>>> WELCOME BACK
HOW YOU VOTE BY MAIL DEPENDS ON
WHERE YOU LIVE
NINE STATES AND WASHINGTON,
D.C., AUTOMATICALLY SEND BALLOTS
TO VOTERS.
VOTERS IN ANOTHER TEN STATES
AUTOMATICALLY GET AN APPLICATION
FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT SENT TO
THEM
IN HALF THE STATES,25, PEOPLE
ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE BY MAIL
WITHOUT AN EXCUSE OR WITH THE
CORONAVIRUS AS THEIR EXCUSE.
IN SIX STATES, MOSTLY IN THE
SOUTH, REQUIRE AN EXCUSE TO VOTE
ABSENTEE
BY THE WAY, 20 STATES HAVE CHANGED THEIR RULES DUE TO THE
CHANGED THEIR RULES DUE TO THE
PANDEMIC THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
AND JOINING ME NOW ARE THREE
STATE OFFICIALS WHOSE JOB IT
WILL BE TO OVERSEE THE VOTING IN
THEIR RESPECTIVE STATES. REPUBLICAN SECRETARY OF STATE
REPUBLICAN SECRETARY OF STATE
FRANK LaROSE OF OHIO, DEMOCRATIC
SECRETARY OF STATE JOCELYN
BENSON OF MICHIGAN, AND STATE
BOARD OF ELECTIONS DIRECTOR
KAREN BRINSON BELL OF NORTH
CAROLINA
WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO "MEET THE
PRESS.
KAREN BRINSON BELL, I’M GOING TO
START WITH YOU
NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY ABSENTEE
BALLOTS WENT OUT
HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOUR LEVEL
OF -- WHERE IS YOUR LEVEL OF
CONCERN WHEN IT COMES TO
PREPAREDNESS FOR THIS ELECTION
SEASON
>> WE HAVE BEEN OPTIMISTIC THE
ENTIRE TIME.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT
NORTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN 60 DAYS
OUT IN DELIVERING ABSENTEE BY
MAIL BALLOTS
THAT’S PAR FOR THE COURSE IN OUR
STATE.
IT’S JUST THAT WE’RE TRYING TO
GET OUT MORE THAN WE TYPICALLY
WOULD.
WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE OUR
PRIMARY AS PART OF SUPER
TUESDAY, SO WE WERE AHEAD OF THE
PANDEMIC
WE HAVE HAD A SMALL ELECTION IN
JUNE THAT HELPED US TO PREPARE
AND I AM SO PROUD OF THE 100
COUNTY ELECTION DIRECTORS AND
BOARDS FOR THE PREPARATIONS AND
STEPS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
TAKING.
>> FRANK LaROSE, UNLIKE KAREN
MENTIONED THAT NORTH CAROLINA
WAS ON SUPER TUESDAY SO AVOIDED
A COVID POSTPONEMENT, YOU GUYS
DID POSTPONE SO YOU BASICALLY
HAD TO RUN THE TRAPS A COUPLE OF
TIMES.
HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT
EXPERIENCE FOR YOU GOING INTO
NOVEMBER
>> YOU KNOW, OHIO HAD A PRIMARY
SET FOR MARCH 17th
THE GOVERNOR MADE THE DECISION
THAT IT WOULDN’T BE SAFE TO GO
FORWARD WITH IN-PERSON VOTING SO
OUR STATE LEGISLATURE CHOSE TO
CONCLUDE THE ELECTION AS AN ALL
POSTAL PRIMARY
OF COURSE WE CARRIED THAT OUT.
SOME OF THE LESSONS THAT WE
LEARNED FROM THAT, THOUGH, IS
THAT OUR BOARDS OF ELECTIONS ARE
INCREDIBLY WELL POSITIONED TO
HANDLE HIGH VOLUMES OF ABSENTEE
VOTING.
>> WHAT CONCERN RIGHT NOW DO YOU
HAVE ABOUT NOVEMBER AS FAR AS
OHIO’S PREPARATIONS ARE
CONCERNED?
>> CHUCK, THE THING THAT WE’RE
THINKING ABOUT MORE THAN
ANYTHING RIGHT NOW IS POLL
WORKER RECRUITMENT
IT TAKES 35,000 OHIOANS TO RUN
IN-PERSON ELECTION DAY SO WE’RE
DOING ALL WE CAN TO RECRUIT
THOSE POLL WORKERS
NEXT MAKING SURE THAT WE GET
ACCURATE INFORMATION OUT TO
OHIO’S VOTERS.
IT’S JUST CRUCIAL THAT PEOPLE
HAVE RELIABLE INFORMATION.
THAT’S WHY YOUR PROFESSION IS
PROTECTED BY THE VERY FIRST
AMENDMENT AND THAT’S WHY ONE OF
MY MOST IMPORTANT JOBS IS BEING
THAT SOURCE OF ACCURATE AND
TRUSTED INFORMATION FOR OHIO’S
VOTERS
>> JOCELYN BENSON, WHAT DID YOU
LEARN FROM MICHIGAN’S
EXPERIENCE
YOU WENT WITH -- YOU ENDED UP
WITH A HIGH VOLUME OF MAIL-IN
BALLOTS, AND OBVIOUSLY YOU’VE
GONE THROUGH A WHOLE BUNCH OF
ELECTION CHANGES SINCE 2016 THAT
YOU’RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING
FOR THE FIRST TIME
SO GIVE ME YOUR ASSESSMENT OF
WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE MICHIGAN IS
RIGHT NOW.
>> CHUCK, ONE OF THE SILVER
LININGS OF 2020 FOR US HAS BEEN
OPTIONS FOR VOTERS AND
OPPORTUNITIES TO CLARIFY THOSE
OPTIONS.
VOTERS IN MICHIGAN CAN VOTE
EARLY BY MAIL, THEY CAN RETURN
BALLOTS THROUGH A DROP BOX
WE PLACED CLOSE TO A THOUSAND
SECURE DROP BOXES ALL AROUND THE
STATE.
THEY CAN VOTE EARLY IN PERSON AT
THEIR CLERK’S OFFICE AND EVERY
PRECINCT WILL BE OPEN ON
ELECTION DAY
WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO HONE THIS
PLAN THROUGH THREE SUCCESSFUL
ELECTIONS THAT WE’VE HAD ALREADY
THIS YEAR WHERE WE’VE SEEN IN
EVERY SINGLE ONE, TURNOUT HAS
DOUBLED, PUTTING US ON TRACK TO
HAVE MICHIGAN’S NOVEMBER
ELECTION BE THE HIGHEST TURNOUT
EVER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR
STATE.
>> I WANT TO GO TO THE POSTAL
SERVICE ISSUE.
YOU WERE PRETTY CONCERNED ABOUT
IT AT ONE TIME
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
HAVE YOU HAD REASSURANCES FROM
THE POSTAL SERVICE FOLKS THAT
YOU’VE DEALT WITH SINCE THIS
KERFUFFLE BEGAN?
>> YES
I HAVE SPOKEN DIRECTLY WITH THE
POSTMASTER GENERAL AND WE’VE
BEEN IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION
WITH OUR POSTAL LEADERS ON THE
GROUND HERE IN MICHIGAN.
WE’RE APPROACHING THIS FROM A
TWO-PRONGED STRATEGY
ONE IS TO MAKE SURE THE SYSTEM
WORKS, THAT CITIZENS CAN RECEIVE
THEIR BALLOTS AND RETURN THEM ON
TIME
WE’VE CREATED DROP BOXES AS A
WORK-AROUND FOR CITIZENS WHO MAY
NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE OR WAIT
UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO RETURN
THEIR BALLOTS.
WE’RE NOW FACING A PERCEPTION
ISSUE.
THE CHANGES IN THE POSTAL
SERVICE IF NOTHING ELSE HAS
CREATED CONFUSION AND CHAOS
WHERE NONE EXISTED PRIOR
SO THE VOTER EDUCATION AND THE
CONFIDENCE BOOSTING WE NOW HAVE
TO DO AND WILL DO TO ENSURE
VOTERS THAT THEIR VOTE IS
COUNTED IS A KEY PART OF OUR
WORK MOVING FORWARD.
>> FRANK LaROSE, TALK TO ME
ABOUT SECURITY ON YOUR DROP
BOXES IN OHIO.
>> SO WE REQUIRE THAT THEY BE
UNDER 24-HOUR VIDEO
SURVEILLANCE
THEY ARE EMPTIED EVERY DAY BY A
BIPARTISAN TEAM AT THE COUNTY
BOARDS OF ELECTIONS, THAT’S PART
OF THE SECURITY PROTOCOLS.
OHIOANS TRUST WHETHER THEY MAIL
IN THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOT OR USE
THE SECURE DROP BOX AT THE BOARD
OF ELECTIONS THAT THEIR VOICE
WILL BE HEARD BECAUSE THEY CAN
TRACK THEIR BALLOT BY GOING TO
OUR WEBSITE, VOTEOHIO.GOV, JUST
LIKE YOU TRACK A PACKAGE SO YOU
CAN HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE THAT
THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS HAS
RECEIVED YOUR BALLOT
>> KAREN BRINSON BELL, I’M
CURIOUS, YOU’RE GOING TO BE
DEALING WITH MORE ABSENTEE
BALLOTS THAN EVER BEFORE, AND IT
IS GOING TO SLOW DOWN THE
COUNTING AND THE PROCESSING OF
THIS
WALK ME THROUGH WHAT IS -- HOW
QUICKLY CAN YOU VERIFY MAIL-IN
BALLOTS?
AND CAN YOU VERIFY THEM BEFORE
YOU COUNT THEM IN ORDER TO SPEED
UP THE COUNT
>> I THINK NORTH CAROLINA IS
UNIQUELY POSITIONED FOR THIS
BECAUSE WE BEGAN SENDING OUT
ABSENTEE BY MAIL BALLOTS ON
SEPTEMBER 4th TO NEARLY 600,000
ABSENTEE REQUESTS THAT WE HAD
RECEIVED
WE ARE AHEAD OF THE GAME IN
SENDING OUT THOSE BALLOTS.
THAT’S MORE TIME FOR VOTERS TO
RETURN THEM.
WE ALSO HAVE HAD IN PLACE FOR A
NUMBER OF YEARS NOW THE ABILITY
TO PROCESS ABSENTEE BY MAIL
BALLOTS IN ADVANCE OF ELECTION
DAY.
WE ALSO TABULATE ON ELECTION DAY
THE RESULTS FROM OUR ONE-STOP
EARLY VOTING, WHICH WE THINK
WILL BE ABOUT 50% OF THE BALLOTS
CAST, WE’LL PROBABLY HAVE 30% OR
40% OF THE BALLOTS CAST ABSENTEE
BY MAIL.
SO EVEN BY THE CLOSE OF POLLS ON
ELECTION NIGHT, WE MAY BE
REPORTING AS MUCH AS 80% OF OUR
VOTER TURNOUT AND HOW THEY HAVE
CHOSEN AT THE TIME THAT THE
POLLS CLOSE.
>> SO YOU MAY END UP BEING A
FAST COUNTING STATE WITH RESULTS
QUICKLY.
I KNOW OHIO AND, FRANK LaROSE, I
KNOW YOU GUYS PROCESS EARLY,
WHICH BRINGS ME TO YOU, JOCELYN
BENSON
YOU GUYS CAN’T START PROCESSING
UNTIL ELECTION DAY
IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET
RESULTS DURING YOUR PRIMARY.
SHOULD WE BE PREPARED FOR
THANKSGIVING AND THE MICHIGAN
RESULTS TO BE COMING TOGETHER?
>> NO, BUT WE SHOULD BE PREPARED
FOR THIS TO BE CLOSER TO AN
ELECTION WEEK AS OPPOSED TO AN
ELECTION DAY
THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE ARE NOT
GOING TO HAVE THE FULL RESULTS
AND A COUNTING OF ALL OF OUR
BALLOTS ON ELECTION NIGHT.
WE ALREADY KNOW THAT
WE’VE ASKED THE LEGISLATURE TO
MAKE CHANGES TO THE LAWS TO GIVE
US MORE ABILITY TO BE PREPARED
AND COUNT THOSE BALLOTS MORE
EFFICIENTLY.
THEY HAVE NOT ACTED FOR REASONS
THAT I DON’T FULLY COMPLETELY
UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT SAID, WE’RE
INCREASING TABULATEORSTABULATORS
INCREASING CAPACITY TO MORE
EFFICIENTLY AND SECURELY COUNT
THOSE BALLOTS BUT I’M LASER
FOCUSED ON ACCURACY.
IF THIS TAKES A FEW EXTRA DAYS
TO ENSURE WE HAVE A FULL AND
ACCURATE COUNTING AS A RESULT OF
EVERY RACE, THAT’S WHAT IT’S
GOING TO TAKE.
WE’RE GOING TO BE TRANSPARENT
THROUGHOUT THAT WHOLE PROCESS TO
MAKE SURE EVERY CITIZEN KNOWS
WHERE WE ARE IN THE COUNTING
PROCESS AND HOW MANY MORE
BALLOTS WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH
>> ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE
MAY TAKE THE DELAY IN GETTING
ALL THE RESULTS IN MICHIGAN TO
DECLARE A PHONY WINNER
>> YES, BUT TO ME THAT’S JUST
GOING TO BE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF
THE TYPE OF MISINFORMATION AND
DISINFORMATION THAT WE’RE SEEING
MULTIPLE WAYS FROM MULTIPLE
PLATFORMS AND VOICES IN THIS
ELECTION CYCLE
SO WE ARE GOING TO COUNTER THAT
MISINFORMATION WITH TRUTH AND
ACCURACY
THESE ARE BALLOTS THAT HAVE BEEN
COUNTED AND REPORTED, THIS IS
WHERE THE WORK IS STILL
HAPPENING AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO
KEEP THE PUBLIC UPDATED.
BEING THAT SOURCE OF TRUSTED
INFORMATION OF CLEAR FACTS AND
DATA IS GOING TO BE REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR EVERY SECRETARY OF
STATE THIS YEAR AS WE SEEK TO
CUT THROUGH LOTS OF DIFFERENT
RHETORIC THAT’S GOING TO ONLY BE
INCREASING IN THE WEEKS COMING
UP TO ELECTION DAY AND BEYOND.
>> FRANK LaROSE, SENATOR MARCO
RUBIO OF FLORIDA HAS ACTUALLY
GOT A BILL THAT WOULD CHANGE THE
DAY THE ELECTORS MEET FROM
DECEMBER 14th TO JANUARY 2nd
ESSENTIALLY IT’S BECAUSE HE
SAID, LOOK, STATES MAY NEED MORE
TIME
THEY MAY NEED MORE TIME TO
CERTIFY, AND DON’T -- IT’S AN
ARTIFICIAL DATE, DECEMBER 14th
YOU CAN SHIFT THAT AROUND.
WOULD YOU LIKE MORE TIME
>> CHUCK, WE’RE CERTAINLY
PLANNING ON HAVING OUR ELECTORAL
COLLEGE MEET ON DECEMBER 14th.
WE’RE PREPARING FOR THAT
OF COURSE WE COUNT THE BALLOTS
ON ELECTION NIGHT AND ALWAYS
REPORT THAT IS UNOFFICIAL
TABULATION
WE KNOW OVER THE NEXT TEN DAYS
AS LONG AS THOSE BALLOTS WERE
LEGALLY CAST THEY CAN CONTINUE
TO BE RECEIVED AT OUR BOARD OF
ELECTIONS, THAT’S OUR LAW HERE
IN OHIO.
SO WE’RE MAKING IT CLEAR THAT
THE NUMBERS THAT YOU HEAR ON
ELECTION NIGHT ARE NEVER THE
FINAL RESULT
THAT’S GOING TO BE EVEN MORE SO
THE CASE THIS YEAR AS WE RELY ON
MORE AND MORE ABSENTEE
BALLOTING.
WE’RE EVEN CHANGING THE WAY THE
ELECTION NIGHT REPORTING IS DUB
ON THE WEBSITE TO MAKE IT CLEAR
THAT THERE MAY STILL BE TENS OR
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
ABSENTEE BALLOTS
WHETHER IT’S ONE OF MY FORMER
MILITARY TEAMMATES THAT’S
SERVING OVERSEAS OR MAYBE
SOMEONE WHO PROCRASTINATED AND
WASTED UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE
AS LONG AS THEY WERE CAST, THEY
DESERVE TO BE COUNTED.
ELECTION DATE WE’LL GIVE A
SNAPSHOT OF THOSE RESULTS BUT
THE FINAL RESULT IS WHAT
MATTERS.
>> JOCELYN BENSON, I THINK WE
LEARN FRED YOUED FROM YOU IT’S E
WEEK
FRANK LaROSE, POLL WORKERS YOU
BROUGHT UP AND KAREN BRINSON
BELL, BE AS PREPARED AS YOU CAN
BE
GOOD LUCK.
WE’RE ALL COUNTING ON ALL THREE
OF YOU DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
THIS IS ONE CASE WHERE