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IT IS ONE 30 ON NOVEMBER 18TH.
I'M GONNA CALL THE SPECIAL MEETING TO ORDER.
[A) INVOCATION]
IN THE INVOCATION AND ASK COMMISSIONER M**K TO LEAD US IN OUR PLEDGES, IF YOU'LL PLEASE STAND.LORD, WE COME TO YOU TODAY HUMBLY, SEEKING YOUR GUIDANCE, SEEKING YOUR WISDOM, AND SEEKING COURAGE.
PLEASE DON'T TURN YOUR HEAD FROM US.
GIVE US THE CHANCE TO BE FAITHFUL.
GIVE US THE CHANCE TO SERVE YOU AND PLEASE YOU.
IT'S IN YOUR SON'S NAME WE PRAY.
FLAG PANCE THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND STUDENT THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
NOW, TEXAS FLAG, HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG ON PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE ONE STATE ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, PUBLIC FORUM.
IT'S PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COURT ABOUT ANY COUNTY MATTERS.
NO ONE'S SIGNED UP, BUT IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COURT, PLEASE COME FORWARD NOW SEEING NO
[2. Discuss/Act on canvassing the November 5, 2024, General Election, and all related issues; (Judge New- Election Administrator)]
ONE.WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM TWO, DISCUSS AN ACT ON CANVASSING THE NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 GENERAL ELECTION AND ALL RELATED ISSUES.
MR. CHRIS LYNCH, IS THIS ON? IT'S AUTOMATIC.
UM, HEY, SO THIS IS THE FORMAL PORTION OF POST-ELECTION KIND OF REPORTING REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO THE STATE.
UH, AND THIS IS WHERE I'VE PRESENTED YOU WITH THE RESULTS FROM NOVEMBER 5TH.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL ELECTRONICALLY LATER REPORT THAT DATA AS THE OFFICIAL FINAL, UH, RESULTS FROM ROCKWELL COUNTY TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
AND THEN THAT'LL BE ESSENTIALLY THE END OF NOVEMBER FIVE.
BUT I DID WANNA TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT A FEW THINGS.
UM, AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT AFTER THIS, FRANK, BUT I, I WANNA PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, THE FOUR LADIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE SITTING BACK THERE, UM, LIKE I'VE TOLD YOU GUYS BEFORE, THE LYNCH IS A LAZY CREATURE, BUT THOSE FOLKS BACK THERE ARE HIGH PERFORMERS, UH, THAT DON'T HAVE CLOCKS ON WHAT THEY DO.
THEY KNOW WHAT THE MISSION IS, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO, AND THEY ALL EMBRACE, YOU KNOW, THE SAME PHILOSOPHY THAT I'VE TRIED TO KIND OF PUT FORTH HERE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY AND THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.
SO I JUST WANNA PUBLICLY THANK THEM BECAUSE THE, THE STUFF THAT HAPPENS TO PUT AN ELECTION ON, IT'S MUCH MORE COMPLEX THAN, AND THAN PEOPLE THINK.
AND IT'S ALWAYS AMUSING WHEN SOMEONE ASKS ME, HEY, WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO THE REST OF THE YEAR WHEN YOU'RE NOT DOING AN ELECTION? AND IT'S KIND OF, KIND OF AMUSING.
UH, THE OTHER TWO PEOPLE I'D LIKE TO PUBLICLY THANK FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND COOPERATION, UH, SHARON AND SUSIE, THE TWO CHAIRS FOR, FROM THE TWO PARTIES I HAVE, UH, THE LUXURY OF HAVING GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOTH OF THE CHAIRS.
AND I COULD TELL YOU, UH, THAT MY COUNTERPARTS IN OTHER COUNTIES DON'T, DON'T ENJOY THAT.
AND THEN LAST, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO SOME NUMBERS AND SOME TRENDS, THE HUNDRED OR SO PEOPLE THAT VOLUNTEER TO WORK AT THE POLLS, AND THAT IS NOT AN EASY JOB.
UM, AS WE SAW LAST MONTH, CRAZY PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE, UH, AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GONNA SHOW UP.
SO, UM, THOSE FOLKS, AND I TELL 'EM EVERY TIME WE GET TOGETHER FOR TRAINING, WE CAN'T DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THOSE FOLKS.
AGAIN, IT'S JUST A, I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT I HAVE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT US, UH, IN WHAT WE DO.
SO, UH, WITH THAT SAID, I JUST WANTED TO GO OVER SOME TRENDS.
UM, JUST SHY OF 63,000 FOR, UM, THE, THE TOTAL ELECTION.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT MARKED THE, THE LARGEST TURNOUT WE'VE EVER HAD IN ROCKWALL COUNTY'S HISTORY.
AND TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, PRIOR TO THAT, 2020 WAS THE HIGHEST TURNOUT.
WE DID THE SAME NUMBER, UM, DURING EARLY VOTING AND BALLOT BY MAIL THAT WE DID FOR THE ENTIRE ELECTION FOR 2020, WHICH MADE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO TUESDAY, THERE WERE STILL 45,000 PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT COULD HAVE VOTED, BUT WE ONLY SAW 9,000, UM, SHOW UP, WHICH, WHICH REPRESENTED ABOUT 72%, YOU KNOW, TURNOUT RATE, WHICH IS STILL, STILL PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
UM, 2200 OF THOSE VOTERS WERE BALLOT BY MAIL, WHICH WAS ABOUT A 50% DROP FROM WHAT WE DID THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS IN 2020.
UM, WE'VE GOT 1200 SUB SUBSCRIBERS ON OUR OPT-IN NEXT LITTLE THING.
AND I, I HEARD YOU GUYS HAD DISCUSSED IN THAT LAST WEEK, SO THAT WAS A GOOD NEWS STORY.
BUT I THINK PROBABLY ONE OF THE, THE COOLEST THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF, UH, WAS COLLABORATION BETWEEN MY SENIOR CLERK AND THE FOLKS IN IT AND THE, THE WHAT'S MY WAIT APP.
AND WE HAD OVER ALMOST 22,000 HITS ON THAT.
SO WE WERE AVERAGING WELL OVER LIKE, ABOUT
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15, 1600 HITS A DAY, CHECKING THAT APP TO SEE WHAT THE WAIT TIMES WERE.THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL KEEP, KEEP DEVELOPING.
UM, AND, AND THE VOLUME OF CALLS JUST ON ELECTION DAY OVER A THOUSAND PHONE CALLS CAME INTO TO MY OFFICE IN THAT, IN THAT ONE DAY.
SO, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE GONE BACK AND CAPTURED SOME MORE DATA, BUT I MEAN, IN THE TWO WEEKS TO THREE WEEKS LEADING UP TO EARLY VOTING, STARTING, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE VOLUME OF PHONE CALLS AND FOOT TRAFFIC AND EMAILS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS JUST LIKE I SAID, WHAT MY GUYS, UH, DID WAS, WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLE.
SO, UH, WITH THAT SAID, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST THE FORMALITY OF YOU GUYS ACCEPTING THE RESULTS THAT I PRESENTED HERE TODAY AND OUT, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU'VE GOT ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED DURING THE ELECTION OR, SO I, I HAVE A QUESTION.
A THOUSAND CALLS YOU RECEIVED ON ELECTION DAY.
IF YOU WERE TO CHARACTERIZE THOSE, WHAT WERE THE PEOPLE CALLING ABOUT ON ELECTION DAY? SO, WHAT'S A LITTLE MISLEADING ABOUT THAT, UH, NUMBER IS, YOU KNOW, THE 13 POLLING LOCATIONS.
SO ANYTIME THERE'S A VOTER IN A POLLING LOCATION WITH AN ISSUE OR A CHALLENGE OR, AND USUALLY IT'S, HEY, I CAN'T FIND THIS PERSON IN OUR DATABASE, UM, THEY'RE CALLING THE OFFICE.
SO IF I HAD TO GUESS 60 40 JUDGES TO PERSON WHO'S LOST ON ELECTION DAY.
SO IT'S THE VOTING LOCATIONS MAINLY REACHING OUT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE GOING, HEY, HOW DO I VOTE? HOW DO I REGISTER? ARE THERE'S PLENTY OF THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE? YEP.
I THINK IT AT SAME POINT, SO I, I, UH, UH, STUCK MY NOSE IN SEVERAL VOTING CENTERS JUST BECAUSE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I VOTE THE SAME PLACE AND STAND OUT IN FRONT OF THE SAME PLACE AND CAMPAIGN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT, WHAT GOES ON IN OTHER PLACES.
AND MAN RAN VERY EFFICIENTLY, VERY EFFICIENTLY.
I DID NOTICE IN ABOUT A 10 MINUTE SPAN, THREE PEOPLE, UH, AT THE FATE LOCATION.
AND THIS ISN'T SPECIFIC TO FATE, IT'S JUST HAPPENED TO BE WHERE I WAS AT, THOUGHT THEY WERE REGISTERED, UM, BUT WEREN'T REGISTERED.
AND IT WAS MAINLY PEOPLE MOVING IN FROM THE WEST COAST.
UH, DO YOU, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN HOW THEY REGISTER THERE? AND WE REGISTER HERE AND CAN SPEAK THAT AS, AS FAR AS AN OUTSTATE PERSON? YEAH.
SO AN OUTSTATE PERSON, IF THEY'RE NOT REGISTERED IN TEXAS, THE ONLY OPTION THEY HAVE IS TO VOTE PROVISIONALLY.
UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, SEVERAL OF THEM SAID, BUT I HAVE A TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE, AND THEY, THEY DID HAVE TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER INSTANCE WHERE, YOU KNOW, A PERSON GOES TO DPS AND THEY CHECK THAT BOX NUMBER TWO THAT ASKS, DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A REGISTERED VOTER? AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, DPS NEVER, THEY DON'T GET IT RIGHT.
UM, OR IT DOESN'T COME TO WHAT, TO US THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO SO THAT WE CAN REGISTER THAT PERSON.
SO USUALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE LUCKY WE CATCH THOSE PEOPLE DURING EARLY VOTING AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK DPS, HEY, I WANNA SEE HIS RECORD.
AND THEN YOU, WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE, DID THAT PERSON CHECK BOX TWO OR NOT? IF THEY DID, WE TELL 'EM TO COME ON BACK AND THEN THEY VOTE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER VOTER, IF THEY DIDN'T, THEIR ONLY OPTION, UH, IS A PROVISIONAL BALLOT GOT.
AND AGAIN, IF THEY'RE NOT REGISTERED, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GOOD.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S SOME WAY, NOT THE ELECTIONS, BUT THE COUNTY CAN DO A, A, A BETTER JOB OF INFORMING PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY FROM THE WEST COAST.
HEY, WHEN YOU CHECK THAT BOX, IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR VOTER, UH, WHAT IS THAT VOTER ID? VOTER REGISTRATION CARD? VOTER REGISTRATION CARD? YOU, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT REGISTERED.
SO IT ACTUALLY SAYS THAT NOW ON THE S ONE, IT SAYS WITHIN 30 DAYS, IF YOU DON'T RECEIVE YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION, PLEASE NOTIFY THE ELECTION OFFICER.
LOOK AT THERE THAT, THAT'S THE EASIEST PROBLEM I'M GONNA SOLVE ALL DAY.
WELL DONE US AND IN CALIFORNIA, THEY'RE SAME DAY REGISTRATION, SO THEY KIND OF DO THE CONDITIONAL.
WE, WE HAD, WE DID MORE, UH, VOLUME OF LIMITED BALLOTS WHERE IT'S MORE COMMON FOR US TO FIND, YOU KNOW, A PERSON THAT'S MOVED TO ROCKWALL COUNTY BUT USED TO LIVE IN BENTON OR COLLIN, AND THEY SHOW UP HERE AND THEY JUST THOUGHT THAT THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR, UH, REGISTRATION JUST AUTOMATICALLY CARRY OVER.
UH, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT PROCESS AND THEY CAN'T VOTE ON ANYTHING LOCALLY.
SO IF YOU WERE A PERSON THAT MOVED FROM DENTON TO ROCKWALL, YOU, YOU STILL SAW ALL THE STATE AND FEDERAL STUFF, BUT YOU WEREN'T VOTING ON ROCKWALL ISD OR, OR, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT WAS LOCAL? UH, AS FAR AS PERTAINS TO THAT PAST ELECTION.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR? UM, THEN I WILL, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
ACTUALLY, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
UM, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 GENERAL ELECTION.
WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER
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STACEY.IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES? NO, IT PASSES FIVE TO ZERO.
UH, AND DON'T, DON'T, DON'T ANYWHERE.
THAT, UH, TAKES US IN, TAKES US THROUGH EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THERE'S NOTHING TAKES US TO COMMISSIONER
[5. COMMISSIONERS COURT REPORTS]
COURT REPORTS WHERE I'D LIKE TO READ A RESOLUTION THAT THE COURT HAS PUT TOGETHER FOR OUR ELECTIONS OFFICE, WHEREAS OVER 53,000 PEOPLE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY VOTED EARLY AND NEARLY 10,000 PEOPLE VOTED ON NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024.WHEREAS FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS ARE THE BEDROCK OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC, WHEREAS ELECTION INTEGRITY IS A RIGHT TO A FREE SOCIETY.
WHEREAS ELECTIONS REQUIRE MANAGEMENT OF VOLUNTEERS, COORDINATION WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO VOTE.
WHEREAS GOOD ELECTIONS CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT PROPER PLANNING AND GOOD PEOPLE TO EXECUTE THE PLAN.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE ROCKWELL COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT DOES COME FORWARD THIS DAY TO COMMEND AND THANK THE ROCKWALL COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT FOR SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING AND OPERATING THE NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 ELECTION TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF ETHICS AND DEDICATION TO THE PEOPLE OF ROCKWALL SIGNED THIS DAY BY ALL MEMBERS OF THE COURT.
AND WITH THAT COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING? I JUST WANT TO DITTO THAT, UH, I SENT CHRIS AN EMAIL.
THE ONLY FEEDBACK I GOT AFTER THIS SELECTION HAS BEEN POSITIVE, UM, FROM EVERYBODY THAT'S TALKED TO ME.
SO THAT THAT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT.
I JUST WANNA PERSONALLY THANK, UM, THE, THE FOUR OF Y'ALL AND CHRIS FOR, FOR DOING THAT.
COMMISSIONER M**K, I'LL SAY DITTO AS WELL.