Michael Perry DURHAM COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

199,900 + Registered Voters 57 Polling Locations TYPECOUNT% School2544% Church1628% Other59% Park Rec Center59% Library35% Other county bldg.35% Grand Count57

Registered voter counts range from 763 to 7,655

November ,000 or 69% of our registered voters voted 107,000 or 71% of those that did vote voted during early voting or by mail

This made for a relatively calm election day No precinct had the potential for over 1,200 voters

I showed the numbers to explain why we don’t have or need more polling locations. If we limited precinct size to 2,500 voters we would need 106 polling locations.

We have tried many, many methods for finding new polling places…….

So we settled down, regrouped, got ourselves together and now we do the following: 1.Satellite view of Google or GIS maps looking for large buildings 2.Using the search nearby feature of Google maps looking for schools, parks and churches 3.Drive around the area looking for building that might work

What do we look for: 1.A well known or easy to find location 2.Easy automobile access 3.Adequate parking 4.ADA compliance potential

When we identify a good potential location we meet with the on-site staff. Even with county buildings we want to know how they feel about it. They are the people we will be working directly with. or

Recent history shows that new churches and apartment complexes are less likely to have any interest. If they do agree we will then do a complete ADA assessment and write up an agreement for approval. If the assessment, agreement and approvals work out we will have a new polling place. We will advertise the new location and notify all effected voters.

How much does an additional polling place cost? START UP/FIRST ELECTION COST RECURRING PER ELECTION COST Location rent or fees$300 Tabulator$5,000$250 Ballot box$500$0 Automark$6,000$300 Other maint and licenses$0$150 Other supplies$500$200 Poll books$150 Tables and chairs$300$0 Equipment storage space????? Polling location Staff$1,000 Delivery and pickup$100 Election day support$100 TOTAL -->$13,950$2,550

One-stop Early Voting locations add additional challenges because we will occupy the space for three two weeks, require network access and need even more parking. Durham County has several fairly new or renovated libraries with good interior space, access, accessibility and parking. We also use two university locations with limited parking but most of the voters walk to vote. We are given access a few days before voting starts for setup and network testing.

The county IT departments provide us with network access. For non- county location they provide a secure connection through the available network. A county locksmith changes door locks to the room or a secure area within the room so access is limited to BOE staff only. CBE staff and temporary staff deliver all supplies and equipment and set up tables, chairs and computers. We borrow a van from county GS. CBE staff test each computer and printer. Systems are configured to operate in the SOSA hybrid mode and each system has its own printer. Assigned One-stop staff sets up interior and exterior signage and booths.

Voting centers, also known as super precincts, were first used in Colorado in A voting center could allow any voter in the county to cast their ballot at a limited number of sites and eliminate the precinct level polling places.

Advantages: Fewer voting places required fewer workers required Less equipment required (=lower maintenance cost and less storage space needed) Online system so voting activity recorded almost immediately Voter history process minimized Results reporting sooner

Issues: Voter resistance ????????

 Michael Perry  DURHAM COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS