERS COURT ASK ABOUT FUNDING.

>> WE WERE FUNDED FOR THIS ELECTION THROUGH THE COUNTY BUDGET AND WE PROJECTED THOSE COSTS TO BE $3.3 MILLION AND WE HAVE THOSE FUNDS IN OUR ACCOUNT AND BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ENTITIES THAT HAVE SIGNED UP FOR US , REIMBURSEMENT WILL NOT REACH THAT LEVEL BUT WE HAVE THE FUNDING TO CONDUCT THE ELECTION AND WE WERE ANTICIPATING ROUGHLY 50-60 ENTITIES AND NOW IT'S ONLY 34. SOME LARGER ENTITIES DECIDED TO DO IT THEMSELVES. WE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE.

>> DO YOU HAVE FUNDS IN THE EVENT OF UNFORESEEN

CIRCUMSTANCES? >> YES, JUDGE, WE DO. BACK

OKAY. >> YOUR REPORT WAS HELPFUL AND THE QUESTION TO MORE SPECIFIC NUMBERS AND THE OPERATIONAL DETAILS, I THINK, SHARE SIEGEL ASKED AND I'M TRYING TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE. I APPRECIATE THE CLUSTERING AND APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY OF A TICKET THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING ON. THE WEBSITE AND THE E-POLL BOOKS.

DID YOU SOLVE THE SITUATION WITH E-POLL BOOKS SO IF THE JUDGES UPDATE THE WAIT TIME THAT IT WILL BE UPDATED?

>> WITHOUT GOING TOO TECHNICAL, TO THE AWS REPLICATION ISSUE, IT HAS BEEN RESOLVED.

>> OKAY. AT SOME POINT, AT A PREVIOUS MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT A WAY TO ASSIGN A PARTICULAR PERSON TO BE IN CHARGE OF UPDATING THE WAIT TIMES? WE KNOW JUDGES GET SO BUSY. HOW ARE YOU DOING ON THAT?

>> THAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL CLERK , THE ESS AND WE HAVE 126, ONE PER LOCATION AND PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS CAN THE STUDENT WORK ALL DAY? WHEN DO THEY GET THERE AND HOW LONG DO THEY STAY? HOW DOES THE JUDGE FAILED IN THAT GAP WHEN THE STUDENT GROWS UP? IT'S A SATURDAY IN EARLY VOTING IS THROUGH THE WEEK. IT IS A SATURDAY ELECTION AND WE SHOULD SEE CONSISTENT SUPPORT. WE ARE TRAINING THE JUDGES THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT PERSON, YOU

HAVE TO REMEMBER TO UPDATE. >> MAY BE YOU COULD HAVE IT WHERE IT SAYS LAST UPDATE OR WHENEVER -- SO FOLKS DON'T THINK THERE IS 10 FOLKS IN LINE AND THEY SHOW UP AND IT WAS UPDATED. PERHAPS IT DOES THAT ALREADY? YOU CAN LOOK

INTO IT. >> CAN I FOLLOW-UP TO THAT? I HEARD YOU SAY THAT I UNDERSTAND THE HIGH SCHOOL CLERK PROGRAM . JUDGE, IS THERE A WAY FOR THE CLERKS TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THE WAIT TIME, IN THE INSTANCE THAT THE P.J. AND THE A.J. IS BUSY THAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN STEP INTO BE HELPFUL? BECAUSE

[01:05:03]

OF YOUR REASONING AND FLUCTUATION, WOULD IT BE A POSSIBILITY TO HAVE EVERYONE TO BE FAMILIAR WITH IT TO TAKE

UP THAT WEIGHT? >> I'M MAKING NOTE OF THAT.

>> OKAY. >> ON THE QUESTION ABOUT PEOPLE BEING ON HOLD IN THE JUDGES BEING ON HOLD, I HEAR YOU THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES AND TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES AND THOSE THAT YOU CAN'T IMPLEMENT IN A MONTH, YOU WOULD IDENTIFY. THIS IS THE FIRST ELECTION SINCE YOU'VE IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THESE CHANGES AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE POINT WHEN YOU COME BACK FOR THE POST-ELECTION MEETING THAT WE WILL HAVE AS A MATTER OF COURSE, THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THESE AS THE WAIT TIMES AND THE GOAL WILL BE SHORTER OR WE CAN BE A LITTLE LOOSE, WHATEVER IT IS WITH THE VARIOUS METRICS, SO THAT YOU DO HAVE THOSE GOALS FOR FINAL ELECTIONS AND THAT WE ARE VERY CLEAR OF WHAT LEVEL OF STAFFING FOR EACH ELECTION HELPS US MEET THOSE GOALS. I KNOW YOU ARE THINKING OF THEM ALREADY AND IT'S CLEAR IN THE WAY YOU PRESENTED THIS BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE A POINT WHEN WE MEET AGAIN. I WILL ASK THIS, SIR AND I'M SURE CHAIR SEAGULL WILL, IF SHE SPEAKS FIRST. ANYTHING

ELSE? >> TWO QUICK FOLLOW-UPS. THOSE ENTITIES NOT CONTRACTING WITH THE COUNTY, TO THE CONTRACT

TO USE THE COUNTY MACHINES? >> NO. THEY DO NOT.

>> SECONDLY, IS THERE A MECHANISM AND IT HAS CAUSED CONFUSION A YEAR AGO IN MAY THAT I CAN REMEMBER ONE ENTITY THAT YOU THEORETICALLY COULD VOTE IN THREE DIFFERENT ELECTIONS BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THREE DIFFERENT POLLS BECAUSE DIFFERENT GROUPS WERE CONDUCTING IT. IS THERE A WAY TO PUT IT ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE , HARRIS VOTES, THAT HEAR ARE THESE OTHER POLLING LOCATIONS WITH SOME MECHANISM SO VOTERS DON'T GET CONFUSED? IT JUST CREATES CONFUSION.

>> YES. THAT WAS JUST BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. WE HAVE INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE BUT WE NEED TO MAKE IT MORE PROMINENT AND THAT'S THE FIRST THING THE VOTERS SEE. WHO'S CONDUCTING THE ELECTIONS WITH US AND WHO IS NOT , AS A LIST. WE ASKED THE QUESTION TO THE ENTITIES. IF YOU ARE NOT CONDUCTING AN ELECTION WITH US, WHAT ARE WE TELLING YOUR VOTERS? THEY ARE GOING TO CALL US AND ASKED, WHERE DO I GO VOTE? FOR SOME JURISDICTIONS , WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO LOOK AT WITH THE OVERLAP COULD BE AND IF THE ISD IS CONDUCTING ITS OWN ELECTION. IS THERE POTENTIAL THAT THE VOTER IN ISD WILL VOTE IN SOMEONE ELSE'S UTILITY? WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO IDENTIFY THAT AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER AT THIS VERY MOMENT. YOUR POINT IS MADE AND I WILL TAKE IT UNDER

ADVISEMENT. >> JUDGE, ARE WE GOING TO DO A CONSISTENT FOLLOW-UP? LAST SUMMER, THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION SAID WE WANT TO MEET QUARTERLY?

>> I WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NOTES AND PERHAPS, COUNTY ATTORNEY, YOU WOULD HAVE THIS. MY RECOLLECTION IS WE MEET ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE ELECTION AND THEN AFTER THE ELECTION AND AT SOME POINT THEY OVERLAPPED SOMEHOW AND CERTAINLY WE WILL MEET AFTER THE ELECTION AND IF THERE ISN'T AN ELECTION, WE WILL HAVE THE QUARTERLY MEETING.

>> THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC RULES BUT LAST MAY WE AGREED TO HAVE THAT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. YOU CAN CALL A MEETING ANY TIME

OR ANY THREE OTHER MEMBERS. >> I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE CALL A MEETING AFTER THE SELECTION AND FOLLOW-UP.

>> THE ONLY THING TO CONSIDER, IF THERE IS ANY RUNOFFS TAKING PLACE, THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING DIRECTLY INTO ANOTHER

ELECTION. >> THAT WAS HAPPENING LAST

YEAR. >> WE DO NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF

THAT. >> RIGHT. MAYBE AFTER THE RUNOFFS. I WILL REACH OUT AND I WILL HAVE MY STAFF REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICES AND WE CAN WORK IT THAT WAY. WE DISCUSSED OF THIS AND WE WILL GO BY WHAT WE ALL AGREED ON.

>> TO CHAIR SIEGEL'S POINT WITH THE ENTITIES CONTRACTING WITH HARRIS COUNTY AND MY FAMILIARITY OF MAY ELECTIONS -- AND A LOOK AT THE WEBSITE WITH HIS SEARCH FOR YOUR BALLOT AND IT SAID YOU DO HAVE AN ELECTION AT OR YOU DON'T AND HERE IS YOUR SAMPLE BALLOT. TWO SIMILARLY PUT SOMETHING IN THOSE POCKETS THAT SAY THESE ENTITIES WERE NOT CONDUCTED AND YOU CAN REACH THEM AT THIS NUMBER OR SOMETHING, I KNOW

[01:10:01]

IT'S LABOR-INTENSIVE BUT THAT WAS DONE IN THE PAST AND IT'S EXTREMELY HELPFUL BECAUSE WE CAN'T ANSWER THE QUESTIONS OF THE ENTITY IS NOT DISCUSSING THE LEGISLATURE.

>> THE RUNOFF IS JUNE 10TH AND ACCORDING TO THE ANALYSIS, THERE IS AT LEAST ONE JURISDICTION THAT COULD HAVE A RUNOFF AND THE CITY OF PASADENA WITH THREE, SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS. WE WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL ELECTION NIGHT AS TO WHETHER THEY WILL NEED THE RUNOFF.

>> IF THE ELECTION IS IN MAY, WE COULD MEET IN JUNE AFTER THE RUNOFF TO DISCUSS BOTH ELECTIONS .

>> HISTORICALLY, I GUESS, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER ELECTION IN NOVEMBER WITH THIS CD. I KNOW THERE WAS A PROBLEM LAST YEAR WHICH IN THE PAST WE HAVE KNOWN THE TWO PARTIES AND WE RECEIVED A LIST OF POTENTIAL EARLY VOTING POLLS. THE ELECTION DAY POLLS -- WILL THE TWO PARTIES HAVE THAT THIS SUMMER? WE WILL BE TURNING IN OUR LIST .

>> FOR NOVEMBER 2023? >> YES.

>> LET ME TAKE THAT QUESTION. I KNOW THE PARTIES ARE INVOLVED TO SOME DEGREE AND WE WILL USE THE SVC'S AND THE PJS AND THE A.J.'S COME FROM THAT LIST . LET ME GET THE CORRECT ANSWER.

AND, THE TIMING OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

>> ALL RIGHT. BARRING ANY OTHER COMMENTS , THIS WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM ONLY AND THANK YOU, MR. TATUM AND TO YOUR FULL TEAM, ONCE AGAIN, LET US KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE BUDGET IS APPROPRIATE AND THANK YOU FOR THE THOROUGH UPDATE AN

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

1. Request for a discussion with the Harris County Elections Administrator regarding the elections being held on behalf of contracted Local Political Subdivisions on May 6, 2023.

Apr 05, 2023 Election Commission Meeting

1. Request for a discussion with the Harris County Elections Administrator regarding the elections being held on behalf of contracted Local Political Subdivisions on May 6, 2023.

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