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Valerie Fuller (intro): 

You’re tuned in to the Clayton Connected podcast in Clayton County where the world lands and opportunities take off.

And hello, hello, hello, I am Communications Administrator Valerie Fuller in the Clayton Connected podcast studio today.

With me today is the Shauna Dozier. She is the Director for Elections and Registrations, Welcome!

Shauna Dozier

Thank you very much!

Valerie Fuller

So we are super excited to have you in the studio today. I’m just glad your schedule was clear enough to get you in here.

This is a very busy lady. Thank you so much for the job that you do or Clayton County citizens running that elections and registration offices.

Not an easy task, but you do it and it looks like it’s just seamless. Like you make it look so easy.

So thank you for the work and your service to the employees here as well as to the community at large.

So today we are talking about elections, the general election that’s coming up on November 3rd Tuesday.

Right now we are in the early voting process. How are things going?

Shauna Dozier

Well, today is our first day and so we’re super excited about the start of early voting today.

The voters are excited, they’re pumped and ready to go and we’re ready to let them come out and cast their ballots.

So it’s going very well so far within the first hour we’ve had 800 voters within the first hour.

Valerie Fuller

So it kicked off this morning at what time?

Shauna Dozier

At eight o’clock.

Valerie Fuller

At eight o’clock early voting kicked off and early voting is underway until what day?

Shauna Dozier

Until October 30th and also we have extended hours until 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and we have Saturday as well as Sunday vote.

Listen, super convenient. You do not have to wait until the Tuesday for the general election on November 3rd.

Valerie Fuller

You have all these days, all this time to prepare, even look at the sample ballot online, right?

Shauna Dozier

Absolutely. We want to do everything we can to make it convenient for our voters.

We understand our voters working Metro Atlanta counties and so we try to make it as convenient as possible.

But one of the things that is very helpful is looking at the sample ballot in advance so that you can study and notice candidates and be ready to vote.

So that website is Claytonelections.com for those of you who need to access or want to access the early ballot or to look at it during advanced voting.

Or prior to you entering the polling site, right?

Valerie Fuller

You can go to Claytonelections.com. What else will they find there on the webpage?

Shauna Dozier

Also, you can find the early voting information we have 11 early voting sites.

Also, if you want a customized sample ballot, you can go on our website or you can go to the Georgia My Voter page, including your name and your birthday.

Of course, Clayton County, if you’re Clayton County resident, and it’ll pull up your customized sample ballot.

Valerie Fuller

Now, there is a difference between early voting and the actual general election day in reference to where you vote. What’s the difference?

Shauna Dozier

So the big difference is during early voting, you can go to any one of our convenient 11 early voting sites to cash your ballot.

However, on election day, on election day, you go to your actual precinct that’s within your, I would say most of the time within a mile from your resident.

So no excuses.

Everybody who’s a registered voter, get out to the polls, make your voice heard, access the early ballot.

If you have questions, you can always contact who you can always contact the office at 770-777-3372.

And if there are any questions about the elections, any questions about your voter registration, we are happy to serve. We’re happy to answer those questions for you.

Valerie Fuller

So there is something new on the slate for the public here in Clayton County.

Shauna Dozier

We now have a new 1.1 million special purpose local option sales tax or SPLOST fund it election center and it’s a new location this time at 1117 Battle Creek Road in Jonesboro.

Valerie Fuller

What is this new center?

Shauna Dozier

So this is actually where all the magic happens on election night.

We conduct our tabulation.

So when we were displaying those election results, that’s where it’s being taken place.

And so until election day, that’s where our logic and accuracy is testing is being done.

And so any person citizen voter can come out and watch us conduct the logical accuracy testing is open to the public.

So important for people to know transparency, the communication piece to that too, just making sure that people know that citizens have rights and that this is a transparent process.

Valerie Fuller

So why in the years past have do you typically have a lot of citizens that come out at different times to just observe?

Shauna Dozier

Typically no, we do advertise that this is open to the public.

It always has been open to the public, but typically we do not have anyone that comes review us and watch the process unfold.

But we’re happy to provide someone there.

Our elections in a manager is available to even discuss the process and what our technicians are doing during the logic and accuracy process.

Valerie Fuller

So observation of the preparation and processes of election day, I’m going to go out just to see I’ve never been able to do it because I too am busy in my role here as communications administrator, but I like to see and help educate and inform people on what’s happening throughout Clayton County.

And again, thank you and your team and staff for the magnificent job that you guys make look so easy, but we know that it’s a lot of hard work and energy and time put into it.

So thank you for that.

Back to the voters themselves.

What reminders do you have for them? What do they need to remember as they enter the polling site?

Shauna Dozier

The only one no cell phone. Please don’t take any selfies, take any pictures of your ballot, talking on your cell phone that is prohibited when you come inside of the polling location.

Also make sure you bring your photo ID. You will need that. However, if you do not have your photo ID, you can cast a provisional ballot.

Also, they’re going to be one change that most voters probably did not see. It was implemented during our special election for congressman David Scott special election.

Yes.

And that is voters when they come in to check in there now going to see our poll officials right there named down on a number list of voters. That’s something that the voters have not seen in a very, very long time because it’s been digitized.

But with a state election board rule that has recently changed, we now are required by law to write and manually write those names on the number list. And so that’s going to be something new that our voters will see.

Valerie Fuller

Alright.

I can’t say enough. Thank you for joining us here in the Clayton connected podcast studio.

We will be there in the next video. We will be there. So, we will be there. We will be there in the next video. So, I will be there.

Thank you for listening to the Clayton connected podcast in Clayton County, Georgia, where the world lands and opportunities take off.

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