HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93010_0278IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR MINUTES
NOVEMBER 21 2000
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on Tuesday,
November 21, 2000, at 7:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center (Commissioners
Meeting Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC 28677.
Present: Chairman Sara Haire Tice
Vice Chairman Steve D. Johnson
Tommy E. Bowles
Alice T. Fortner
Alice M. Stewart
Staf_ fP_�esent• County Manager Joel Mashburn, County Attorney Bill Pope, Finance
Director Susan Blumenstein, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Tice.
INVOCATION by Commissioner Bowles.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
APPOINTMENTS BEFORE THE BOARD
PRESENTATION BY MR. JIMMY STRUP IN REFERENCE. TO VOTER
IDENTIFICATION CARDS FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS: Strop, a resident of 156 Ketchic
Drive, Mooresville, spoke about the need for voter identification cards. Sirup said he had been
voting in North Carolina for the past eight years, and he was concerned about the election process.
Mr. Stnrp said the method ofnot requiring some type ofvoter identification left the election process
open to fraud. He said he voted absentee in the past election, and he praised the election officials
for making the voting process more convenient. Mr. Sirup questioned why elections were held on
Tuesdays and not on Saturdays when most people were off work.
Commissioner Johnson said the Constitution stipulated that the United States would elect
the president on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. He said an amendment would
have to be adopted to the Constitution to change the voting day. Johnson added that it was up to the
various states to determine the hours of voting, the polling places, and the type of ballot.
Johnson said he felt voting requirements could be "tightened;" and he would be in favor of
making the process more convenient if it did not compromise the integrity of the election process.
Mr. Johnson said he understood that since the mid 1980s, there had been five attempts in the North
Carolina legislation to approve some form of voter i.d. legislation. Johnson said that on July 12,
1999, an amendment to a bill concerning absentee ballots was presented by Rep. Russell Capps (92n1
District/Wake County). The amendment received 54 votes in favor (all Republicans) and 57 noes
(all Democrats). On July 13, 1999, Rep. Larry Justus (50" District -Henderson County) introduced
another amendment containing language indicating that a voter would show either (1) a voter
registration card issued under G.S. 163-82.8 (2) a drivers license (3) a special identification card
described under G.S. 20-37.7 (4) a passport (5) an identification card issued by the U.S. Dept. of
Defense (6) a uniform prescription drug identification card as required by G.S. 58.3.177 or (7) a
social security card along with one other type ofcard including the voter's name and photo. Johnson
said this amendment was approved in the House, but when it went to the state Senate, no action was
taken.
MOTION by Commissioner Johnson to adopt the following resolution and to direct the clerk
to send a copy of it to Iredell County's legislative delegation.