Elections Commission
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 Elections Commission Meeting
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
at 6:00 pm
City Hall Room 408
ORDER OF BUSINESS
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. FLAG SALUTE
4. ANNOUNCEMENTS
5. Public comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general
Jurisdiction
6. Director’s Report
• Division Updates
• Ballot Distribution • Poll Locating/ADA
• Budget/Personnel • Poll Worker Division
• Campaign Services • Technology Division
• Outreach • Voter Services
• Publications •
• Update on data for post-canvas audit of equipment
• Presentation of the Election Plan for the February 5, 2008, Primary Election
7. Commissioners’ Reports
Commissioner Gerard Gleason to report on meeting with Director of Elections to inquire about the instructions that voters are given at polling sites regarding the use of disabled access equipment versus the use of paper ballots.
Other Commissioners may have reports regarding the following:
• Meetings with public officials
• Oversight and Observation activities
• Meetings with nongovernmental organizations
• Long-range planning for Commission activities and areas of study
8. Committee Report
(a) Budget and Oversight of Public Elections Committee (BOPEC) Chairperson Gleason will report on the findings of the Committee regarding Commissioner access to election procedures during elections.
9. OLD BUSINESS
(a) Discussion and possible action regarding the effectiveness of the
November 6, 2007 Election Plan.
(b) Update of the Annual Report for 2007. President Jennifer Meek.
10. NEW BUSINESS
(a) Discussion and possible action to adopt the following policy that is recommended by the BOPEC Committee:
“It shall be the Election Commission’s policy to assess the conduct of an election as delineated in the Election Plan in specific areas, agreed upon in advance, by the Elections Commission, through reasonable and appropriate observations, investigation and/or further inquiry of those areas.”
(b) Discussion and possible action to determine areas of Commission interest and observation for the February 5, 2008, Presidential Primary Election, and which Commissioners will make those observations.
(c) Discussion and possible action regarding a policy that the Department advises voters to use paper ballots and not the DRE that will be available at the precincts. [This item was carried over from the December Commission Meeting.]
(d) Discussion and possible action to approve the February 5, 2008 Presidential Primary Election Plan.
(e) Discussion and possible action to submit a request to the Board of Supervisors for a waiver allowing certain City employees or officers to work on the February 5, 2008 Presidential Primary Election.
(f) Discussion and possible action to approve the minutes of the Elections Commission December 19, 2007 meeting.
(g) Discussion and possible action to amend Article V, Section 2-E of the by-laws from “The President shall present a draft of the annual report to the full Commission in July of each year and the annual report shall be approved by the full Commission no later than August 31 of each year.” to “The President shall present a draft of the annual report to the full Commission in November of each year and the annual report shall be approved by the full Commission no later than December 31st of that year.”
(h) Discussion and possible action to amend Article VI, Section 3 of the by-laws from “The Commission shall conduct performance reviews for the Director of Elections and the Executive Secretary during each fiscal year.” to “The Commission shall conduct performance reviews for the Director of Elections and the Executive Secretary during each fiscal year beginning the fiscal year for 2008-2009.”
(i) Discussion and possible action regarding devoting the entirety of the March 19th Elections Commission meeting to hearing feedback on the elections process from pollworkers in San Francisco. The Commission may request the Department of Elections to distribute an announcement and information regarding the proposed Commission meeting to pollworkers. A draft of the proposed announcement regarding this agenda item will be presented at the January 16th Commission meeting. [Gleason]
(j) Discussion and possible action to elect Officers of the San Francisco Elections Commission. The process shall be as follows: The current president will open nominations first for the office of president of the Elections Commission. When there are no further nominations, the president will close nominations. Public comment will then be sought. At the conclusion of public comment, there will be a roll call vote of all commissioners during which each commissioner shall say then name of a nominee for whom he or she wishes to vote. Any nominee receiving four votes shall be elected president. The same process will then be followed for the office of vice president. The terms of office for the new officers begin immediately at the conclusion of tonight’s meeting. (Elec. Comm. Bylaws, Art. V, Sec. 1(B).)
11. Discussion regarding items for future agendas
ADJOURNMENT
Complete Commission Packet for January 16, 2008 Meeting
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.
Materials contained in the Commission packets for meetings is available for inspection at the Elections Department, City Hall Room 48, in the Commission's Public Binder, no later than 72 hours prior to meetings.
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/.