Date of Meeting: 11/20/2023

Format: In-person

Meeting Summary:

The minutes of the November 3rd and 7th minutes were approved as were vouchers 7522 through 7549l. The board discussed if a written policy that employees of the board must reside in Portage County was necessary. Currently, there is no written policy. Issues discussed were distance traveled in inclement weather, the pool of viable candidates, and the time period to move if outside the county. A comment was made that in order to be a poll worker one must be a resident of Portage County. The board voted to prepare a written policy that required board employees to live within the county, with a year to move into the county if currently residing outside the county.

Absentee: 11,228 countable absentee ballots were received by election day with 83 received afterward but within the deadline, for a total of 11311 countable absentee ballots. 71 were uncountable, the majority of which were received late. 186 ballots that were requested were not returned.

Provisional ballots: 1071 were cast, including 240 previously determined uncountable, the majority because the voter was not registered. Eight ballots were presented to the board for review. Of those, four were voted countable and four uncountable (2 lived outside the county and 2 had expired driver's licenses). After including the 8 in the proper category, 827 were voted countable and 244 uncountable.

The observer was unable to stay for the balance of the meeting.

Which members of the board/council were present: Denise Smith, Chair; Members: Randi Clites, Doria Daniels, Amanda Suffecool; Faith Lyons, Director and Terrie Nielsen, Deputy Director

 Was there a public notice of the meeting that included the time and place of meeting: Yes

Was an agenda of the meeting or handouts available to visitors: Yes

Are minutes from previous meetings posted/available: Yes

Name of Observer: Jane Preston Rose