Group to study election troubles

New equipment, problems on list

By Zane Wilson   The Sun News   09 December 2004

GEORGETOWN - The Georgetown County Election Commission agreed Wednesday to hold a workshop in February to find ways to solve problems that occurred on Election Day.

By the time of the workshop, the county will have received new voting equipment and will have more information from the state on training that will be required, said commission Chairman Herb Bailey.

Bailey said a letter from the state Election Commission says the new statewide, uniform voting machine system will include Election Day troubleshooters.

"A lot of the problems will be solved by having troubleshooters out there," Bailey said.

The county will get the new voting machines Jan. 6.

Commission member Billy Altman of Murrells Inlet pressed for action on the list of complaints and problems raised by voters, poll managers and candidates on and after Election Day.

"There's a long laundry list of problems that came out of this election," Altman said, asking that the board schedule a time to discuss and try to solve them.

He suggested each member make a list of problems they saw or heard about that need to be fixed and bring the list to the Jan. 12 meeting.

Altman said he will consolidate the lists for the February meeting, and members agreed to a Saturday workshop for late in February.

One of the problems mentioned was improper assistance to voters. The law requires two poll managers to go to the booth with a voter who asks for assistance, and in at least one precinct only one poll manager went.

Altman said another problem at many precincts was traffic control. People were not able to move in and out of the voting places easily, and some of that was simply the way the rooms were arranged.

"I think a lot of our problem just boils down to improving training," Altman said.

Two unsuccessful candidates protested the election, and Republican Party Chairman Paul Hogan also filed complaints.

Hogan said he will ask County Council on Tuesday to remove Bailey.

Bailey said his two-year term as chairman expires in March, and the council has asked for a recommendation from the commission on who should be appointed.