Beaufort County board adopts trial poll-worker comment sheet and asks staff to propose review process

The Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections voted May 22 to trial a poll-worker comment sheet for board members during the June primary and asked staff to propose how the board should review and act on the collected feedback.

The two-part motion, made by an ad hoc committee member and seconded by Jim Becker, directs board members to complete the form on a trial basis and asks staff (Marie Smalls, director) to present options for post-election analysis and follow-up. The motion carried after discussion about how the sheet would be used and who would analyze the results.

Board members said the sheet is intended to capture observations at polling locations that could identify training needs and potential poll-worker candidates. One member described the proposal as "a good tool" to observe performance "under fire" on election day; another urged clarity on who would collate and act on the data, asking whether the board or staff would perform the analysis.

Marie Smalls, the director, said staff responsibilities and workload would shape any follow-up method; she agreed to propose a process after the June election. Board members emphasized they did not intend to replace staff authority but to use the form as a development and oversight tool.

The board noted the form would be completed by board members, not handed to clerks, so the board itself would be the initial collector of the feedback. Members asked for blank copies to carry on election day and for staff to recommend whether follow-up should be phone calls, a workshop, or another format.

The motion was approved without a roll-call tally recorded in the meeting transcript. The board plans to use the trial results to decide whether to continue or adapt the comment sheet for future elections.