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From YouTube: Aiken This Week - October 24, 2016 : Election Commission
Description
Richard Johnson, chair of the Municipal Election Commission, joins Aiken this week to explain the purpose and functions of the commission and the steps involved in conduction an election for the City of Aiken.
A
Welcome
to
aiken
this
week,
I
memory
Langston
today,
my
guest
is
mr.
Richard
Johnson,
who
is
the
chairman
of
the
municipal
election
commission
and
we're
so
pleased
to
have
Richard
here
with
us
today.
Thank
you
for
taking
a
few
minutes
out
of
your
day
to
talk
to
us
about
a
very
timely
subject,
I
believe
with
with
the
elections
well,.
A
B
I
have
always
been
interested
in
government
I've,
always
attended
city
council
meetings
and
when
a
vacancy
occurred
some
years
ago
on
the
election,
commission
I
was
approached
by
City
Council
and
they
took
they
expressed
an
interest
and
so
I
cepted
the
invitation,
and
that
was
the
beginning
of
a
journey
for
more
than
30
years
now.
So.
A
B
When
I
was
first
appointed,
this
all
elections
in
the
city
of
Aiken
were
at
large.
There
were
nine
percent
population
was
about
15,000.
Today
we
have
twenty.
Three
percent
population
is
about
30,000,
so
that's
a
that's
a
growth
so
and
we
have
held
elections
throughout
that
period.
Sir,
earlier
all
elections
were
conducted
with
paper
balance.
B
B
A
A
B
A
B
A
A
B
Currently,
when
the
Commission
is
made
up
of
three
pression,
the
the
Commission
itself
is
established
by
the
South
Carolina
General
Assembly,
the
commission,
members
are
appointed
by
City
Council
and
the
only
function
of
the
municipal
election
commission
is
to
conduct
elections
for
the
city
and
we
don't
meet
on
a
regular
basis.
We
meet
doing
election
time
during
the
years
of
election
and
an
election.
B
A
I
think
that
that's
something
that
your
your
average
person
who
walks
into
their
precinct
or
their
poll
on
Election
Day
and
then
going
man
cast
their
ballot
and
they
walk
out
Thanks.
Don't
really
understand
that
it
is
an
extensive
process
and,
as
you
are
now
we're
talking
before,
there's
so
many
deadlines,
the
that
have
to
be
met
and
things
have
to
fall.
A
certain
order.
Everything.
B
B
B
B
B
A
B
B
Year,
yes,
and
here
in
the
city
we
have
to
election
every
every
two
years
in
the
elections
are
staggered
11
year,
it's
the
mayor
and
three
council
member
the
second
year.
It's
just
three
council
members,
so
that
our
last
election
was
the
mayor
and
the
three
council
members
or
next
next
year.
The
next
election
would
be
yes,
three
council
member.
A
A
B
As
time
progressed,
there
was
efforts
put
forth
to
change
the
book,
the
voting
method,
so
the
city
did,
and
they
went
from
at
large
to
a
four
to
one
single
member
district.
That's
a
four
members
were
in
full
council
members
were
elected
from
single-member
district,
two
council
members
were
elected
at-large
and
the
mayor
at
large.
Well
that
system
worked
for
for
a
period
of
time,
but
it
kind
of
ran
its
course,
and
so
council
decided
that
they
needed
to
make
a
chain.
A
A
A
B
Relationship
the
relationship
is
very
good
between
municipal
election
commission
and
Aiken
County
Election
Commission,
the
municipal
election
commission
contracts,
some
of
our
work
to
the
Aiken
County
Election
Commission,
because
they
have
the
facility
and
end
the
equipment
to
tabulate
our
balance.
Over
over
the
years
we
have.
We
have
used
Aiken
electric
co-op
to
tabulate
our
barrels.
We
have
used
University
of
South
Carolina
Aiken
to
tabulate
our
ballast
and
then
of
course,
Aiken
County,
Election
Commission,
but
Aiken
County
Election
Commission
is
this.
Is
our
main
soul,
snaffle
tabulating
the
balance
force.
B
B
A
A
B
Yes,
yes,
we
have
have
to
make
sure
that
everything
is
in
place
and
in
advertising
that
lets
to
get
the
word
out
to
the
public
and
and
as
a
system
for
that
it,
you
have
to
establish
filing
dates,
open
and
closing
for
filing
dates
and
where
the
candidates
are
to
file.
Now,
haken
has
a
partisan
elections
so,
and
that
means
the
Democrats
and
Republican.
So
we
have
to
advertise
where
the
Democratic
candidates
must
file
and
where
the
Republican
candidates
must
file
and
if
there's
a
petition
candidate
where
that
petition
candidate
must
get
file.
B
A
A
A
A
B
Polls
open
at
7am
and
there's
from
7am
to
7pm.
That's
that's
that's
polling
hours,
however,
at
7pm,
if
50
people
are
still
in
line
to
vote,
they
have
to
be
allowed
to
vote
before
they
close
down
for
that
at
seven
o'clock
they
polled
manages
the
poll.
Clerk
will
announce.
The
polls
close
and
a
poll
manager
will
go
at
the
end
of
that
line
and
stand
there
until
all
the
voters
are
processed
and
voters
to
make
sure
that
no
one
else
getting
in
line
after
seven
o'clock,
but
everyone
that
that
is
in
line
at
seven
o'clock.
B
A
B
At
the
close
of
the
present,
the
poll
manages,
there's
a
there's,
a
recording,
a
tape.
They
run
a
tape
tape,
then
that
shows
the
the
election,
all
the
ballots
cast,
the
the
candidates
name
number
and
everything,
and
that
that
is
posted
it
on
the
wall
under
the
door
of
the
interest
of
the
recent,
then
there's
a
there's,
a
there's
a
card
in
the
computer
that
need
physically
take
out,
put
it
in
a
box
lock
that
box
seal.
B
That
box,
with
with
with
with
us,
with
a
sealer
record
that
that
serial
number
on
the
on
the
box
with
with
that
card
in
there
they
transport
the
card
and,
on
the
voting
material
over
to
the
Election
Commission
office.
The
Election
Commission
takes
that
that
card
in
enter
that
data
into
the
air,
computer
and
tablets.
The
balance
account
the
balance
once
that's
done.
At
the
end
of
the
day,
when
all
that
is
completed,
we
got
final
results
in
then
we
will
report
the
results
to
this
city
clerk,
which
is
say
all
right.
B
They
cannot
be
counted
and
wherever
and
when
when
that's
completed,
then
whatever
the
number,
the
numbers
could
change,
because
if
we've
discovered
that
a
challenge
ballot
did
not
meet
the
criteria
and
we
that
ballot
would
be
counted,
so
our
person
could
have
a
hundred
ballast
on
to
tonight
and
could
end
up
with
with
101
right,
Thursday
Mona,
but
but
thursday
morning
is
when
we
finalized
the
election
and
and
and
and
we
certify
the
results.
That's
on
the
third
thurs
different
after
the
election
and
then
the
second
council
meeting
in
november.
A
B
Election
commission
certifies
that
election
to
city,
council
and
city
council
then,
and
then
at
that
certification,
the
the
candidates,
the
awareness
will
then
be
sworn
in
and
that
really
brings
to
a
conclusion
that
that
election
cycle
then
we
make
the
ballots,
are
then
placed
in
this
city
vault
for
for
24
months
and
but
the
results
are
permanent.
Sure.
A
A
Quite
a
process
yeah
and
then
know
that
you
take
a
lot
of
pride
and
it's
very
important
to
anybody
who
would
serve
on
the
commission
that
these
steps
are
followed
to
the
t
and
the
process
is
good,
just
as
they
have
been,
and
I
think
it's
just
wonderful
that
the
municipal
election
commission
has
you
know
over
these
30-plus
years
has
had
and
haven't
had
any
trouble.
Well.
B
That
is
one
of
the
things
like
I
think
we,
as
a
commission
pride
ourselves
on
conducting
elections,
really
the
way
they
are
supposed
to
be
conducted,
and
if
you
do
that,
you're
going
to
you're
going
to
come
out
all
right,
but
but
but
we
were
proud
of
that,
then
we
have
not
had
a
an
official
complaint
of
any
election
that
we
have
conducted
many
elections
over
the
over
the
years.
So
we're
pleased
with
that.
Yes,.
A
B
Think
a
big
deal,
and,
and
is
it
we've
had
good
people.
I
may
need
over
every
good
people
to
work
with
good
good
members
of
the
Commission.
Everybody
was
just
good
to
work
with
and
and
and
you
you
had
one
thing
in
mind
and
that's
what
is
the
right
thing
to
do
for
the
city
of
Aiken?
You
don't
want
to
do.
Don't
want
to
do
anything.
That's
going
to
cause
negative
publicity
for
the
city
of
Aiken.
A
B
A
A
B
Any
allowing
me
to
serve
on
on
City
Council
on
the
election
commission,
and
I
would
say
that
I've
tried
to
do
my
best
to
represent
Aiken
in
in
the
way
that
it
should
be
then
nice,
city
and
we
were
proud
of
of
our
city
akin
and
for
what
we
do,
and
the
election
commission
and
on
behalf
of
the
Election
Commission's
that
we've
served
with.
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
support
and
we
just
hope
that
the
city
of
Aiken
contended
to
do
the
thing
that
it
does
best
represents
of
people.
That's.