April 17, 2013

1. Call to Order & Roll Call
President Jill Rowe called the meeting to order at 6:01 pm. PRESENT: Commissioners Jill Rowe, Gerard Gleason, Winnie Yu, Rosabella Safont, Catalina Ruiz-Healy. EXCUSED ABSENCE: Commissioner Richard Matthews.

2. Public comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general jurisdiction. NO PUBLIC COMMENT

3. Approval of Minutes from previous meetings.
Commissioner Safont motioned to approve the Minutes of the March 20, 2013 Elections Commission Meeting and it was seconded by Commissioner Gleason. Commissioner Safont requested a correction under Director’s Report line 4; the budget analyst name should read “Harvey Rose.”
The roll call vote was UNANIMOUS to APPROVE the minutes as corrected.

4. Director’s Report.
Director Arntz
Division Reports
(a) Administrative (Budget/Personnel) – Tying up fiscal year, creating orientation video which will include the DHR handbook and will put that on an internal website.
(b) Ballot Distribution – working on automation plans for November; met with the Mayor regarding central Market and Broadway Community Business District Election which is scheduled to begin in May.
(c) Campaign Services – looking at their guides and going through files
(d) Outreach Division – created Access Assisted Information for All Voters Brochure. It was printed using grant funds from Help America Vote Act that the Secretary of State Office dispersed last year. They have 47 organizations that will participate in their voter outreach network meetings. They’re working with Mayor’s office on ways to announce and distribute brochure. They’ve been participating in citizenship ceremonies and continue to station themselves at the main library every 1st Wednesday of the month to provide registration information. Upcoming events meeting in May, 3 more ceremonies, Richmond Community Health Fair May 4th, District 11 Town Hall at Minnie & Lovey Ward Recreation Center May 4th, and The Asian Heritage Street Celebration in the Civic Center. Expanding social media and would like the commissioners to “Like” them on their Facebook page.
(e) Poll Worker Division – working with the vendor that formats the voter guide to review the poll worker manual to make it more user friendly. Poll worker networker meeting is set to take place in May. “Insight Clerk Job” will be on the upcoming agenda.
(f) Precinct Services – completed consolidation of polling places for this election.
(g) Publications – sent “common pages” materials to vendor and waiting on feedback.
(h) Technology Division – transitioned to a new server and completed a new ballot designation database. Created a poll worker profile page so that poll workers can interact with the Department online.
(i) Voter Services – voter file maintenance. They have received some deceased listings from the state; duplicate file information from the state, and files from the DMV, and we’re looking through their files to see where any stress points are in their process that can be remedied.
NO PUBLIC COMMENT

5. Discussion and possible action regarding reducing and consolidating precincts.
Commissioner Gleason stated that he sent an email regarding section 12223B of the Election Code. In short this made sure that voters didn’t have to go too far to a precinct to vote. San Francisco is at that point where this should be modified from having precincts of 1,000 voters as a maximum and we should be allowed to do some type of modification to save money. In so doing we need to keep in mind that other counties have proximity issues.
Commissioner Rowe agreed that it is a good idea to draft a communication and requested that Commissioner Gleason work with the Director on the content of it for our next meeting.
Assistant District Attorney Mollie Lee stated that proposals to change state legislation need to either go through city state legislation committee or through the board of supervisors.
Commissioner Rowe asked if we were able to consolidate for statewide election purposes would you still consolidate even further for the municipals or would this eliminate that problem?
Director Arntz stated that if we had 410 polling places for this upcoming election we would stick to that number going forward. We do look at proximity and barriers as well. When you get below that number you start running into problems like trying to cross 280 or go up Diamond Heights to go vote so 410 is our limit as far as consolidation is concerned.
Commissioner Rowe stated that this proposal could actually benefit an issue that we’re not looking at primarily but benefit the issue of voters having to switch from one polling place to the next between statewide and municipal elections.
Commissioner Gleason stated yes the issue is efficient operation and the other is keeping a steady known location where people will be able to vote.
Commissioner Rowe stated that it would be worth noting that in the proposal as a benefit for our county and that Commissioner Gleason should begin drafting it before the next meeting if possible.
Commissioner Yu asked for the 410 precincts are they prioritized or selected in a certain way in regards to accessibility?
Director Arntz said yes that there is a criterion that is used and he can bring that to the next meeting. All of the sites ought to be accessible.
NO PUBLIC COMMENT

6. Discussion and possible action regarding voter registration through the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Commissioner Gleason believes that this is an issue that we need to collaborate with the Future of California Elections speaker, next week, Katherine Hazleton and then communicate to the state of California that this issue has not been resolved. Commissioner Gleason has the communication that was previously drafted 4 or 5 years ago and will bring that to the next meeting in order to reiterate the need to address and resolve the issue.
NO PUBLIC COMMENT.

7. Discussion regarding the Bylaws of the Elections Commission
Commissioner Rowe stated that she has looked through the current attached Bylaws and it wasn’t clear if they reflected all of the changes that were approved by the commission in January 2010 but there is a general belief that they are. She proposes that everyone read through these and email her any specific redline changes they’d like to make and she will compile and circulate the redline version so we can go through them at the next meeting. We won’t be able to formally approve anything at the next meeting because the process of the amendment of the bylaws requires whatever we’re going to approve be made available to the public 10 days before. So the process I’m trying to put together is today we’ll talk about some of the big changes, send me your comments, have something submitted for the next meeting so we’ll have a general understanding of what we think people would like, and then we can vote on that final version at the meeting after that.
Commissioner Yu asked if the goal of reviewing bylaws is to see if it makes sense to have it or are we also thinking about adding additional content?
Commissioner Rowe stated that her view is that we should do both.
Commissioner Rowe, in section 1a on Purpose is there any sort of special election that is not covered in that list?
Director Arntz stated no.
Assistant District Attorney Mollie Lee stated that language comes directly from the charter so it’s conceivable that the community benefit district elections are not technically in the election commission’s jurisdiction.
Commissioner Rowe stated in section 2 under the President’s duties part E Draft Annual Report and it gives a date of February 28 does that come from the code?
Assistant District Attorney Mollie Lee stated that she didn’t’ think so and would have to check to confirm. She thinks there may be a legal requirement of an annual report but without a specific date however she will do a general legal review to ensure legal compliance.
Commissioner Rowe inquired about article 8 section 7 attendance items 3&4 Secretary maintaining records of attendance and end of year reporting. She doesn’t believe we do it. Commissioner Gleason stated Mayor’s office requested that we give report to him quarterly but the commission decided to only give him the report of his appointee only. The Secretary has given the Mayor’s office 2 quarterly reports of the commission to date because that’s what was requested of her by the Mayor’s office through his assistant Nicole Wheaton and no one advised me otherwise.
Commissioner Rowe inquired about article 11, Commission Annals, section 2 she doesn’t feel that we need to provide that specific detail for the contents of the binder. Instead the wording should say something to the effect “The annual report will include the President’s Annual Report and any other materials the President deems useful to future commissions.”
Commissioner Rowe inquired about article 14 Elections Commissions Operations Calendar. She stated that she was not aware that we had ever done this either and as President assumes that she is supposed to do it. If anyone has any recollection of what this is supposed to accomplish that she would appreciate a discussion otherwise this may be something we don’t need in our bylaws.
Commissioner Gleason stated that he believes this was adopted early on in 2004 and was dropped.
NO PUBLIC COMMENT

8. Commissioner’s Reports
Commissioner Ruiz-Healy was officially sworn-in by the Commission Secretary prior to the meeting tonight. Commissioner Ruiz-Healy and Rowe toured the Department of Elections and they both were impressed by the staff and the continuity of the office.
NO PUBLIC COMMENT

9. Announcements


10. Discussion and possible action regarding items for future agendas
Commissioner Gleason President’s annual report and May 15, 2013 meeting Katherine Hazleton Presentation (James Irvine Foundation)

11. Adjournment 6:52pm