Title
Recorder-Clerk-Registrar of Voters recommending the Board:
1) Approve and authorize the Recorder-Clerk/Registrar of Voters to accept the DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) Settlement Fund grant agreement in the amount of $198,000, for the purchase of ADA-compliant online balloting portals from LiveBallot, for a consortium of five (5) participating counties, include El Dorado County; and
2) Approve and authorize the Recorder-Clerk/Registrar of Voters, or designee, to execute the DRAM Settlement Fund grant agreement and submit any financial or programmatic documents as required to accept the DRAM grant funding.
FUNDING: Settlement agreement through the United States District Court of the Northern District of California.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The California Courts, through the Attorney General, have made available funds through a grant process for projects that involve leading technology and software that have a significant impact on enabling new and improved operational capabilities. The DRAM Settlement Fund was created as a result of antitrust litigation involving DRAM (Dymanic Random Access Memory) and is to be used for projects with a purpose “to encourage use of innovative technology to benefit California consumers.”
The Elections Department applied for the DRAM Settlement Fund grant on March 15, 2017 on behalf of El Dorado County and four (4) other counties to participate using LiveBallot, an online balloting portal currently used by El Dorado County to provide ballots to our military and overseas citizens. The grant funding will be used to extend LiveBallot to voters with all disabilities, enabling them to access their vote-by-mail ballot to independently cast their votes in the convenience of their home.
Assembly bill 2252 passed in 2016 details the system requirements for an online balloting system and AB 973 passed September 19, 2017 requires the county election officials to provide a remotely accessible vote-by-mail system beginning ...
Click here for full text