►
From YouTube: Behind the Scenes: Election Services
Description
2018 was a record-breaking year for an Interim Election in Buncombe County. Learn all about how your Election Services department tackled the important day in our history, and what you should know moving forward for future elections.
A
Buncombe
County
had
a
record-breaking
year
in
2018
for
its
midterm
elections
with
more
than
119
thousand
voters.
An
election
of
this
size
takes
preparation
from
a
talented
team
at
election
services.
In
this
episode
of
behind
the
scenes,
we
are
going
to
follow
election
services
staff
as
they
prepare
to
tackle
this
historic
midterm
election.
We
will
go
from
primary
to
general
election,
showing
you
all
the
moving
parts
from
hiring
and
training
poll
workers
to
setting
up
more
than
90
voting
sites
and
more.
B
Yes,
this
was
a
record-breaking
election
for
us,
usually
in
midterm
elections
of
this
sort.
We
will
vote
anywhere
between
45
and
50
percent
of
the
voters.
We
actually
voted
60
percent
of
the
voters
this
time,
so
it
was
definitely
a
record-breaking
election.
We
have
about
two
hundred
thousand
registered
voters.
We
can
use
as
many
as
500
election
workers
on
election
day
anywhere
from
say,
80
to
250
early
voting
workers.
B
Well,
and
in
the
months
before
I
launched
it,
you
know
a
lot
of
people,
don't
think
about
this,
but
our
worst
months,
our
heaviest
most
stressful
months,
are
August
and
the
early
part
of
September.
Because
that's
when
we're
putting
everything
into
place,
you
know
we're
we're
getting
there.
The
early
voting
locations
we're
getting
contracts
signed.
We're
making
sure
everybody's
voted
record
is
in
we're
doing
all
of
those
prep
and
planning
things
that
you
have
to
do.
So,
that's
really
a
stressful
time
for
us
and
a
busy
time
for
us.
B
We
actually
have
to
account
for
every
single
piece
of
paper
that
is
used
on
Election
Day
or
during
early
voting.
You
know
the
State
Board
says:
training,
you've
got
four
hundred
thousand
voters
now
I'm
just
pulling
that
number
in
the
computer.
You
must
have
four
hundred
thousand
ballots,
so
I
mean
I.
Would
love
for
people
to
know
that
that
we
actually
reconcile
and
balance
every
single
piece
of
paper.
That's
signed
out
there.
Every
ballot,
that's
marked
we
reconcile
and
balance
until
perfection.
It
is
long
hours.
It's
it's
stressful.
A
B
Voting
workers
go
through
an
extensive
week
of
training,
depending
on
their
level
of
experience.
They
will,
they
will
be
trained
for
at
least
12
hours,
sometimes
30
to
40
hours,
as
I
said,
depending
on
their
experience
and
depending
on
the
year
election
day,
workers
attend
approximately
a
four
to
five
hour
training
there's
additional
hours.
On
top
of
that,
you
know
picking
up
supplies
going
over
the
last
minute
instructions
they
are.
They
are
truly
the
stars
of
our
elections.
We
do
our
very
very
best
to
always
improve
on
the
process.
B
The
service
that
we
provide
to
voters
is
extremely
important
to
us.
We
feel
like
the
better
the
service
we
provide
to
them
the
easier
the
voting
experience
can
be
for
them,
then
the
more
they
will
vote,
the
more
they
will
come
back.
The
more
people
out
there
in
the
population
will
will
make
sure
and
get
registered
and
make
sure
in
vote.
So
so
that's
a
very
key
element
of
what
we
do
here.
B
Our
responsibilities
begin
with
voters.
You
know
making
sure
that
their
records
are
correct,
making
sure
that
we
have
them
in
the
right
precinct,
making
sure
that
their
jurisdictions
are
correct.
Then,
of
course,
we
have
to
file
the
candidates,
make
sure
that
the
candidates
file
their
appropriate
campaign
finance
reports.
We
audit
those
reports.
We
work
with
them
to
make
sure
they
get
it
right,
and
then
you
know
creating
the
ballot
and
making
sure
that's
perfect,
and
everybody's
name
is
spelled
correctly
and
and
then
ultimately
making
sure
that
we
have
enough
sites.
B
We
have
supplies,
we
have
trained
workers
and
then
making
sure
that
what
they
do
out
there
on
Election
Day
is
guided
by
the
laws
of
North
Carolina
the
election
laws
that
we've
tried
to
teach
them,
and
there
are
a
lot.
It's
it's
a
complex
job
that
they
have
out
there.
So
you
know,
and
then,
at
the
end
of
the
night
in
County,
making
sure
every
eligible
voter
had
a
ballot
got
the
correct
ballot,
every
voter
that
asks
for
an
absentee
ballot.
B
She's
very
hard,
you
know,
I
was
thinking
of
a
couple
of
the
challenges
that
we
have
and
that's
our
number
one
challenge
is
finding
workers
that
are
willing
to
spend.
You
know
their
time
working
an
election
willing
to
do
the
study.
That's
required
the
homework
that's
required
and
work
a
computer
and
be
organized
and
and
it's
a
long
day.
So
that
is
our
biggest
challenge
is
recruiting
workers.
You
know
most
people
have
jobs
or
they
have
children.
So
it's
it's
hard
to
recruit
workers
for
election
day.
B
One
of
the
other
challenges
with
this
past
election,
in
addition
to
the
volume
of
voters
that
that
showed
up
to
vote,
was
also
the
extended
early
voting
hours.
Recently,
the
General
Assembly
changed
the
early
voting
hours
to
a
7
a.m.
to
a
7
p.m.
day.
So
that's
a
12
hour
day
minimum
you
know
between
set
up
and
then
you
know
close
enough
at
the
end
of
the
night.
It
was
a
16
hour
day
for
for
everybody,
so
so
that
was
a
big
challenge.
B
Just
keeping
up
with
that
longer
schedule
with
the
staff
that
we
have
the
increased
numbers
didn't
certainly
that
always
challenges
who
knew
a
little
bit
more,
but
I
can't
say
that
we
were
challenged
that
much
because
we
always
prepare
for
a
hundred
percent
turnout,
we're
always
the
optimist.
We
always
prepare
for
a
lot
of
people
showing
up.
So
we
were
just
happy
that
that
the
amount
of
people
did
show
up.
You
know
sure
it's
a
lot
of
work,
but
what
we
were
ready
for.
B
B
Couple
of
things
that
we
would
love
for
writers
to
knows
is
it
would
help
us
if
they
would
check
their
information
every
year.
You
know
before
an
election
that
you're
going
to
participate
in
make
sure
we
have
your
right
address,
make
sure
we
have
your
right
party
affiliation,
just
check
up
on
your
registration.
That
would
be
helpful
to
this.
The
other
thing
we
love
for
people
to
know
is
that
sometimes
you
need
to
treat
your
voting
experience
like
a
doctor's
appointment.
You
have
to
be
prepared.
You
have
to
know
where
to
go.
B
B
We're
always
trying
to
improve,
especially
our
service
to
the
voters.
This
past
year,
we've
put
together
a
wait
map
that
is
on
our
website
that
voters
can
use
during
early
voting.
They
can
look
at
the
different
early
voting
locations
and
seeing
which
voting
location
has
the
most
has
the
least
number
of
voters
in
line
so
that
they
can
plan
their
visit.
We
extended
that
to
Election
Day
and
there's
24
people
in
line
at
10
a.m.
and
you
know
they
said
well.
B
B
The
bottom
line
is
that
voting
is
a
community
effort,
it's
important
to
the
community,
because
obviously
we
want
to
let
the
the
officials
that
we
want
to
get
our
community.
Of
course,
that's
the
important
thing
we
have
to
have
the
help
of
the
schools
to
let
us
in
and
the
fire
departments
and
the
community
centers
people
to
work
the
elections
to
take
the
time
and
say
hey.
This
is
important.
I
need
to
be
involved
in
this
and
know.
B
What's
going
on
and
find
out
about
elections,
don't
let
it
be
a
mystery
in
your
life
find
out
what
they
actually
do,
Count
absent
ease.
They
actually
do
count
Provisionals,
and
so
everybody
needs
to
think
about
the
fact
that
this
is
important
and
we
all
need
to
contribute
towards
it.
There
are
a
lot
of
mysteries
around
elections
that
that
I
do
wish
that
people
knew
more
of
those
details
and
that
so
that
they
would
trust
the
process.
B
B
The
elections
are
like
anything
else:
they
change
constantly.
We
have
right
now
we
have
voter
ID,
that's
beginning.
We
have
new
S&T
laws
that
are
being
drafted
right
now
so
and
I
guarantee
you
between
now
and
when
2020
hits
there'll
be
additional
changes.
Also,
looking
forward
to
2020
we're
going
to
need
the
help
of
the
community,
we
need
voting
locations
that
are
huge,
we're
going
to
be
looking
for
early
voting
locations
that
are
as
big
as
we
can
find
them.
B
B
Also,
if
you're
a
teacher-
and
you
know
you
have
students
that
that
seem
very
interested
in
what's
going
on,
if
your
classrooms
talking
once
again,
the
election
staff
loves
to
host
groups,
we
love
to
give
tours
to
students
the
more
of
us
that
are
involved,
the
more
transparent
the
election
is
and
the
more
we
own
it.
So
we
would
encourage
you
to
get
involved
in
2020
help.
Us
we've
got
a
lot
of
new
and
exciting
laws
and
changes
that
will
be
coming
and
we
look
forward
to
it.