Elections Commission
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AGENDA
ELECTIONS COMMISSION
Wednesday, June 2, 2004
City Hall, Room 408
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
7:00 pm
COMMISSIONERS
The Honorable Arnold Townsend, President
The Honorable Tony Winnicker, Vice President
The Honorable Robert Kenealey
The Honorable Michael Mendelson
The Honorable Gerard Gleason
The Honorable Eric Safire
The Honorable John Trasviña
Shirley Rodriques
COMMISSION SECRETARY
ORDER OF BUSINESS
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. FLAG SALUTE
4. Public Comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general jurisdiction. The Commission will hear specific public comment on each action item on the agenda before taking action on that item.
5. Director’s Report
• Ranked Choice Voting
• Voter Services Division
• Campaign Services
• Poll Locating
• Training
• Ballot Distribution
• Technology Division
• Budget/Personnel Update
6. President’s Report
• Introduction of new Commission members
7. New Business
(a) Discussion and possible action to approve the minutes for the Commission meeting of May 21, 2004.
- Discussion and possible action to charge the Ballot Simplification Committee (BSC) with approving all Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) language used in voting instructions and tallying information that will appear in the Voter’s Information Pamphlet (VIP).
(c) Discussion and possible action to recommend to the State an amendment to the Elections Code to eliminate the pre-election newspaper notice of poll workers and polling places and posting this information on the Elections Department website instead.
(d) Discussion and possible action to appoint a Voter Outreach Committee.
(e) Discussion and possible action to approve a Statement of Incompatible Activities for the Department of Elections and the Elections Commission. San Francisco Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code section 3.218 requires that each department and commission adopt a Statement of Incompatible Activities, to provide guidance to officers and employees about what types of activities are incompatible with their official City duties. Copies of the proposed Statement are available at the Department of Elections.
(f) Discussion and possible action to recommend that the Board of Supervisors amend the Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code to revise the rules governing personal financial disclosure by employees of the Department of Elections and members of the Elections Commission. The rules were adopted in 2002 and do not accurately reflect the administrative structure of the Department. In addition, the rules may be overly broad. Copies of the proposed amendment are available at the Department of Elections.
(g) Discussion and possible action to recommend that the Board of Supervisors amend the Municipal Elections Code to increase the filing fee for candidates for Supervisor. In general, candidates for municipal office are required to pay a filing fee of two percent of the current annual salary of the office sought by the candidate. In contrast, candidates for Supervisor are required to pay a filing fee of $500. This fee was set when Supervisors were considered to be part-time officers and their salary was $23,924. The salary for Supervisors has since been raised to $112,320. The Department of Elections proposes that candidates for Supervisor pay a filing fee of two percent of the Supervisors' current annual salary (based on the current salary, the filing fee would be $2,246.40). Under the Charter, any fee increase adopted in 2004 would not go into effect until 2005. Copies of the proposed amendment are available at the Department of Elections.
(h) Ranked Choice Voting (RCV).Discussion and possible action to select venues and dates for upcoming Elections Commission Meetings in various City communities, particularly those with low voter turnout.
8. Unfinished Business
(a) Discussion and possible action to propose to the Board of Supervisors a Charter amendment moving the election for the offices of Public Defender and Assessor/Recorder from the March Statewide primary election to the following November general municipal election.
9. Discussion regarding items for future agendas.
10. Public comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general jurisdiction.
11. Announcements.
ADJOURNMENT
Disability Access
The Elections Commission meeting will be held in Room 408, City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA. The Commission meeting room is wheelchair accessible. The closest accessible BART station is the Civic Center Station at United Nations Plaza and Market Street. Accessible MUNI lines serving this location are: #42 Downtown Loop, and #71 Haight/Noriega and the F Line to Market and Van Ness and the Metro Stations at Van Ness and Market and at Civic Center. For information about MUNI accessible services call (415) 923-6142. There is accessible curbside parking adjacent to City Hall on Grove Street and Van Ness Avenue and in the vicinity of the Veterans Building at 401 Van Ness Avenue adjacent to Davies Hall and the War Memorial Complex.
The following services are available on request 48 hours prior to the meeting; except for Monday meetings, for which the deadline shall be 4:00 p.m. of the last business day of the preceding week: For American sign language interpreters or the use of a reader during a meeting, a sound enhancement system, and/or alternative formats of the agenda and minutes, please contact The Elections Office at (415) 554- 4375 or our TDD at (415) 554-4386 to make arrangements for the accommodation. Late requests will be honored, if possible.
In order to assist the City's efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City accommodate these individuals. Individuals with chemical sensitivity or related disabilities should call our accessibility hotline at (415) 554-6060.
Know your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance (Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code)
Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils, and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people's review. For more information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance or to report a violation of the ordinance, contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, Donna Hall, Clerk, City Hall, Room 409, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102-4683 at Phone No.: (415) 554-7724; Fax No.: (415) 554-7854; E-mail: [email protected] Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can be obtained from the Clerk of the Sunshine Task Force, the San Francisco Public Library and on the City's website at www.ci.sf.ca.us.
The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. Please be advised that the Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices.
Lobbyist Registration and Reporting Requirements
Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance [SF Campaign & Governmental Conduct Code §2.100] to register and report lobbying activity. For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the Ethics Commission at 30 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 3900, San Francisco, CA 94102; telephone (415) 581-2300, fax (415) 581-2317; web site at http://www.sfethics.org/.