BURKE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS 2128 SOUTH STERLING STREET-SUITE 100  MORGANTON NC 28655 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2024  REGULAR/2ND ABSENTEE BALLOT MEETING  Attending; LH Kirksey, Sandi Walker, Beverly Carlton, and Linda Walker.  Absent: Anthony lovino. Staff; Kenny Rhyne, Trent Price Marty Blanton  County Staff; Michael Willis Burke County Emergency Management Director and Guests: Carla Kincaid, Dot Williams (League of Women voters), and Barbara Myers. Chairman LH Kirksey called the meeting to order at 10:00AM, led the Pledge of Allegiance,  followed by a moment of silence.  Public comments; work.  Carla Kincaid is working on encouraging voter turnout. Dot and Barbara thanked us for our Linda Walker made a motion to approve the agenda as presented. All approved. Linda Walker made a motion to make corrections in the minutes of 01-09-2024, 3rd paragraph in Business: strike the words "and contacting" and the sentence that is duplicated "Linda Walker made a motion to schedule a special meeting for a planning session  for the program." All approved.  Linda walker made a motion to approve the minutes as corrected. All approved.  Business:  Chairman LH Kirksey welcomed Michael Willis and Marty Blanton to our meeting and thanked them for their time.. Emergency Management Director Willis thanked the board for our work. Director Willis informed the board of the emergency exercise conducted for the Board of Elections and Emergency Management on 01-24-2024 on Severe Weather, Cyber Events, and Emergency Events affecting workers returning election materials from the polling places Discussion was also held on other possible emergency situations. Suggested scripts should be recorded to address different situations to be sent out over the reverse 911 message system. These messages will only be sent out at the direction and action of the board. Mr. Willis also discussed Emergency Management capabilities in maintaining election Interim Director Kenny Rhyne gave the board updates on happenings at the board of Elections. The MAT teams will be assisting with absentee ballots that have been requested from some of the assisted living facilities. They will be going to Broughton to help with 24 requests, Berkley with 17 requests, and Magnolia Lane with a pending request. L&Ate testing has been completed. All DS 200s along with spares and all Express Vote  to the Board of Elections.  integrity. This is a project that will be ongoing.    machines were tested. All the vote numbers were reconciled.  Discussion was held on writing a resolution on the board's policy on inclement weather which FYI: Kenny will make sure information will be provided to all of our early voting workers and From the recent conference attended by our Interim Director, the board was updated on SB747 on changes in voter challenges which now have to be addressed on the day of election and the schedule of a second primary runoff, which will be 10 weeks after the first Same day registration cards that are returned as undeliverable have to be followed up by an attempt to notify the registrant of the return and provided the opportunity to reply on or before Anew General Statute book on elections is being finished and will be available the end of He also has a letter for the board members from our State Board of Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell addressing information for the board members on hiring a new director for our Interim Director Rhyne presented 8 absentee ballots for inspection and processing by the board members. Seven ballots were civilian and one was an overseas ballot to be replicated. Before feeding the ballots into the DS200, board members verified the public count on the machine as 10. Ballots were processed and signed by the board members, opened, tabulated in the DS 200, and verified the new count as 18, in balance with Kenny's report. Anthony lovino made a motion to adjourn at 11:35AM.. All approved.  Kenny will draft for the next regular meeting. precinct chief judges on inclement weather.  primary.  the day of canvass. SB 749 is on hold for now. March. board.  Submitted by Sandi Walker, Secretary