JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4Jax is continuing to fight for transparency in the upcoming election after the Duval County Canvassing Board changed several rule regarding its procedures.
The board is no longer allowing News4Jax cameras inside to show the process of how vote-by-mail ballots are rejected and it’s also limiting some of the ways observers can challenge the board decisions on the ballots.
News4Jax was back at the election center on Friday where vote-by-mail ballots are being processed. Our cameras were allowed because the canvassing board was not in session reviewing those ballots.
During Thursday’s Canvassing Board Meeting News4Jax was told to remove our cameras.
News4Jax reporter Jim Piggott strongly objected and now an attorney for WJXT along with other media outlets are involved trying to have the decision reversed.
The rule to ban cameras was actually made earlier this month at a meeting on Oct. 9. At that time one of the three canvassing board members was Jacksonville Councilwoman Joyce Morgan. She is an alternate member and was filling in for another councilmember. Morgan is a former journalist and anchor at WJXT.
She said the reason she voted against allowing cameras is because she was told private information could be revealed.
“I knew that there was always a fine line between the right of media and the right of citizens and with the information I was given on Tuesday I voted against it,” Morgan said.
After watching what went down Thursday at the canvassing board and the objections that we raised, she now has some concerns about cameras being removed.
Morgan was not at the recent meeting, but Judge Brent Shore was there. He was the chairman.
After that meeting, News4Jax asked him why he did not want cameras in the room.
“We are being as transparent as possible,” Shore said. “Nothing is being hidden. I don’t know how you can really imply that."
The ballots are displayed on an overhead projector screen visible only to those in attendance. Now, because of the pandemic, the number of those who can attend is limited.
News4Jax and other media is only to observe those ballots but can’t take pictures or record them to publish them as we did in the past so you could judge for yourself if those votes should be accepted or not.
In some other Florida counties, the meetings are now streamed live. In Broward County and Alachua County, the ballots that are in question are also shown in that live feed.
That is one reason why News4Jax attorney Ed Birk along with lawyers from other media outlet are fighting the decision to not allow cameras.
We checked with the local political parties about that board decision. The head of the Duval County Republican Party Dean Black wrote in a statement:
“The Republican Party of Duval County insists that every legal vote be counted. With equal vigor, we insist that no illegal votes be counted. We trust Judge Shore, the Canvassing Board, and Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan to follow the law.”
The local Democratic Party with their attorney originally brought the complaint to the canvassing board about limiting cameras and the challenge procedure for questionable ballots.
Duval County Democratic Party Chair Daniel Henry released this statement:
“Democrats believe that elections should be transparent. We are seeking a safe, secure, and open vote counting process consistent with Florida law and the past practices of former Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland, a Republican. As Duval Democrats told the Canvassing Board earlier this week, we oppose the current procedures which ban cameras and recording devices in Canvassing Board meetings. The public has a right to see democracy in action. Those meetings should not only be open to the public in person but should also be live-streamed online for all 930,000 citizens and 665,000 registered voters living in Jacksonville.”
The board meets again Monday morning where it will review more vote-by-mail ballots.
Birk is hoping to reach an agreement that would allow cameras back in to view the process but is also getting ready to take the matter to court if need be.
“WJXT is working with Jacksonville’s major news media who are unified in fighting this unlawful denial of public access. We’re seeing if it can be resolved informally, but at the same time we’re drafting documents to file a lawsuit if necessary,” Birk said.