Elections Commission
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AGENDA
ELECTIONS COMMISSION
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
City Hall, Room 408
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
7:00 pm
COMMISSIONERS
The Honorable Richard P. Matthews, President
The Honorable Sheila Chung, Vice President
The Honorable Gerard Gleason
The Honorable Michael Mendelson
The Honorable Eric Safire
The Honorable Arnold Townsend
Shirley Rodriques
COMMISSION SECRETARY
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
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
• Voter Services Division • Poll Worker Division
• Campaign Services • Technology Division
• Poll Locating/ADA • Outreach
• Budget / Personnel • Request for Proposal (RFP) Update
- President’s Report
• Meetings with public officials:
Mayor Gavin Newsom to discuss Department of Elections budget for
the next fiscal year
• Meetings with nongovernmental organizations
• Oversight and Observation activities:
Attendance at meeting of Department of Elections staff with former grantees to discuss voter outreach and education programs
• Long-range planning for Commission activities and areas of study
7. Commissioners’ Reports
• Meetings with public officials
• Meetings with nongovernmental organizations
• Oversight and Observation activities
• Long-range planning for Commission activities and areas of study
8. New Business
- Discussion and possible action to approve the minutes for the Commission meeting of May 18, 2005.
- Discussion and possible action to request that the Department of Corrections/Sheriff’s Department routinely notify parolees of the voting rights.
- Discussion and possible action to determine topics to be covered at the Elections Commission Retreat on Friday, July 22, 2005, at the Fort Mason Officer’s Club Lounge, from 1:00 pm until 4:00pm. A list of proposed topics is attached to this agenda.
(d) Discussion and possible action to urge the Board of Supervisors to allocate funds in the next fiscal year for voter education and outreach, including education and outreach concerning ranked-choice voting (RCV). On November 8, 2005, San Francisco will conduct its first City-wide ranked-choice contests for Assessor, City Attorney and Treasurer. Although San Francisco conducted district-wide ranked-choice contests in November 2004, voter education and outreach programs were targeted at voters in those districts only. Those programs ensured that voters had a successful experience with RCV, and that the City fully complied with federal mandates for assistance to voters. To replicate that success, and ensure full compliance with federal voting laws, the outreach and education programs must be expanded to target all voters.
(e) Discussion and possible action to appoint a Commissioner or a committee of Commissioners to investigate the ways and means of having all-postal-return elections for all elections in San Francisco, including but not limited to: identifying which sections of the California Elections Code would have to be amended in order for San Francisco to undertake all-postal elections; studying the Oregon method of conducting statewide elections solely by mail; conferring with the Director of Elections about the operational requirements of conducting all-postal elections in San Francisco; and any other topic necessary for the Commission to make informed choices about whether to pursue this method of voting.
- Overview of the Department of Elections. The Director of Elections will provide an overview of each Division that includes essential election-related activities.
• Voter Services • Budget / Personnel
• Campaigns Services • Poll Worker Division
• Poll Locating • Ballot Distribution
- Discussion regarding items for future agendas.
11. Public comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general jurisdiction.
12. Announcements.
13. ADJOURNMENT
ATTACHMENT:
ELECTIONS COMMISSION RETREAT
Friday, July 22, 2005
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Fort Mason Officer’s Club Lounge
NOTE: The times for these suggested topics have not been finalized
1:00 pm INTRODUCTION OF COMMISSION MEMBERS AND GOALS
1:10 pm Expectations of Commissioners between meetings.
1: 30 pm What interactions should Commissioners have with DoE staff? Limits of jurisdiction and duty. (SF Charter secs. 4.102 – 4.104 define the duties of the Elections Commission.)
2:00 pm Relationship between Commissioners and appointing authorities.
2:30 pm Should there be adjustments to the Commission’s Bylaws now that the Commission is no longer in its infancy?
3:00 pm What, if any, committee structure should the Commission have?
Disability Access
The Elections Commission meetings are usually 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/.