Florida for Election Transparency

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Locality: HIGHLANDS

File Name: Highlands Survey 20220522




ObserversJohn Larson, Don Van Dyke
Date of interview05/18/2022
Time and date of initial call and email:05/18/2022
Time and date of response:05/18/2022
Did the registrar refuse to meet you:No
If yes, please provide the reason given for not meeting:
Survey Answers
1. What is your biggest concern about the upcoming election?Skilled based process, time limited, growth issues / training, new equipment failure is not an option. Integrity of the election, supervisors abide by the law, critical infrastructure. All supervisors meeting in formative logic and accuracy test done every election required by law
2. Any other major concerns?None waiting for final precinct districts
3. Do you feel like you have the resources, equipment, personnel, and training needed to run an effective election in November?Yes
3a. Any additional information?Election cycle starts years in advance
3b. If no, what is missing?
4. When was the last time the voter file in your county was scrubbed or cleaned?5/9/22
5. When was the last time you had access to the National Change of Address List or any other change of address list?12/22/21
5a. Any other information?
6a. Are you confident that the voter file is accurate and up to date?Yes
6b. If no, what is/are your main concern(s) about the list?A moving target
7a. Have you had private third-party individuals or groups conducting voter registration qtivities in this county?Yes
7b. If yes, can you tell me which groups conducted these activitiesDemocratic Republican NAACP. Legal file with the state 29 days before election must be produced
7c. If yes, are you confident these registration activities take place without bribery, intimidation or coercion, and that only qualified voters are registered through these third-parties?Yes
7d. Any other information?Age requirement
8. Can you explain how your office manages voting in nursing homes?Supervised voting nursing home provides list of names
9a. How is the voting system used in your county certified?
9b. Who certified it last and when?
10. Who updates and calibrates the voting machines?Local staff
11. Can you explain how they update and calibrate the voting machines?
12a. Are you present when the machines are updated and calibrated, or is that process supervised by someone else? If some else, what is their position?I am present
12b. Another person supervises this process (insert title and position)
13. Do you invite party representatives to witness the update and calibration?No
14a.Are voting machines ever connected to the internetNo
14b. If yes, when and why are they connected?
14c. If they are not connected to the internet, how, when and by whom are they updated?Equipment is wireless Cross check system 2016
15a. Concerns were raised across the country about the accuracy and integrity of voting machines in the 2020 elections, and there are now calls to get rid of the machines, and use a manual process like that used in France. Do you think it is a good idea to go back to a manual voting process?No
15b. If no, why?
16. Can you tell us what it costs per voter to implement an election in this country?Varies. Moving target depending on election
17a. How many (%) extra ballots are available in each precinct?Varies depending on size & turnout
17b. Can you describe the process used to track and account for these excess ballots?Identifying # chain of custody
18a. We know that in some areas, machines had difficulty reading many mail-in ballots, and those had to be sent for manual adjudication. Can you describe briefly how ballots are adjudicated here?Asking for 2nd ballot if error. Green correct original ballot. Canvassing board review Red or Green ballot
18b. About what percentage of absentee ballots required adjudication in this county/city during the 2020 election?1/2 %
19. Have the machines you use for counting ever reported fractional results?..select..
19b. Any additional information?
20a. As an election professional, do you think the changes made in the election process in Florida in response to COVID have weakened election integrity, strengthened election integrity, or made no change in election integrity?Strengthened integrity
20b. Any additional information?Strengthened vote by mail
21a. Did you receive any funding or in-kind contributions for training, staff, voter education or equipment, or any other purpose from outside the state of Florida?..select..
21b. If yes, what was the funding or contribution used for?
21c. Will not receiving such funding in the future affect your ability to implement a fully free and fair election?..select..
21d. If yes, in what way?
22. Have your local party chairs been notified that they are entitled to send observers to your office each day it is open and receiving in-person absentee ballots?Yes
22a. Any additional information?
23a. Did you have both Republican and Democrat pollwatchers at every polling location in 2020?No
23b. If no, please estimate the perentage of polling locations covered by each party:Not know actual data
24a. Do you have a publication that you provide to your election officials regarding rights and responsibilities of pollwatchers?Yes
Any additional information?List of do's and don'ts
24b. If no, would you be willing to distribute such a publication that we would prepare based on Florida law?..select..
25a. If the Legislature through the Department of State allowed independent non-partisan observers, would you welcome that?Yes
25b. Any additional information?
26. Post survey question � Please characterize your interaction with the Supervisor of Elections asHelpful




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