ADAM: WELCOME BACK TO "CLOSE UP." USUALLY IN THESE FINAL DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION, WE LIKE TO SAY THE VOTING STARTS IN JUST 48 HOURS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
BUT THIS TIME AROUND, DUE TO EXPANDED PANDEMIC ABSENTEE PROVISIONS, THE VOTING STARTED WEEKS AGO.
BUT THERE ARE STILL CRUCIAL TESTS FOR THIS SYSTEM AHEAD.
LET’S BRING IN DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE DAVID M. SCANLAN ONCE AGAIN TO GET SOME CRUCIAL INFORMATION OUT THERE TO THE PUBLIC.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
ADAM: IT’S SUNDAY MORNING.
IF I’M STILL IN POSSESSION OF AN ABSENTEE BALLOT AND I WANT TO CAST IT, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
>> THE POST OFFICE IS CLOSED TODAY.
TOMORROW IS A HOLIDAY, SO THEY ARE GOING TO BE CLOSED ON MONDAY AS WELL.
THE OPTION A VOTER HAS AT THIS POINT TO MAKE SURE THEIR BALLOT MAKES IT TO THE POLLING PLACE SO IT GETS COUNTED ON TUESDAY IS TO EITHER HAND-DELIVER THE BALLOT TO THE TOWN CLERK’S LETTER
REQUIRED TO BE -- THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE OPEN TOMORROW FROM 3:00 TO 5:00 OR TAKE THE BALLOT TO THE POLLS AND DROP IT OFF THERE.
ADAM: MY ABSOLUTE LAST DROP DEAD CHANCE TO TURN IN AN ABSENTEE BALLOT IS CLOSE OF POLLS ON WEDNESDAY?
>> THE STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT ABSENTEE BALLOTS BE RECEIVED BY 5:00 ON THE DAY OF VOTING.
ADAM: SOMETIME IN THE MORNING WOULD PROBABLY BE BEST.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGE OF THE VOTE THAT WILL BE ABSENTEE?
>> AS OF FRIDAY MORNING, THERE WERE JUST OVER 99,000 ABSENTEE BALLOTS THAT WERE REQUESTED.
OF THOSE REQUESTED, 67,653 HAVE ALREADY BEEN RETURNED.
THE NUMBER OF ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS LEVELED OFF THE LAST FEW DAYS LEADING UP TO THE ELECTION.
THE NUMBER OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS BEING RETURNED ARE CLIMBING AS WE WOULD EXPECT, AND THEY WILL CONTINUE RIGHT UP UNTIL 5:00 ON THE DAY OF THE ELECTION.
ADAM: USUALLY YOU USE THOSE ABSENTEE BALLOTS AS A BAROMETER OF TURNOUT.
THIS YEAR IS SO OUT OF WHACK.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR TURNOUT IN THIS PRIMARY?
>> TYPICALLY, SECRETARY GARDNER MAKES A TURNOUT PREDICTION.
HE HAS NOT DONE THAT AS OF TODAY.
HE MAY DO IT TOMORROW.
THE NUMBER OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED ARE IN THE RANGE, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY TURNOUT, COULD BE 40% GIVE OR TAKE.
ADAM: CLERKS AND MODERATORS WILL HAVE ALL THESE EXTRA BALLOTS ON HAND.
HOW WILL THEY BE COUNTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY?
>> THE LEGISLATURE AT THE TAIL END OF THE SESSION PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MODERATORS TO PREPROCESS ABSENTEE BALLOTS ON THE THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND MONDAY BEFORE THE ELECTION.
THAT PROCESS ALLOWS THE MODERATORS TO OPEN THE OUTER ENVELOPE, WHICH CONTAINS THE AFFIDAVIT ENVELOPE, WHICH CONTAINS THE BALLOT.
THE MODERATORS CAN DO EVERYTHING SHORT OF OPENING UP THE AFFIDAVIT ENVELOPE, WHICH CONTAINS THE BALLOT UNTIL ELECTION DAY, TUESDAY.
THEY CAN ORGANIZE THOSE BALLOTS.
THEY CAN ENSURE THE AFFIDAVIT HAS BEEN PROPERLY EXECUTED.
THEY CAN HIGHLIGHT THE NAMES ON THE CHECKLIST.
HOPEFULLY MY DOING THAT, THEY CAN MAKE THE PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT AND HELP US GET TO A SOLID, ACCURATE ACCOUNT AT THE END OF THE NIGHT.
ADAM: FOR IN-PERSON VOTING, I KNOW WE’VE HEARD FROM SOME CLERKS WHO’VE SAID THAT LINES MAY LOOK LONGER, BUT PART OF THAT WILL BE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
HOW DO YOU THINK THINGS ARE GOING TO GO FOR IN-PERSON VOTING ON TUESDAY?
>> WE EXPECT THEY ARE GOING TO GO VERY SMOOTHLY.
THE MORE PEOPLE YOU HAVE VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT, THE FEWER VOTERS YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE SHOW UP ON THE DAY OF THE ELECTION.
THERE ARE A LOT OF VOTERS WHO WANT TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE IN PERSON.
THERE WILL BE SOCIAL DISTANCING THAT IS TAKING PLACE.
THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF PPE THAT IS BEING USED BY COWORKERS AND VOTERS.
LINES MAY LOOK LONG BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO BE SPACED OUT, BUT IN REALITY, THEY ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE JUST AS LONG AS WHAT A VOTER WOULD NORMALLY EXPERIENCE ON THE DAY OF THE
ELECTION.
ON THE DAY OF THE ELECTION, OUR POLLING PLACES ARE STAFFED BY VOLUNTEERS.
WE HAVE CONCERNS THAT THEY FEEL SAFE.
WE HAVE PROVIDED THEM WITH PPE.
WE WOULD ASK VOTERS THAT ARE GOING TO THE POLLING PLACE TO WEAR MASKS JUST SO THAT EVERYBODY IS SAFE AND FEEL SAFE AT THE POLLING PLACE.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT PEOPLE EXERCISE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO VOTE.
EVERYBODY SHOULD FEEL SAFE PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROCESS.
ADAM: WHAT’S YOUR OUTLOOK ON GETTING RESULTS ON ELECTION NIGHT?
I KNOW BEFORE YOU’VE SAID YOU THINK THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT DELAY.
>> WE FULLY EXPECT THAT THE ELECTION RESULTS ARE GOING TO BE REPORTED ON THE NIGHT OF THE ELECTION.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS PROCESS THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH, THE VOLUME OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS IS UNKNOWN FOR US.
OUR POLL WORKERS ARE PREPARED.
WE KNOW THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THEIR JOB.
MANY HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS.
WE HAVE HAD GREAT COMMUNICATION WITH LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS.