[0:00] What's her
[0:09] Good morning, everyone. Happy
[0:11] Friday. We'll call the Marion
[0:11] County Election Board meeting
[0:15] here to order. Today.
[0:17] SEPTEMBER force. It is 10, 0,
[0:21] 4, We'll start with the round
[0:22] introductions with the board
[0:25] staff and council start with
[0:26] myself. Millions Stewart
[0:31] chair. Jennifer Hammond packs
[0:34] a virgin thing. Kids Sweeney
[0:37] Bell Secretary. Patrick
[0:39] Becker, director of elections.
[0:42] Rebels. Well, outside counsel.
[0:42] Adam Walker Corporation
[0:48] counsel. Thank you guys for
[0:50] the introductions. Get started
[0:53] The first topic on the agenda
[0:56] is the 2026 general election
[0:57] ballot ratification. Director
[1:00] Becker, can provide context?
[1:04] Thank you, MADAM So by law
[1:05] today, 60 days before the
[1:07] election are ballot is
[1:09] ratified. So there's no action
[1:09] that the board has to
[1:13] necessarily take here. You all
[1:15] received a valid proof. Number
[1:18] 3, which was sent out prior to
[1:22] the deadline of AUGUST 20 and
[1:23] that was sent all the school
[1:24] corporations as well as the
[1:25] political parties and the
[1:28] chairs and other members of er
[1:31] and members of our board, 2 of
[1:34] the school corporations did
[1:35] respond saying that they're
[1:36] question look good. That Beech
[1:38] Grove indicator, so appreciate
[1:39] their responses. No other
[1:43] responses came so at this
[1:45] point, the ballot is ratified.
[1:46] I know I I reference last week
[1:50] there is a ongoing judicial
[1:54] review that that MAY impact
[1:55] our ballot But I don't think
[1:57] we really have an update on
[1:59] that. Hopefully by next
[2:00] Friday's meeting, we have some
[2:01] sort of update from the court
[2:05] about what that looks like.
[2:06] And I would obviously defer to
[2:07] council if there are any
[2:10] questions about that. But as
[2:10] of yet, as of today, our
[2:14] ballot is ratified soon on our
[2:17] website, sample ballots will
[2:18] be available. And then over
[2:19] the next few weeks, we'll
[2:21] start the process of of
[2:24] testing and getting all of our
[2:25] machines up and running and
[2:25] getting ready to produce
[2:27] ballots from voters. If any
[2:32] questions board. Not for me.
[2:37] Comments. I just it's so much
[2:42] work to do this we have a
[2:46] staff right now, 13. And there
[2:53] are how many ballots styles.
[2:53] Were it over? Think 121200
[2:54] over 1000. I know that. So
[3:01] that is. 1000 at more than
[3:01] 1000 ballots that every
[3:03] office, every candidate for
[3:07] every office has to be right.
[3:08] Every election and they do it.
[3:10] I'm very proud of of what they
[3:12] do and so much work goes into
[3:17] it. So. And get it done. So.
[3:19] Like I said, Marion County
[3:23] with the you have to If I
[3:25] could. I'd like to to
[3:26] specifically give a shout out
[3:27] to Chad Cleerman, who's our
[3:28] our ballot admin. He's
[3:31] actually out sick today
[3:33] probably from the diligence do
[3:36] his eyes. His eyes are
[3:38] probably in he had a big
[3:39] assist this election from Bree
[3:41] Joyce is also on our full-time
[3:43] staff. I think she got a
[3:45] little bit maybe more into the
[3:47] ballot world than she thought
[3:49] she was going and they led a
[3:51] team of 8 of our temporary
[3:53] staff that go through those
[3:53] ballots. Like I said, multiple
[3:54] iterations of it. They find
[3:57] issues. We correct them. We
[3:58] come back check them again. We
[3:59] find more issues. We correct
[4:02] them. We keep going so we've
[4:03] gone through 4 rounds of that.
[4:04] And we're confident that this
[4:04] is the ballot for the fall.
[4:09] All right. Thanks special.
[4:11] Thank you to Chad. Literally
[4:14] worked use Take a time when
[4:20] you All We'll move on to the
[4:24] next agenda item I think you
[4:26] have it and things contract
[4:27] approval Director Becky Lynch
[4:28] are which contract we're
[4:31] looking at today. If thank
[4:32] you, MADAM Chair. So I sent a
[4:33] message to the but, you know,
[4:34] to the board last night with
[4:38] an update as of last evening,
[4:42] this morning, I did receive a
[4:43] quote from knowing for support
[4:47] for the fall I don't I don't
[4:48] have anything prepared for the
[4:51] board to to sign off on today.
[4:52] I would probably defer to
[4:55] council on. You could probably
[4:56] still vote to allow us to
[4:59] negotiate a contract. We're
[5:00] back in front of you again a
[5:05] week from today. So we you
[5:06] know, work over that week to
[5:08] try to figure out the the
[5:10] actual contract language and
[5:11] get something ready for you
[5:14] all to approve formally, I
[5:15] guess sign something formally
[5:19] next week. But I probably
[5:19] defer to council on on the
[5:22] best way to proceed. We do
[5:23] have a quote for support just
[5:24] for the fall election,
[5:29] although it does see the MAY
[5:29] election that they're their
[5:30] intent, I believe, is for the
[5:33] fall election. So on documents
[5:35] yet.
[5:46] like any guidance here? If you
[5:47] want to put your blessing on
[5:51] us to proceed with.
[5:52] Negotiating a contract to
[5:53] bring back to the board next
[5:57] week. That's fun. Either way.
[5:58] Mean, I know this kind of what
[5:58] the board was looking to do
[6:03] last week. Having some
[6:03] approval from the board would
[6:08] be helpful. I make a motion to
[6:12] move forward with this with an
[6:14] amendment to enter into
[6:16] negotiations for an amendment
[6:26] to this contract. I love the
[6:33] I'm saying my vote. Second.
[6:38] Yes. Second, Karl Rove vice
[6:42] chair, staying. Can show the
[6:48] Chair Voting Act. So at
[6:49] Because you negotiate over the
[6:50] weekend, then we're back on
[6:54] Friday. Says that the deadline
[6:55] to give them to come up with
[6:58] something. It it with with
[6:59] being an amendment. It should
[7:02] be pretty straightforward.
[7:10] Thank you. And Director Becker
[7:11] any updates you want to share
[7:14] why we're here today. Yes,
[7:16] thank you, MADAM First, I want
[7:18] make sure that everyone knows
[7:19] that our office will be closed
[7:22] Monday, SEPTEMBER, the 7th for
[7:24] Labor Day. And I don't think
[7:26] honoring many holidays after
[7:32] for our staff. So I mentioned
[7:33] earlier, there's pending
[7:34] information about a judicial
[7:35] review. So hopefully we have
[7:37] some update on that the next
[7:40] meeting and update on our
[7:41] operations center. The
[7:43] installation of the network
[7:45] has been completed and the
[7:47] security system is currently
[7:48] being upgraded. And as I
[7:48] mentioned last week are full
[7:49] time 20 for our security is on
[7:51] site through the end of
[7:51] NOVEMBER. Are preventive
[7:55] maintenance is completed. We
[7:56] had over 50 of our express
[7:58] votes that needed repair this
[8:00] election, all but 4 of those
[8:01] were able to be repaired and
[8:06] ready for testing. So we down
[8:14] to 2004 of those and we have
[8:15] 225 Ds, 2, 100's that were
[8:17] main maintained and ready to
[8:20] go as well as our 2 high speed
[8:21] tabulators. So again, over
[8:26] 20400 pieces of equipment and
[8:28] we were done prior to our
[8:30] deadline of today. So they
[8:31] finished a couple of days ago.
[8:32] So we met our deadline of our
[8:36] goal of of today over the next
[8:37] 2 weeks. Now that the ballot
[8:39] is ready, we will be again,
[8:40] are testing for vote by mail
[8:43] and and our voting equipment.
[8:45] And then we'll also need to
[8:47] work to get our poll books
[8:48] configured ready for testing
[8:49] for that over the next 3
[8:54] weeks. With that and then I
[8:56] wanted to give an update on
[8:58] our vote Center plan for the
[8:59] We did get confirmation from
[9:04] rocky Ripple town hall. I
[9:07] believe it was last evening
[9:08] that they are not available
[9:11] for the fall election and
[9:12] which I believe I mentioned
[9:14] last week, we were sort of
[9:16] anticipated. I didn't want let
[9:18] the public know and the board
[9:21] know there are 4 locations
[9:22] within one and a half miles of
[9:24] rocky ripple. I'd like to
[9:27] provide those planned
[9:28] locations now, which would be
[9:31] Hinkle Fieldhouse, Crooked
[9:32] Creek Baptist, Saint Paul's
[9:33] Episcopalian and Saint Thomas
[9:36] Aquinas. So those are are near
[9:39] that area we believe those
[9:40] should help, you you know,
[9:41] absorb any of the voters that
[9:42] that go to rocky ripple. They
[9:43] have a place nearby that they
[9:46] should be able to to go to. So
[9:48] that would bring our total for
[9:51] this election to 183 at this
[9:52] point that the is including we
[9:57] had 182 in the spring. First
[10:02] friends gathering has decided
[10:05] to come back to be a site in
[10:08] the fall town is happy news
[10:11] and Lucas Oil Stadium is going
[10:13] to back on for the fall as
[10:14] well. So we had to least one.
[10:19] Thank you, When so we yes,
[10:20] will plan to have that plan to
[10:24] the board for their review.
[10:27] Early next week. And have that
[10:30] ready to vote on for Friday.
[10:32] And then the last thing I
[10:32] wanted to mention, I'm sure
[10:36] the clerk will mention this
[10:36] pork or recruiting is
[10:37] underway. We have set out our
[10:40] save the date cards to the
[10:42] inspectors that work in the
[10:44] last election, asking them to
[10:45] save the date, asking them if
[10:47] they're interested again. So
[10:48] this is kind of our soft
[10:50] launch of our pork or
[10:51] recruiting operations. And
[10:52] those operations will start
[10:53] picking up over the next few
[10:54] weeks. So if you're interested
[10:57] being a poll worker, you know,
[10:58] please reach out to us and
[11:01] we'll get you signed up
[11:02] greatest experience of your
[11:04] life. And that's all I have
[11:08] food for the thank you.
[11:09] Recognize medical alert. The
[11:12] fda to ensure because I I sea.
[11:14] So happy that first friends is
[11:18] back. I When when they
[11:23] declined in. The primary, it
[11:27] was very disconcerting and I
[11:30] just that's very happy news.
[11:31] And what it what a way start
[11:35] the weekend. We are as of this
[11:36] state 60 days from the
[11:38] election. From the general
[11:44] election. But we days away
[11:48] from ballots being mailed out.
[11:49] There weeks were not just it's
[11:54] less than 7 days, are. First
[11:57] tranche of ballots. Does
[12:01] anyone who has requested been
[12:04] approved to vote absentee by
[12:07] mail. Those are required to be
[12:09] out by the 19th, but they're
[12:16] going out on the 18th so if if
[12:17] you're watching and you have
[12:18] requested an absentee ballot,
[12:22] you submit an application.
[12:23] Check. Check your mailbox
[12:26] because it's coming your way
[12:27] and there is still time we
[12:31] have a you shouldn't delay. If
[12:33] you're going to ask for an
[12:35] absentee ballot, if you want
[12:37] to vote by mail, get that
[12:40] application in. And so it can
[12:43] be reviewed and approved or
[12:44] sent back to you to correct
[12:48] some errors because there are,
[12:50] you know, we mail it to you
[12:51] and you mail it back or you
[12:54] can drop it off at vote center
[12:55] up until 6 o'clock on Election
[13:01] Day. We encourage everyone to
[13:02] confirm their voter
[13:04] registration. They can do that
[13:07] at Indiana voters dot com. And
[13:12] if anyone who has a Indiana I
[13:15] d issued by the state they can
[13:16] register to vote there. And
[13:19] that is again, Indiana voters
[13:21] dot com or they can call the
[13:22] Marion County Board of Voter
[13:24] Registration and maybe talk to
[13:28] Jen at 3, 1, 7, 3 to 7, 5, 0,
[13:32] 4, 0, That's the office of the
[13:34] Board of Voter Registration.
[13:35] We're still looking for poll
[13:40] workers. We. Have to fill
[13:43] thousands of positions and
[13:45] folks can sign up at poll
[13:47] worker Indy dot Gov. And I'm
[13:48] going to repeat that poll
[13:55] worker. Indy dot Gov or they
[13:57] could go old school and call
[14:01] us at 3, 1, 3, 2, 7, 5, 1, 0,
[14:05] 0 its option for to save them.
[14:08] A few seconds of waiting
[14:08] again, it's 3 to 7, 5100
[14:15] option for. And anyone who
[14:17] wants to work early voting,
[14:19] which opens here at the city
[14:21] County building on OCTOBER 6.
[14:23] Please contact your political
[14:26] parties. Those are the ones
[14:28] assigned the workers to us.
[14:31] First France. They're back
[14:32] first for their back. Welcome
[14:34] back. First, friends. We could
[14:40] anything there's been a lot in
[14:44] the news what's going to
[14:45] happen this election across
[14:49] the country. And I want to
[14:53] reassure all voters that we
[14:56] are prepared and we will use
[14:58] every legal tool available to
[15:01] us as we do every election to
[15:03] ensure that voters are safe
[15:05] and poll workers are safe and
[15:08] the sites are secure and that
[15:11] voting in Marion County.
[15:16] Honest and secure. We
[15:18] appreciate all the work you do
[15:19] as well as your team to make
[15:21] sure that is true for Marion
[15:23] County. It's it's a group
[15:27] effort with a lot him with
[15:30] folks from our office members
[15:31] of local law enforcement
[15:33] across multiple agencies. It's
[15:38] it's good to have such.
[15:39] Capable, competent, effective
[15:40] team. The percent for such an
[15:46] important. To do. Yeah,
[15:47] hopefully, hey, we might even
[15:47] get over 50% of turnout this
[15:52] year. Because it's a straight.
[15:56] Stretch goals are great. We're
[15:57] ready for over 630,000
[15:57] registered voters to come cast
[15:59] their ballot. Literally, if
[16:06] you can. Are, as we mentioned
[16:09] before the next scheduled next
[16:10] week, SEPTEMBER. 11th at
[16:14] 10:00am and so I think that's
[16:16] the agenda for today's all
[16:17] asked for a motion to adjourn.
[16:20] I move. The journey. Thanks,