TITLE
Recommendation to adopt resolution requesting specified services from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office for the June 7, 2016 City of Long Beach General Municipal Election in an estimated amount of $878,000; and
Request City Attorney to prepare an urgency ordinance amending and temporarily superseding A) Long Beach Municipal Code Section 1.21.010 relating to canvass of returns and B) Long Beach Municipal Code Section 1.21.050 relating to candidates' statements for the June 7, 2016 general municipal election only. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
Article XIX Section 1901 of the Long Beach City Charter requires the City of Long Beach to hold its municipal elections for elective officers of the City in even numbered years, on the second Tuesday in April and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June, respectively. California State Elections Code Section 1001 requires the California Statewide elections be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June. As a result, the timing of the City's General Municipal Election must occur on the same day as the California Statewide Primary election. In addition, the City of Long Beach has been unable to consolidate the City's General Municipal Election with the California Statewide due to the close proximity between our Primary Election in April and the June Statewide election, which are only 56 days apart.
To account for these issues, the City of Long Beach has had no option but to conduct concurrent elections, colloquially known as "Two Vote Tuesday." Conducting concurrent elections requires elections officials to duplicate efforts such that each election official administers their own election while only potentially sharing the same polling location. While this effort is duplicative, it has been up to this point the only and best solution to addressing this challenge.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office has indicated that they would agree to conduct a coordinated election with the City of Long Beach such that voters will receive one Official Sample Ballot booklet (inclusive of both the California Statewide and Long Beach General Municipal Elections), be asked to report to one polling place, check in to one official table, sign one Roster of Voters, and receive two ballots (one for the California Statewide Election and one for the Long Beach General Municipal Election).
Administratively, this would mean that the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/County Clerk's office would: print and mail the City of Long Beach Official Sample Ballot booklet, print the official ballots, print and mail all vote-by-mail ballots, appoint election boards, designate voting precincts, count and canvass all ballots, declare results, issue certificates of election, and conduct recounts, if necessary. The City of Long Beach, on the other hand, would: adopt a resolution requesting specified services from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office and pay any associated costs, assist on Election Day as a call center and as Troubleshooters, and then adopt a resolution certifying the election results.
In order to conduct such a coordinated effort the City of Long Beach, City Council would have to take the following actions:
1.) Adopt the attached resolution requesting specified services from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office for the June 7, 2016 City of Long Beach General Municipal Election in an estimated amount of $878,000. This cost will cover the printing and mailing of the City of Long Beach Official Sample Ballot booklet, printing of the official ballots, printing and mailing of all vote-by-mail ballots, appointing election boards, designating voting precincts, counting and canvassing all ballots, declaring results, issuing certificates of election, and conducting recounts. This cost also covers payment of poll worker costs for affected precincts, as well as the cost of conducting an automatic recount, if necessary.
2.) Adopt an urgency ordinance amending and superseding:
A. Long Beach Municipal Code Section 1.21.010 relating to the canvass of returns for the June 7, 2016 City of Long Beach General Municipal election only. This section of the Municipal Code requires the City Clerk to certify the election results to the City Council within twenty-one (21) days after the date of the election. In order to allow the coordinated election, this amendment would permit the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/County Clerk's office to complete the canvass of returns within the 30 day time period after the election in accordance with California State Elections Code Section 15372. This amendment would sunset once the election was certified; and, thereafter, the Municipal Code would revert to its original wording;
B. Long Beach Municipal Code Section 1.21.050 relating to candidates' statements by adding a specified public examination period of five (5) days immediately following the candidate statement filing deadline for the June 7, 2016 City of Long Beach General Municipal Election only. Again, this amendment would permit the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/County Clerk's office to coordinate this task for the City's General Municipal Election. This amendment to the Municipal Code would sunset following certification of the June 7,2016 election, and the Municipal Code would revert to its original wording.
Alternative to this coordinated effort, the Long Beach City Council can choose to not coordinate with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office and instead conduct a concurrent election. The Office of the City Clerk does not recommend this option because of its inefficiency and potential for voter and poll worker confusion. This type of election scenario disproportionately impacts voters as they are required to report to two different polling places, or if it's the same polling place, check into two different tables, sign two different Rosters, and vote two different ballots. Further, this type of election creates confusion among both voters and poll workers, has the potential of disenfranchising voters, contributes to an overall negative voting experience and drives down already low voter participation rates.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
Approval of the suggested actions at this time would allow the City of Long Beach to continue to pursue coordinated efforts with the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/County Clerk's office in a timely manner, as various County deadlines related to the elections are approaching.
FISCAL IMPACT
For FY 2016, the Office of the City Clerk was budgeted 2.1 million to conduct the Primary Nominating and General Municipal Elections. Of the 2.1 million, we have estimated 1.2 million for the Primary Election and $900,000 for the General Municipal Election. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office has estimated the specified services indicated above would cost the City of Long Beach, $878,000. This is $22,000 below the budgeted amount reserved for the General Municipal Election. Therefore, this action could result in a cost savings to the City.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
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Respectfully Submitted,
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER