To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters
Staff Name and Phone Number: Kim Barrett 565-3471
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): County Wide
Title:
Title
Purchase of in person voting equipment for November 3, 2020 General Election.
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution authorizing a budgetary adjustment to the FY 2020-2021 Recommended budget for the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters in the amount of $1,198,000, to purchase voting equipment to accommodate in-person voting per Governor’s Executive Order N-67-20 for the November 3, 2020 General Election. (4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
On May 8, 2020, the Governor of California signed Executive Order N-64-20 declaring the November 3, 2020 election an all-mail ballot election to preserve public health as a result of the COVID-19 health emergency. Furthermore, to ensure that registered voters have access to in-person voting opportunities, the Governor of California signed Executive Order N-67-20 on June 3, 2020, which requires a minimum of one voting location per 10,000 registered voters, available for early voting from October 31, 2020 to November 3, 2020, and a minimum of one vote by mail ballot drop-off location per 15,000 registered voters starting 28 days before the election.
Today’s action will give the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters authority to purchase in-person voting equipment and ballot drop-off boxes necessary to comply with Executive Order N-67-20 for the November 3, 2020 General Election.
Discussion:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor of California issued Executive Order N-64-20 declaring the November 3, 2020 election an all-mail ballot election to comply with health recommendations and encourage social distancing. Subsequently, on June 3, 2020, the Governor signed Executive Order N-67-20, which required counties to have a minimum number of voting locations for every 10,000 registered voters beginning the Saturday before Election Day.
To comply with Executive Order N-67-20, the Registrar of Voters (ROV) will need to purchase additional in-person voting equipment for the November election, including, but not limited to, laptops, label printers, electronic poll books, mobile ballot printers, security devices, ballot drop-off boxes, as well as funding to secure rental sites for an extended number of days.
Laptops / Label Printers / Electronic Poll Books
Needed to check and verify voters information and voting status electronically countywide versus the paper list that was only for the specific precinct it was issued to, which requires us to purchase five ePoll books per site to keep the lines moving and twenty spare in case any go down for a total of one hundred seventy e poll books which connect to our Elections Management System and allows us to verify voters address, precinct, ballot type and whether or not they have already voted.
Mobile Ballot Printers
In addition to having to mail every registered voter in the county a ballot, the Registrar of Voters will also need to be able to print ballots at all voting locations. Mobile ballot printers will enable voting locations to print ballots on demand based on a voter’s precinct and ballot type, rather than over purchasing paper ballots for every ballot type for every polling place. A minimum of two mobile ballot printers are needed per site, plus ten spares, for a total of seventy mobile ballot printers. In person voters could include voters who have moved and failed to re-register, those who have lost or never received their ballot, or have made a mistake and need to get a new ballot.
Ballot Drop Boxes
The Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters is required to have secure ballot drop boxes located around Sonoma County, as an option for voters who do not wish to mail back their ballot. This requires the purchase and installation of multiple ballot drop boxes. The Registrar of Voters office currently has three drop boxes; one at the Santa Rosa Veteran’s building, one at the Petaluma Veteran’s building and one at the Registrar of Voters office. Up to an additional twenty-five ballot boxes will need to be purchased and installed at locations around Sonoma County in yet to be determined locations.
Polling Place Rental Sites
During an average election, the Registrar of Voters is required to have 175-225 polling sites. Per the Governor of California’s Executive Order N-67-20, the office is required to have a minimum of one voting location per 10,000 voters. However, the voting locations need to be open for four days, from October 31, 2020 to November 3, 2020. Due to the anticipated increase in voter registration seen in Presidential elections, it is likely that a minimum of 30 locations will be needed. It is anticipated that facilities allowing the county to use their locations for voting for the extended period of time will also require increased compensation.
Equipment to be purchased:
70 Mobile Ballot Printers with accessories and supplies $ 632,110
170 laptops/electronic poll books and training $ 457,712
Rental for 30 Sites for 4 days $ 60,000
25 Ballot boxes and installation $ 48,178
Total $1,198,000
The Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters is requesting the Board of Supervisors approve an adjustment to the FY 2020-2021 Recommended budget increasing appropriations to the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters by $1,198,000. Funding for the purchase of this equipment will be covered by Sonoma County’s allocated amount of State COVID-19 funding in the amount of $1,048,331 and the remaining $149,669 will be covered by the Secretary of State’s Voting System Replacement grant.
Prior Board Actions:
FY 2014-2015 Supplementals - The Board of Supervisors set aside $500,000 for voting system replacement.
FY 2015-2016 Supplementals - The Board of Supervisors set aside $1,133,511 for voting system replacement.
FY 2016-2017 1st Quarter Consolidated Budget Adjustment set aside $250,000 for voting system replacement.
August 14, 2018 approved Board Agenda Item 20 for the purchase of a new voting system.
February 5, 2019 approved Board Agenda Item 8 to enter into a contract with the State of California for a voting system replacement funding grant.
August 4, 2020 Board approved California Secretary of State Coronavirus funding agreement for the November 2020 General Election.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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$1,198,000 |
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Total Expenditures |
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$1,198,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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$1,198,000 |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
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$1,198,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Additional appropriations are requested for the purchase of additional voting equipment to accommodate in person voting per Governor’s Executive Order N-67-20. The County is eligible for a total of $1,198,000in State funding to cover costs to include $1,048,331 in State Coronavirus Funding for the November 2020 General Election, and $149,669 in Secretary of State’s Voting System Replacement grant funds.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Resolution
Attachment 1 - Executive Order N-64-20
Attachment 2 - Executive Order N-67-20
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A