CLUB MINUTES: APRIL 4, 2017

Posted on Apr 06, 2017
 
Pictured L-R: Lamar Co. Circuit Clerk, Martin Hankins, Allen Anderson, and Jaclyn Adams.
 
President Jaclyn Adams presided over the meeting. Thanks to Mike Ratliff who gave the invocation and to Joe Meador who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
 
Thanks also to Mary Cromartie and Lucy Parker who served as our greeters today.
 
Tracie Fowler noted that we have no visitors and no visiting Rotarians today.
 
Jaclyn asked that we keep Toxie Morris in our prayers. He is...
 
...having health issues and the club may have to provide a temporary leave-of-absence for him in the coming weeks.
 
Allen Anderson then introduced today’s guest speaker, Martin Hankins, Lamar County Circuit Clerk. Martin was elected to this position in November, 2015 and began his service in January, 2016.  
 
The topic of today’s presentation is voter fraud. Martin says his job is to protect the integrity of the election system throughout Lamar County and it is a job that he takes seriously.
 
Voter ID has been very helpful to Circuit Clerks across Mississippi according to Martin. He noted a recent newspaper article in which it was reported that Madison County has purged more than 5,000 voters from their roles. In the 2012 presidential election that county had 58 persons older than 100 vote. This last election they only had 10 centurions to vote.
 
He reminded Rotarians to make sure they keep their voting records updated at the Circuit Clerk’s office. If you move within the county, you must let the Clerk know. You can visit the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office and make the update through their website http://www.sos.ms.gov/Vote/Pages. Making sure you keep your records straight helps the Clerk’s avoid voter fraud. The State Attorney General was involved in a recent Lamar County case where a resident was registered to vote at three different addresses and actually voted at two of those addresses.
 
If you move across county lines, you are required to make a visit to the new county’s Circuit Clerk’s office and register to vote.
 
Everyone has the right to vote according to Martin. However, if there are any issues with your voting registration you will be required to cast an affidavit ballot. These ballots are not counted until five days after each election because residents have five days to come to the Clerk’s office and verify their identification. Once that occurs, the ballot is counted.
 
There are 34,116 registered voters in Lamar County according to Martin. During the past president election a 75% turnout was reported.
 
With no other business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned by Jaclyn with our motto, “Service Above Self”.