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CC t\ctyclerk\electlons\staff rpt supp
City Council Meeting December 8, 1998
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DEe - 8 1998
TO
Mayor and City Council
FROM
City Staff
SUBJECT
Supplemental Report Relative to Adoption of Resolutions Calling
for a SpeCial MunicIpal Election to Fill an Unscheduled Vacancy on
the City CounCil
Introduction
At Its meeting of November 24, 1998. the City CounCil directed staff to return With
Information on alternative dates for the speCial electIon, Including a Saturday election, a
Sunday election, a two-day Saturday/Sunday electIon, additional costs, Input from the
public and religious leaders regarding the alternative election dates, and ways of
promoting such an election
Alternative Dates
Section 1403 of the City Charter provides for all elections to be held In accordance With
the provISions of the Elections Code of the State of California, unless otherwise
provided by ordinance Consequently, the City CounCil may call an election on a
Saturday or on a Sunday. by ordmance The same conclusion applies to calling a two-
day election on a Saturday and Sunday
Were CounCil to set the election date at the December 8, 1998, meeting, CounCil could
call the election for any day of the week starting April 1. 1999, and thereafter Were
CounCil to call the election for a Tuesday. the election may be called for any Tuesday In
Apnl For a Tuesday election staff recommends either Apnl6, or Apn127, 1999 Those
are dates that the electton supplier/consultant has the least amount of obligations With
other Cities
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Were Council to call an election for a Saturday, a Sunday, or a Saturday and Sunday,
the election could be called for any weekend In Apnl
It IS noted that dunng the research of this project sources contacted advised that
hlstoncally. weekend elections have not Yielded a slgmflcant Increase In voter turnout
The sources contacted were John Matt-Smith, Chief of ElectIon Services at the
Secretary of State's Office, Jennlffer Collins-Foley. Executive Liaison OffIcer at the
County Clerk/Registrar Recorder, Deborah Seller of Sequoia Pacific (Election
Suppliers), Paul Marshall of Martin & Chapman Company (Election Suppliers), and
Richard Smolka. Professor Amentus at Amencan University, Washington D C Mr
Smolka wntes a regular column for the Elect/on DIgest, a natIonal publication for
Election Officers
Additional Cost
A Saturday or a Sunday election would result In a minimal Increase to cover overtime
costs for the County and electIon staff A two-day Saturday and Sunday election would
result In an Increase of approximately $15.000-20.000 to pay for precinct workers and
polling sites and for overtime for the County and election staff There would be an
added cost for use of police officers to guard voted ballots between the end of the first
election day and the beginning of the second day It IS expected that most of the
police officers would be working overtime and the total amount would depend on the
option selected for guarding the ballots
There are three possible options on secunng voted ballots between the first and second
day The voted ballots could remain at the polling site This option would require a
police officer at each precinct guarding the ballots from the closing of the polls on the
first day and the opemng of the polls the second day We estimate there Will be about
forty-five to fifty consolidated precincts The highest hourly rate for a pollee officer IS
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$5076 per hour The amount for forty-five 12-hour shifts at this rate IS about $27,400
This would be the simplest and most efflclent method, but also the most expensive
The second option IS for precinct officers to deliver the voted ballots to the City Clerk's
Office at the end of the first day and pick them up pnor to the opening of the polls the
next day ThiS option would put additional responsibilities on the precinct workers, so
as an alternative, City staff could deliver the ballot boxes to each precinct the following
morning ThiS optIon would require police officers escorting the ballots from the
precinct worker's vehicle outside of City Hall to the vault In the City Clerk's office, and
standing guard outside the City Clerk's vault overnight, where the voted ballots would
be stored The cost to have three police officers escorting ballots Into City Hall the first
evening and out of City Hall the next morning IS about $900 00, and for one police
officer standing guard for a 12-hour shift Will be about $609 00
The third option would be to keep the voted ballots at the Clerk's office and Issue the
precinct workers a second ballot box The additional cost for police officers escorting
the ballots Into City Hall IS about $46000 ThiS option, however, allows for the
possibility of errors In accounting for all the ballots voted In a precinct and the
balanCing of the ballots and the number of voters' signatures In the rosters at the end of
the second day
Staff recommends the option of haVing precinct workers deliver the ballot boxes to the
City ClerKs office at the end of the first day and City staff dellvenng the ballot boxes to
the precincts the second day
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Le}:Jlslatlon Needed
Were Council to call a two-day election. a subsequent ordinance would be needed to
establish procedures for such an election Council may call a two-day election at the
December 8, 1998, meeting and direct staff to return as soon as possible with the
Implementing ordinance
POllln}:J Site Hours on Election Days
Staff recommends that If a two-day election IS called the hours that the polling sites are
normally open be changed to begin at 8 00 a m ,and close at 4 00 pm, on the first day
and open at 1 0 00 am. and close at 4 00 pm, the second day
Public Input
A public notice will be published In Our Times on Sunday, December 6th, asking
members of the public to write, fax, call, e-mail or appear In person to give their
comments on the possibility of holding an election on the alternate dates The notice
Will also be published In the Santa Monica Sun on Friday, December 51h Staff created
an Interactive notice on the City's web page that Will allow comments to be submItted
directly from the notice site
ReligiOUS groups were contacted by staff, asked their opinion and also asked to consult
With as many members and Interested parties In their congregations as pOSSible and
prOVide their comments In any of the above methods Some of the comments received
were as follows
Beth Shlr Shalom
No Saturday election
Chabad House
Would be dlscnmlnatory to have It on
Saturday Sunday would be better
Kehlllat Ma'Arav
No Saturday election
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Chabad
Against the Saturday/Sunday election concept
St Clement's Catholic Church
Either day okay
First Afncan Methodist
Episcopal
Saturday election better
BIble Baptist
Do not want weekend election
Calvary Baptist
Weekend election okay
First Christian Church
of Santa Monica
No special concerns
Chnstlan MIssionary
Alliance Church
Prefer Saturday electron
Mt 0 live Lutheran Church
No concerns
Pilgrim Lutheran Church
Would prefer a Saturday rather than Sunday
No return calls were receIved to messages left at the follOWing
Communion Church
Good Shepherd Church
St Peter & St Paul
Sanctuary Church
Assembly of God
Mt Hermon Baptist
Tnnlty Baptist
St Anne's CatholiC Church
Sunset Park Chnstlan Church
St Paul's Lutheran Church
First Church of the Nazarene
The Church In Ocean Park
St Augustine by the Sea
St Montca's Catholic Church
Promotrn~ the Election
Staff has the follOWing suggestions for promoting a weekend or a two-day election
Sending an informative mailer to all registered voters. Installing a minimum of three
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street banners at strategic locations. setting up posters at major and neighborhood
retail shops. grocery stores and markets, advertise InsIde the Blue Buses. produce a
CltyTV feature, public announcements on KCRW, and. a promotIonal article In
SeaScape, If possible,
Conclusion
The Information requested has been provided Council may call a Saturday special
election. a Sunday special election. a two-day Saturday/Sunday special election, or the
conventional Tuesday election on any day as of Apnl1, 1999
Prepared by
Mana M Stewart, City Clerk
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