Elections Commission

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City and County of San Francisco

Elections Commission

 Approved: 3/05/03

Minutes of the Meeting held

February 19, 2003

 

 

1. President Mendelson called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm.

 

• 2.COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Thomas Schultz, Robert Kenealey, Brenda Stowers, Richard Shadoian and Michael Mendelson.  Alix Rosenthal arrived after roll call and before any Commission action ( 7:08 pm).

 

3.         FLAG SALUTE was led by Commissioner Robert Kenealey.

 

4.         PUBLIC COMMENT.   Ross Travis of Sequoia Voting Systems spoke about his company’s creation of the first “touch screen voting system” and said that his company has been the City’s ballot printer for many years.  Mr. Travis said he was speaking because President Mendelson stated at the Commission’s previous meeting that nobody had developed a touch screen ranked choice voting machine.

           

            Larry Korb of Sequoia Voting Systems demonstrated the ABC Edge units that use ranked choice voting.

 

5. The Commission went into closed session to confer with counsel pursuant to Ralph Brown Act, section 54956.9 and Sunshine Ordinance section 67.10(d) at 7:13 pm.

 

            The Commission returned to open session at 7:35 pm and Commissioner Rosenthal MOVED that the action taken in closed session be disclosed. 

 

            MOTION 02-19-03-1 to authorize counsel to seek through legal recourse the restitution from Tammy Haygood of all monies paid her from April 22, 2002 until the present pursuant to trial court’s order in this matter.   Commissioner Schulz SECONDED.  No Public Comment.  The vote was unanimous

 

6.         MOTION to approve the Election Commission Meeting Minutes for February 5, 2003 and the Budget and Policy Committee Meeting held on February 7, 2003.  Commissioner Shadoian noted one spelling correction.  Both sets of minutes were APPROVED unanimously.

 

7.         Anna Borja Valdez reported on the process for Class 0941, Director of Elections, recruitment.  The recruitment began June 21, 2002 and there are nine viable candidates.  Closure for filing of applications will be February 28, 2003.  The examination will be administered between March 31 and April 2, 2003, with the posting and adoption of the eligible list by April 21, 2003.

 

8.         Committee Report – Commissioner Stowers reported on the Budget and Policy Committee’s meeting regarding whether to recommend that the Board of Supervisors amend the Municipal Elections Code to eliminate paid ballot arguments from the City’s Voter Information Pamphlet.  Commissioner Stowers asked that all members read the report and the supporting documents from the Committee and be prepared to discuss and act upon the item at the next Commission meeting, March 5, 2003. 

 

Commissiofner Stowers summarized the Committee’s report.  She said the report presented current revenue and cost deficits caused by paid arguments, the cost of the Voter Information Pamphlet (VIP), history of the VIP, initial options, solutions, and conclusions.  The Committee was in favor of paid appearances, a list of the names of persons/groups in support of a given initiative. The Budget and Policy Committee concluded that paid appearances would lower mailing costs, create a smaller VIP, decrease processing fees for submissions, and allow people/ groups to express their opposition or support of an initiative.  

 

9. Discussion and possible recommendation that the Board of Supervisors amend the Municipal Elections Code to eliminate paid ballot arguments from the City’s Voter Information Pamphlet.  Commissioner Rosenthal MOVED that this item be continued until the next regular meeting of the Commission on March 5, 2003, SECONDED by Commissioner Kenealey. 

 

Public Comment – John Bardis asked if the Commission discussed the reports by Commissioners Stowers and Rosenthal, and if the public was going to make comments on those reports.   President Mendelson responded that this is the purpose of continuing the item to the next meeting.  The President said that the reports were long and needed to be completely reviewed by the members of the Commission.  At that meeting, a recommendation will be made.  Mr. Bardis asked that the materials be made available at the reception area of the Department of Elections.

 

Commissioner Schulz stated that he had an amendment to the recommendation from the Budget and Policy Committee.  President Mendelson reminded him that his amendment can be presented at the next meeting when the item will be discussed.  The President also recommended that Commissioner Schulz give his amendment to the Commission Secretary to make available to the public.  The Commission unanimously voted to continue discussion and possible recommendation that the Board of Supervisors amend the Municipal Elections Code to eliminate paid ballot arguments from the City’s Voter Information Pamphlet for two weeks, until the March 5, 2003 Elections Commission meeting.

 

10.              DIRECTOR’S REPORT:   Provisional Director Arntz introduced Erich Seamon, Technology Manager, Department of Telecommunications, who described the role of DTIS (Department of Technology and Information Services) in reprecincting.       

              Mr. Seamon outlined the goals: a maximum of 900 voters per precinct, precincts may not be split by political boundaries, six block radius for precincts; plan for future growth, use of current precincts as baseline, and the incorporation of Congressional District numbers into precinct numbering.  Mr. Seamon reported that the process will take 8 weeks.

 

              Mr. Arntz reported the following:  Ranked Choice Voting  - still discussing plans with ES&S, as well as researching cities throughout the world who have similar systems, however, the use of touch screens this fall has been set aside.   ES&S is still in development and Mr. Arntz said that he does not know at what stage they are presently.  President Mendelson questioned whether the DOE should get some proprietary interest in the system that’s being built by ES&S with the considerable contributions of the DOE.  Mr. Arntz replied that this was a good idea.   Poll Locating – site reviews have been conducted.  Signage will be improved and made more visible.  The staff working on this are taking one day a week off without pay to help with the budget.  Outreach - during the last week, staff has met with the Southeast Asian Community Center and the Equal Access to City Services Group.  Dialog continues with citizens who are interested in elections.  Staff are taking one day off a week without pay.  Training – a video is being made to instruct poll workers.  This video can be checked out, like a library book, that the workers can take home.  The video will describe what to do at the polling place.  There will also be an internet, on-line test for poll workers which can be taken in addition to the regular written test. We’re also doing sample hand counts.  There are plans to get information out to the public about rank choice voting by way of television ads.  The one person handling training is taking one day off without pay each week.  Ballot Distribution – rank choice voting is being examined as it relates to distribution.  Staff are preparing for November and March.  One person has been laid off from this department and one other is taking two days off a week without pay.  Campaign Services  - is being flooded with the Fair Political Practices filing forms.  Old files are being purged to make room for these new ones.  Staff has been cut to two persons, one working three days and one working four days a week.   Voter Services – staff has been cut to three days a week.  Election Support – staff are working four day weeks, are attending community outreach meetings and working with other Election Department divisions to determine how Ranked Choice Voting will affect poll worker recruitment, training and retention.  Technology Division – finishing upgrade of data management system and has held one-hour Excel Spreadsheet trainings for staff interested in attending.  Work on the electronic bulletin board continues.  The division is creating an electronic system to track the many filings that come into the DoE  which will enable the department to charge and collect fees more efficiently.  In addition, they are helping with the re-precincting. 

 

              We have submitted an invoice for $130,000 to BART for placing their bond issue on last November’s ballot.  Payment is expected within the next two weeks.

 

              The initial budget will be submitted to the Controller’s Office next week.  The Controller’s Office is currently conducting an audit of the use of Cell Phones by the department during the last fiscal year.

 

Commissioner Shadoian complimented the Provisional Director on the poll worker training video and asked if the informantion could also be put on the department’s website and the City’s closed circuit television.  Mr. Arntz replied affirmatively.

 

Commissioner Kenealey asked Counselor Julia Moll if there was an emergency reserve fund for the uninterrupted operation of a department that could be available to the DoE.  Ms. Moll said that she would investigate and inform the Commission. 

 

11.       Discussion and possible action to submit the Fiscal Year 2003-2004 budget targets to the Controller’s Office.  Provisional Director Arntz explained that the document handed out at this meeting was not a final budget but was a placeholder to be submitted by the end of this week.  Commissioner Shadoian said that he was uncomfortable with this process because there wasn’t time to review the information.  Mr. Arntz replied that this was an early Draft and there would be ample time over the next several months when the budget is amended before finalization.  President Mendelson explained that this was the “initiating document of the budget process that the Commission had to submit to the Controller’s Office as a place holder in the process.  It does not bind the department to anything.”   Provisional Director Arntz stated that if the Commission did not approve submittal of this draft, that would put the process behind two weeks because the department would not have any initial numbers submitted into the system for review.

 

MOTION: Commissioner Rosenthal MOVED to submit the fiscal year 2003-2004 draft budget targets to the Controller’s Office.  SECONDED by Commissioner Keaneley.  PASSED unanimously.

 

12.  Discussion and possible recommendation that the Board of Supervisors amend the Municipal Elections Code.  Commissioner Shadoian asked from where the recommendation originated.  Provisional Director Arntz replied that it came from his office.  

 

Public Comment:  Mary Hilton, Vice President of the League of Women Voters, said she was concerned about the possibility of eliminating the League from the Ballot Simplification Committee.  President Mendelson advised Ms. Hilton that this item will be referred to the Budget and Policy Committee to report back to the next regularly scheduled Commission meeting and asked the Commission Secretary to keep Ms. Hilton informed of the date, time and location of that Committee’s next meeting.

 

Adjourned at 9:23 pm.