Title
Registrar of Voters recommending the following:
1) Receive a presentation on the benefits of implementing Voter Centers in El Dorado County; and
2) Authorize and approve the Registrar of Voters to implement the Voter's Choice Act to implement Vote Center elections in the County, including performing all activities required in the Voter's Choice Act (VCA), starting with the 2020 elections; and
3) Provide direction to staff to return to the Board with a contract with one of the State-certified vendors to purchase a voting system that utilizes the Vote Center model. (Est. Time: 1 Hr.)
FUNDING: State and Federal Funding with a maximum General Fund match of $757,000.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
In 2016, the State of California passed the Voter's Choice Act, Senate Bill 450 (SB450), allowing counties to conduct elections by vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot while also providing regional Vote Centers to be open 10 days prior to Election Day through close of voting on Election Day.
In order to determine voters' interest in this new Vote Center model, the Registrar and staff have presented the Vote Center model to several community organizations receiving very positive feedback. Additionally, the elections department assembled a Voting System Selection Committee (VSSC) comprised of various members of the community and county staff to select a new voting system. That committee was also introduced to the vote center model and unanimously voted in favor of El Dorado County adopting the Voter’s Choice Act.
The Elections Department also completed a cost benefit analysis to determine the fiscal impact to the County and found the new voting system cost utilizing the Vote Center model will cost approximately 48% less ($600,000) than a precinct model, while the cost of running an election will be approximately 2.5% higher ($7,000 per election). There are changes being proposed to the VCA that would reduce the cost of running elections in El Dorado County over time. There is a...
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