Thursday
2
August 16, 2012
NEWS: What’s Going on in Goochland County
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Election information forum scheduled Sept. 6 at the BOS meeting room By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com
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Goochland had the highest percentage voter turnout in the state in the 2008 presidential election with long lines at some precincts. Expecting another high turnout in the upcoming Nov. 6 election, Goochland’s Electoral Board has decided to hold a public forum to educate party leaders and the public on the new election law. “It’s the first time the Electoral Board has done this,” said Electoral Board Chairman Herbert R. Griffith. “Our responsibility is to see that every qualified voter has the opportunity to vote.” Electoral Board Secretary Robin R. Lind said he was unaware of any other jurisdiction holding such a meeting. Set for Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors meeting room in the county administration building, the meeting will be open to the public. Lind said there is a lot of information concerning the new election law, which is under review by the federal justice department with a ruling expected by Aug. 18. Although the electoral board members were reluctant to discuss the details of the new law since approval from the justice department has not yet been received, one thing is certain. “Photo identification is not required,” said Lind emphatically. “We just want to kill that one,” he said of what is evidently still a wide-spread misconception. The new election law does not require photo identification and there is no current requirement for it. Besides indicating their choice for president on Nov. 6, voters will vote in U.S. House and Senate races and be given the choice to vote on two constitutional amendments, one concerning eminent domain and the second on extending the time in which the General Assembly may conduct its “veto session.” Awareness of the two constitutional amendment questions is one of the electoral board’s main concerns. They fear voting may be held up by citizens who must take time to read the question for the first time. “We’ll ask the two political parties
Photo by Ken Odor
Goochland Electoral Board Chairman Herb Griffith, left, Secretary Robin Lind and Registrar Francis Ragland, seated, are ready to help all citizens prepare for the upcoming November election. (Electoral Board Vice-Chair Melinda Sledd not pictured).
to help educate their adherents on the questions,” said Lind. Griffith said voting should be faster this time due to the new electronic poll books, which do away with the different lines based on last names by alphabet. Voters waiting in line will be able to check in with any available poll worker. After the voting, the Electoral Board members will meet Wednesday to hold their canvas. If the new voting law goes into effect and provisional ballots have been cast by voters who brought no identification to the polls, the canvas could take as long as three days before the results are reported to the State Board of Elections, which generally certifies the election results on Nov. 20. Electoral Board members take their job seriously. “Our signature on the canvas is our promise to go to jail,”
said Lind, in the event that the results reported are not accurate. Lind said the goal is for “both parties to recognize they got an absolute fair shake in Goochland – that there is absolute transparency.” While instituting the new informational forum Sept. 6 to clarify election law, Electoral Board members are still prepared to meet with community groups, said Griffith. The deadline to register for the Nov. 6 election is Oct. 15. Absentee ballots, voter registration forms and information are available at the Goochland Registrar’s Office and on their website at http:// www.co.goochland.va.us/Departments/ Departments(G-Z)/Registrar.aspx. For more information, contact Registrar Francis Ragland at 804-5565803.