Minutes 10-09-2018 Special Meeting

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7 PUBLIC COMMENT Bob Randall is a Board of Elections (BOE) Board member, and he wished that Hog Day had not been scheduled on this particular weekend, but thinks it can continue. He said Hog Day will only effect one of the early voting sites; an alternate site, the Efland Ruritan Club, is minutes away; early voting hours have tripled, as well as additional dates have been added. He said he will respect the decision of the Board, but believes that Hog Day can continue without great interruption to early voting, and he encouraged clear and advanced communication to the public. Jamie Cox, Vice Chair of BOE, said all 4 members of the BOE are from Hillsborough or northern Orange County, and they all love Hog Day. He said the issue is that the last two days of early voting are the busiest at every site. He said he is really concerned about the Hog Day visitors standing between the festival and early voting, and, while he appreciates the efforts, he is not convinced that the proposed traffic plan will not hinder early voters. He said he is also concerned about even the remotest appearance of the militarization of an early voting site with checkpoints for traffic control. He said there are things they can do if they have to, but the voter numbers may be suppressed and they cannot move the voting site due to state statute. He said Hog Day is a re-scheduled event, and he does not understand why another date or location cannot be found. Rachel Royce said Hog Day is in her backyard, and has been an enjoyable part of their lives; but access to voting is sacred to them and everything must be done to make sure there are no impediments to voting. Betty Rider said she has lived and voted in Orange County for 20 years and she is a fan of Hog Day, yet the Town and the County and the taxpayers have a legal responsibility that all voters are able to franchise their right to vote. She said this could be a discriminatory decision if people cannot find their room to vote. She said she was concerned that the word did not get out in time about this meeting, because many more would come and speak. Commissioner Rich asked Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens if folding the Sunday events into Hog day is possible. Mayor Stevens said the Sunday concert is a Chamber of Commerce event, and he cannot speak to that possibility, but expects that it probably could be worked out. He said he attended tonight to be available to answer questions on behalf of the Town, and the Town will support whatever the County decides and partner with whomever to make things work. Commissioner Jacobs asked if holding Hog Day at Gold Park is a possibility. Mayor Stevens said there would be a willingness to consider this option, but he does not think there is power and resources there to make this viable. He said it is the same with Fairview Park, and either of these locations would require Hog Day to be a scaled down event. Commissioner McKee said he understands the concerns from both sides, and he does not see Hog Day and early voting as mutually exclusive. Commissioner Marcoplos said this is a difficult decision, but he said the last day of voting keeps coming back to him. He said it is the last day for same day registration and early voting, and the number of visitors for the event will affect voters. He said the Sat/Sun proposal seems the best option, but either way the right to vote is the top priority. Commissioner Price asked Craig Lloyd and Al Hartkopf if Sat/Sun would not work even if the preparations were able to begin earlier than they would on Friday. Al Hartkopf said voting is open until 3:00 p.m., which would mean they would start about the same time as they typically do on Friday. Craig Lloyd said many of the people involved in volunteering and vending at Hog Day are affiliated with a church community, and Sunday is simply not a viable option. Al Hartkopf said words have meaning, and he has heard the words “intentional” and “surgical voter suppression” this evening. He said they are a community service organization,