title
Receive a presentation from the Registrar of Voters’ Office on preparations for the 2020 General Elections, with contingencies; Consider adopting a resolution supporting AB860 allowing county elections officials to conduct the November 3, 2020 election as an all-mail ballot election with traditional polling places; and Consider adopting an updated stipend schedule for pollworkers and poll places for contingency measures identified by the Registrar of Voters.
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Registrar of Voters (ROV) recommends the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive a presentation from the Registrar of Voters’ Office on preparations for the 2020 General Elections with contingencies;
2. Adopt a resolution (Attachment A) supporting AB860 allowing county elections officials to conduct the November 3, 2020 election as an all-mail ballot election with traditional polling places; and
3. Adopt the updated stipend schedule for pollworkers and poll places for contingency measures identified by the Registrar of Voters.
SUMMARY:
The Registrar of Voters (ROV) supports providing the maximum amount of voting opportunities for the upcoming Presidential General Election while ensuring compliance with County health orders to protect the public, our volunteers, and the employees administering the election. Maintaining low wait-times for voter services, while ensuring the election is conducted in a transparent, secure and accurate manner are key goals for the ROV.
Voting opportunities in November include options to all voters for voting by mail, in-person services at the ROV office for the normal 30-day voting period, and at assigned in-person election day polling places. ROV will provide additional mailings to ensure voters are aware of the voting options, while promoting early voting via mail or in-person, at the ROV office. This process would require an executive order by the Governor of California, or an update to California Elections Code by the State legislature, to allow Solano County to execute this plan. A resolution and letter to support AB860 by Assembly Member Berman is attached for consideration. Alternatively, a draft Executive Order to the Governor is attached supported by the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials (CACEO).
As part of normal contingency planning, ROV has reviewed the possibility that polling places may not be available or large enough to accommodate social distancing or meeting the goals for maintaining public health standards. In most cases voters can be redirected to a nearby existing polling location. As the number of unavailable locations approach 30%, additional measures must be taken to maintain a high level of service. ROV is prepared to provide full service locations (i.e. Satellite offices) which would provide service to any voter not just those affected by poll place closures. These locations would operate for a minimum of 5 days instead of just Election Day. To facilitate payment to the facility being used for multiple voting days, and provide a stipend for pollworkers, the ROV has presented an updated pollworker stipend chart for consideration.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The ROV is fully funded in the FY20/21 requested budget for the following plan:
• Normal Execution of the November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election;
• Increase sending vote by mail ballots to 100% of Solano County Voters (a 20% increase to vote by mail volume);
• Increase 5-day curbside drop-off locations to 7 (increase of 4 more than March Primary).
• Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all staff, pollworkers plus hand sanitizer to voters entering and exiting all voting locations.
The ROV is proposing a multi-tiered contingency plan which includes providing additional full service satellite locations for 4 days. The ROV does anticipate additional costs associated with each of these levels as follows:
• Level 1 - Loss of 20-40 polling places, additional 3 satellite offices - estimated $56,000 increase.
• Level 2 - Loss of 50-70 polling places, additional 6 satellite offices - estimated $158,000 increase.
• Level 3 - Loss of 80-100 polling places, additional 12 satellite offices - estimated $358,000 increase.
Costs associated with the contingency plan include additional ROV staffing, supplies, logistics, and notices to voters.
If additional costs are experienced, ROV would present these findings to the Board and would request a midyear budget adjustment after the election has been conducted.
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, ROV has been discussing best practices with colleagues around the country for ensuring public and staff safety for the upcoming November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election.
The takeaway from the Department’s research is to increase remote voting opportunities, while attempting to maintain the high level of in-person voting that the community expects from our office. The ROV’s proposal includes:
• Ensuring every voter receives a ballot in the mail to use if desired;
• Increasing visibility of remote accessible ballots currently provided to disabled and military voters;
• Increasing visibility of “curbside” voting at all in-person polling places;
• Increasing vote by mail return options (drop-off locations) prior to election day;
• Maintaining same level of in-person polling places as the March Primary Election;
• Sending additional notices to voters informing them of the different voting options available.
• Increasing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all staff and pollworkers;
• Providing Hand Sanitizer to all voting locations, including for voters entering and leaving voting location; and
• Monitoring changes by County health order or Governor’s Executive Order ensuring all locations comply with current orders.
To achieve these goals, ROV needs variance from existing law which requires voters to request a vote by mail ballot before being sent one. ROV would like to receive this relief in the form of a Legislative addition for the November 3, 2020 election to be conducted by mail. State Assembly Member Berman has drafted AB860 and has gained support by 14 additional co-authors. The ROV would also like to formally support this legislative change.
Alternatively, ROV has prepared an executive order from Governor Newsom. Several California counties have already submitted a similar draft executive order, and this also has the support of the CACEO.
The Department’s goals have been standard for over 20 years of elections but continue to be reviewed and updated with contingency plans as various emergencies and issues change over time. The Department has reached a point where it’s now necessary to consider plans that include wide-spread loss of polling places. This could be from a pandemic/health emergency or natural disaster such as those experienced by neighboring counties in 2018.
In reviewing a more wide-spread loss of polling places throughout the county, staff discovered the need for varying levels of contingency which is presented for consideration. As the loss of polling places increases, it becomes difficult to relocate voters to an alternate site. Rather, ROV would implement a full-service satellite office at established, well-known locations not currently serving as shelter locations. These locations would also operate for 4 voting days to include weekend voting. By operating these locations for multiple voting days, ROV wants to ensure that pollworkers and the locations have a method for receiving a stipend for each of the days that the location will be used.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose to not approve the resolution showing support of AB860 to conduct the November 3, 2020 election as an all-mail ballot election with traditional polling places. This is not recommended because ROV believes it is in the best interest of the County and the community to increase options for voters in November to ensure all voters will have access to a ballot even if the county is still under stay at home orders.
The ROV has provided an alternative option to supporting AB860 in a resolution requesting the Governor of California to support the proposed executive order directing county elections officials to conduct the November 3, 2020 election as an all-mail ballot election with traditional polling places. The ROV recommends supporting one of the two options to allow for the most options for voters in the event of an extended stay at home order in October or November.
The Board could choose to not approve modifying the pollworker stipend chart. This is not recommended because ROV needs flexibility in ensuring pollworkers and poll places receive stipends for multiple days of voting which may be necessary to execute the contingency models identified above.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Registrar of Voters consulted with the County Auditor-Controller on the proposed modifications to the pollworker stipend.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION