HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 - NB-3 - OC Registrar of Voters Ballot Drop Box - 11/19/20191
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2019 ITEM NUMBER: NB-3
SUBJECT:ORANGE COUNTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS BALLOT DROP BOX LICENSE
AGREEMENTS AND VOTE CENTER FACILITY USE AGREEMENTS
DATE: NOVEMBER 6, 2019
FROM: CITY MANAGERS OFFICE / CITY CLERK DIVISION
PRESENTATION BY: BRENDA GREEN, CITY CLERK
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: BRENDA GREEN, CITY CLERK,
714-754-5221,
BRENDA.GREEN@COSTAMESACA.GOV
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Approve the two License Agreements with the Orange County Registrar of Voters for
placement of Official Ballot Drop Boxes on City property at the Mesa Verde Library
and Tewinkle Park (Attachment 1); and
2. Approve the four Vote Center Facility Use Agreements at the Donald Dungan Library,
the Costa Mesa Senior Center, the Balearic Center, and City Hall (Attachment 2); and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute the License Agreements and Vote Center
Facility Use Agreements.
BACKGROUND:
The Orange County Registrar of Voters (ROV) will utilize Vote Center voting for Orange
County elections beginning with the March 2020 Presidential Primary Election. The
Vote Center model provides greater convenience and choices for Orange County
Voters. All Orange County Voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. Voters can then
choose to cast their ballot in one of three ways:
1. Mail their vote-by-mail ballot to the Registrar of Voters, or
2. Drop their vote-by-mail ballot in any of the approximately 110 ballot drop boxes
throughout the County; or
3. Vote in person or drop off their vote-by-mail ballot at any of the approximately 180
Vote Center sites throughout the County.
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Depending on the location, Vote Centers will open for four or eleven days leading up to
the election, including Election Day. Based on the SB 450 Voter’s Choice Act and the
Election Administration Plan, including public feedback, The Registrar of Voters has
identified the following four locations for Vote Centers at Costa Mesa City Facilities:
1. Donald Dungan Library, Adams Room, 4-Day Vote Center
2. Balearic Center, 4-Day Vote Center
3. Costa Mesa Senior Center, 4-Day Vote Center
4. Costa Mesa City Hall, Community Room, 11-Day Vote Center.
The Vote Centers will be operated and staffed by ROV employees. City employees will
be needed to open, close and monitor the facilities on the weekend.
The California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) requires counties to provide at least one ballot
drop box location for every 15,000 registered voters. The Orange County Registrar of
Voters plans to place 110 ballot drop boxes throughout Orange County. In addition to
the VCA minimum requirements, the California Secretary of State provides further
regulations such as accessibility and language requirements. The graphic design of the
ballot drop boxes will provide required translated legal language. Ballot drop boxes are
designed for outdoor placement in public locations and have preventative security
measures such as anti-vandalism coating.
Voters can deposit their ballot at any time at a ballot drop box starting 30 days before
the election and until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Ballot drop boxes are open 24 hours a
day during the voting period. Ballot drop boxes are closed and secured during non-
voting periods.
The Registrar of Voters has located two sites on City property that meets the criteria for
placement of a ballot drop box. The sites are at the Mesa Verde Library and at
Tewinkle Park. Attachment 1 to this report contains a location map for the proposed
sites.
The Registrar of Voters requests that the City enter into License Agreements for the
placement of the ballot drop boxes at the two sites. The agreement would allow the
County to place and maintain the ballot drop boxes at the locations for a period of up to
five years. The County would install, maintain and remove the ballot drop box. The
County has taken measures to make the box as impervious to vandalism and damage
as possible. However, should that occur, the County would remove or repair any
vandalism or damage to the box. City Staff would not install, maintain or remove the
ballot drop boxes.
ANALYSIS:
The California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA), signed by Governor Brown in 2016, was
enacted in an effort to modernize elections in California by allowing counties to conduct
elections under a new vote center model which provides greater flexibility and
convenience for voters. This new election model allows voters to choose how, when,
and where to cast their ballot by:
Mailing every voter a ballot
Expanding in-person early voting
Allowing voters to cast a ballot at any vote center within their county
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In February 2019, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the transition to a
vote center model thereby providing increased voting options to Orange County voters.
With the transition to the vote center model, specific criteria have been used to ensure
voting center sites are convenient and accessible to all voters. In addition, ballot boxes
will be installed to accommodate voters who wish to drop off their ballot in a secure and
convenient location. The Registrar of Voters has developed the Election Administration
Plan, recently approved by the Secretary of State, providing the foundation and guiding
outline for the future of voting and elections in Orange County (Attachment 3).
Voting Center Model
The VCA requires specific criteria for vote center locations therefore a vote center
formula has been developed by the ROV based on the number of registered voters in
the City. Counties are instructed to provide one 11-day vote center for every 50,000
registered voters and one 4-day vote center for every 10,000 registered voters. Based
on this determination Orange County would be required to have a minimum of 32 vote
centers open for 11 days, including Election Day, and 161 vote centers that will be open
for 4 days, including Election Day in Orange County. The ROV will be providing more
vote centers than the minimum requirements including an operation of 38 vote centers
open for 11 days, including election day and 161 vote centers that will be open for 4
days, including Election Day. For the March 3 Statewide Primary, the City of Costa
Mesa will have one 11-day and six 4-day voting centers.
Election Code Section 12283 authorizes the County to use schools and other public
buildings as vote centers, if requested. Staff and the ROV have collaborated in an
effort to provide public buildings that meet the VCA criteria.
Ballot Drop Boxes
A Ballot Drop Box is a secure and locked receptacle where a voter can drop off their
vote-by-mail ballot in the same manner they would at a mailbox. Ballots will only be
picked up by election officials from the Registrar of Voters.
Ballot Drop Box locations has been determined through a joint effort between City staff
and the ROV and must consider the criteria outlined in the Voter’s Choice Act.
Examples of those criteria include proximity to public transportation hubs, communities
with historically low vote-by-mail usage, proximity to population centers, proximity to
voters with disabilities, proximity to communities with low vehicle ownership, proximity to
low-income communities, and traffic patterns. Additionally, proximity to Voting Center
sites was also a consideration.
The VCA allows counties in California to provide voters more options on how, when,
and where they cast their ballots during an election. With the adoption of the VCA in
February 2019 by the Orange County Supervisors, beginning in 2020, all voters in
Orange County will receive a vote-by-mail ballot and will be able to mail, with no
postage necessary, or drop off their ballot at any Vote Center located within the County
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or place inside a secure Ballot Drop Box. These options offer more flexibility, access,
and convenience when casting their vote. Delivery, installation, and all expenses will be
managed by the County of Orange.
Public Outreach
The ROV is implementing a comprehensive Voter Education and Outreach Plan
(VEOP) ranging from expanding its social media presence, partnerships with high
schools and institutions of higher education, and collaborations with elected officials
and government agencies. The plan will provide the framework for the ROV to meet its
goal of informing Orange County’s 1.6 million voters of the upcoming transition to the
voter center model.
In addition, staff will use the ROV’s multi-media platforms to keep City residents
informed of the new voting center model. Consistent messaging with the ROV will be a
high priority so that the City’s residents will hear and see uniform messaging throughout
the primary election cycle.
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED:
Staff does not recommend a standalone election alternative. Consolidating elections
provides shared cost opportunities to all Orange County cities, thereby providing an
efficient and economical alternative to standalone elections.
FISCAL REVIEW:
There will be minimal staffing costs for the employees who will be opening, closing and
monitoring the facilities on the weekend, however, those costs are minimal and will not
result in any significant costs. There are no election costs associated with the March
primary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
City Attorney has reviewed this report and agreements and has approved them as to
form.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES:
This item is administrative in nature.
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CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Approve the two License Agreements with the Orange County Registrar of Voters for
placement of Official Ballot Drop Boxes on City property at the Mesa Verde Library
and Tewinkle Park; and
2. Approve the four Vote Center Facility Use Agreements at the Donald Dungan Library,
the Costa Mesa Senior Center, the Balearic Center, and City Hall; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute the License Agreements and Vote Center
Facility Use Agreements.
BRENDA GREEN LORI ANN FARRELL HARRISON
City Clerk City Manager
KELLY A. TELFORD, CPA KIMBERLY HALL BARLOW
Finance Director City Attorney
Attachment: 1. Ballot Drop Box License Agreements
2. Vote Center Facility Use Agreements
3. Election Administration Plan