inspection of ballot materials

Any person authorized by Florida Statute 101.572(2) who wishes to review or inspect ballot materials must submit a request form to the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Office and request access in advance of the Canvassing Board meeting.

All authorized persons will be required to complete an attestation upon arrival. Authorized designees must provide a signed letter from the candidate or entity designating them as a representative.

What is the Canvassing Board?

The Canvassing Board is a group of local elected officials who oversee important parts of the election. The Florida canvass process protects your vote. Each election in Florida requires a Canvassing Board for oversight and certification of the electoral process. The official election canvass is conducted in each county pursuant to Florida Statutes and Rules of the Florida Administrative Code.

The duties of the Board can be summarized in three main points:

• To certify the voting equipment correctly counts votes cast for all offices and on all measures
• To verify the accuracy and validity of all votes cast
• To submit the official returns to the Department of State

This ensures that critical decisions about the election are made by a group rather than one single person. The Canvassing Board is its own governing body and is made up of all three branches of government. The Chair leads each Board meeting. In addition to Board meetings, members oversee a variety of activities related to the election.

Membership

The membership of the 2024 Flagler County Canvassing Board is:

• Honorable Andrea Totten, County Judge (Sitting member and Chair)
• Honorable David Sullivan, Flagler County Commissioner (Sitting member)
• Honorable Kaiti Lenhart, Supervisor of Elections (Sitting member)
• Honorable D. Melissa Distler, Flagler County Judge (Alternate member)
• Honorable Donald O'Brien, County Commissioner (Alternate member)

Canvassing Election Integrity

The Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Office is committed to election integrity. We follow many safeguards to ensure the security of ballots during canvassing activities. At least one member of the Canvassing Board oversees any and all canvassing activities.

• Ballots are kept in secured, locked areas when being tabulated.
• The canvassing room is under 24-hour video surveillance.
• All voting equipment is tested prior to use to ensure that it is working properly and accurately recording votes.
• Voting equipment is not connected to the internet. This includes all tabulators and the elections server.

Room Access

Candidate and party representatives, members of the media, and members of the public are welcome to attend Canvassing Board meetings or observe canvassing activity. The full schedule of Board meetings and canvassing activity is publicly noticed, and available on our website.

• The meeting room has capacity limits and space is limited.
• Persons attending Board meetings or observing canvassing activity shall remain within the public seating area or viewing gallery.
• Firearms and weapons are not permitted in the Elections Office during Canvassing Board meetings, canvassing activity periods, or other voting activities. A concealed weapons license does not exempt someone from this prohibition. However, the Board may authorize law enforcement to provide security during Board meetings or canvassing activity, and such sworn officers are exempt from this prohibition.

Decorum

The Chair shall preserve order and decorum at Board meetings. Outside of Board meetings, the Board member responsible for overseeing operations within the canvassing room shall preserve order and decorum.

• Individuals attending Board meetings or observing canvassing activities must silence their phones and other electronic devices.
• Order must be preserved. No person shall, by speech or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the Board or disturb canvassing operations. No person shall refuse to obey the orders of the Chair or Board member responsible for preserving order, or the rules of decorum.
• Members of the public shall not interrupt Board meetings, except to make a reasonable objection as provided by law or to respond to an inquiry from the Chair.
• Any person making irrelevant, impertinent, or slanderous remarks or who becomes boisterous shall not be considered orderly or decorous.
• Any person who becomes disorderly shall be cautioned by the person responsible for preserving order. If they are addressing the Board, they shall be given the opportunity to conclude their remarks in a decorous manner and within the designated time limit. Any person failing to comply as cautioned shall be barred from making any additional comments during the meeting by the Chair, unless permission to continue or again address the Board is granted by a majority vote of the Board.
• If the Board member responsible for preserving order declares an individual out of order, he or she will be requested to leave the Elections Office. If the person does not do so, he or she is subject to removal and may face punishment under Florida law.
• Any person who becomes disruptive or interferes with the orderly business of the Board or of canvassing activity may be removed from the canvassing room or other meeting room for the remainder of the meeting or processing period.