Preparation of Absentee Ballots for Tabulation

STATE OF DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS FOR NEW CASTLE COUNTY

April 13, 2007 MINUTES PREPARATION OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR TABULATION April 13, 2007

ATTENDEES: Elaine Manlove, Administrative Director; Howard G. Sholl, Jr., Deputy Administrative Director, Sarah Denzmore, Elections Supervisor; and other staff. Rob Clemons represented the Republican State Committee.

The meeting commenced at approximately 2 p.m.

INTRODUCTION: Director Manlove introduced the Department Staff, explained that the purpose of the meeting was to prepare the absentee ballots that had been received for tabulation on Saturday, April 14, 2007 starting at 7 a.m.

OATH: Deputy Director Sholl administered the oath to the those who would be preparing the ballots. Director Manlove administered the oath to Mr. Sholl.

OVERVIEW by Director Manlove:

 The absentee ballots for the 7th Representative District Special Election will be hand-counted.  At some point after the polls close on April 14th, the Commissioner of Elections office will key the absentee results into the State’s Election Management System. The absentee results will then be reported on the internet.  Superior Court will canvass the Special Election on Monday April 16 th beginning at 10 a.m. to determine the final results of the Special Election.  The Department will open the Absentee Ballots starting at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 13th, account for them, and then seal them in a container envelope. He also explained that this was the time to challenge ballots for identity, address, or bribery.  The Department will begin counting the absentee ballots at or after 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 14, and that any ballots received prior to close of polls will also be qualified and then counted as appropriate.  The security features of the container envelope – serial number and the ability to determine if anyone had opened the envelope.

OPENING THE BALLOTS: Deputy Director Sholl instructed the teams in the proper procedures. Director Manlove and Deputy Director Sholl then distributed ballots in Election District order to the 3 teams. The team then verified that they had all of the returned ballots for the Election District, that the Ballot Envelopes were sealed and signed, and then removed the ballots from the Ballot Envelopes. The team placed the ballots face down on the STATE OF DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS FOR NEW CASTLE COUNTY

April 13, 2007 table. After all the ballots were removed from the Ballot Envelopes for an Election District, the teams completed the Ballot Reconciliation Sheet for the Election District. The team then put the Ballot Reconciliation Sheet, the ballots, the Ballot Envelopes, and the list of Absentee Voters into the Container Envelope for the Election District. The teams then sealed the Container Envelope and retuned it to Director Manlove or Deputy Director Sholl. They put the sealed Container Envelopes into a storage locker.

At the conclusion of the preparation process, Director Manlove and Deputy Director Sholl locked the storage locker in which the Container Envelopes had been placed.