Elections / Voter Registration Elections / Voter Registration Study Session Presented by: Ana Wayman-Trujillo and Lynn Constabile
Apr 01, 2015
Elections / Voter Elections / Voter RegistrationRegistration
Study SessionPresented by: Ana Wayman-Trujillo and Lynn Constabile
StatisticsStatistics
Presidential Election Years
General Election
Voter Registration
Amt Increase
% Increase
1996 88,600 ---- ----
2000 93,291 4,691 5.29%
2004 99,842 6,551 7.02%
2008 (March 1) 111,355 11,513 11.53%
StatisticsStatistics
Presidential Election YearsGeneral Election
Turnout %
Ballots Cast
% Increase Amt Increas
e
1996 68.88% 61,026 ---- ----
2000 73.62% 68,682 12.55% 7,656
2004 88.22% 88,076 28.24% 19,394
2008 ?? ?? ?? ??
StatisticsStatistics
Presidential Election Years
General Election
Polling Place
Ballots
Early/Provisional
Ballots Counted
Early/Provisional Rejected
1996 46,507 14,732 214
2000 41,769 26,913 1,067
2004 47,396 40,687 1,020
2008 ??? ??? ???
Permanent Early Voter ListPermanent Early Voter List
• What is it?• Allows voters to receive early ballots for all
elections without having to specifically request them each time
• A.R.S. §16-544 – Requires the County to:• Maintain a permanent early voter list as
part of the voter registration roll• Verify the signature on the request form
with the voter’s signature on the voter’s registration form
Permanent Early Voter ListPermanent Early Voter List
• Send a 120 day notice to voters that will:• notify the voter of the upcoming elections• request the voter to designate a political party ballot
should they be of an unrecognized party for the purposes of that upcoming election
• change the mailing address for the ballot in the voter’s county of residence
• update the voter’s residence address in the voter’s county of residence
• request to not be sent a ballot for the upcoming election or elections indicated on the notice
• request to be removed from the permanent early ballot list
Permanent Early Voter ListPermanent Early Voter List
• Initial signup letters mailed to every registered voter (111,000) from January – March 2008
• Signed up = 30,000 (so far)• Plan on doing newspaper ads with “cut out”
form• Daily Courier County Rates:
• 1/4 page: $220.72/day• 1/2 page: $459.24/day• Full page: $918.48/day
• Approx cost = $2,000• Voters can also print out form on website
Cost of Holding ElectionsCost of Holding Elections
County-wide Special Elections• Affects all Yavapai County’s
registered voters (111,000)• If it’s a district, can be either a
vote-by-mail or polling place election if held in 2009
Cost of Holding ElectionsCost of Holding Elections
Cost Options• November 2008 Election = $27,840
• Question would go on Federal Election Ballot – no additional printing cost
• Normal charge to special districts - 25¢ /reg. voter
• March 2009• Vote-By-Mail estimated cost = $176,500• Polling Place estimated cost = $192,500
Special District Fee Special District Fee ScheduleScheduleCurrent sliding scale fees (since July 2006)
# Registered Voters Cost per Reg. VoterVote-by-Mail
Cost per Reg. VoterPolling Place
1 - 1,999 $1.00 $1.25
2,000 - 5,999 $0.75 $1.00
over 6,000 $0.50 $0.75
Current cost estimate• Vote-by-Mail = $1.33 per registered voter• Polling Place = $1.48 per registered voter• Postage and Material Costs have both increased
Special District Fee Special District Fee ScheduleSchedule
Special Districts vs. Cities/Towns
•Cities/Towns help with special district elections and the State/Federal elections by:
•Checking ballot drop boxes
•Handing out replacement ballots
•Acting as conditional provisional ID site
Poll WorkersPoll Workers
• Average age of poll workers in 2006 General Election• 64 years old
• Need more computer literate poll workers with the new touch screens now at the polls
• Have student program in place, working to place one student per polling place for Primary & General
Poll WorkersPoll Workers
• Other Arizona County’s poll worker programs• Maricopa County
• Called Civic Duty Leave• Employees can volunteer – Need Supervisor’s approval• Leave is with regular pay – not paid as a poll worker
• Coconino County• Called Democracy Day• Employees are encouraged to volunteer• Local businesses & public agencies are encouraged to
participate• Leave is with regular pay - also paid as a poll worker &
for training
Poll WorkersPoll Workers
• Other State’s poll worker programs• Minnesota state law
• Leave with pay minus poll worker compensation• 20 days written notice to employer• No more than 20% of work force
• Nebraska state law• Leave with pay• Reasonable notice to employer
Poll WorkersPoll Workers
• Our proposal:• Employees can volunteer – Need appointing
authority’s approval• Leave is with regular pay – not paid extra as a
poll worker or for training• If county buys in, we will market to other local
businesses & public entities to participate – City of Prescott already expressed interest
• Savings estimate $25,000 in temp salaries for one poll worker per precinct for both Elections
Polling PlacesPolling Places
112 Precincts using 94 Polling Places
New Precincts – • Diamond Valley – Liberty Kia• Pinon Oaks – Church of Spiritual Waters• Granite – Central Yavapai Fire Station (forest
station)• Horseshoe – still trying• Granville – Granville Community Center• Rose Lakes – Word of Life Church• Orchard – Clarkdale Baptist Church• Spruce – Windmill House
Polling PlacesPolling PlacesChanges –
Precinct Old Polling Place New Polling Place Reason for Change
Antelope Granite Gate Resort St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Declined to renew
Badger First Assembly of God Church
Prescott Adult Center Closer to Precinct
Bagdad Bagdad Community Center
Bagdad Justice Court Declined to renew
Bridgeport Verde Valley Christian Church
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Church Moved
Chino Valley 2 Chino Valley Community Church
First So. Baptist Church ADA Issues
Polling PlacesPolling PlacesChanges –
Precinct Old Polling Place New Polling Place Reason for Change
Holiday/ Wells Fargo
Prescott Canyon Estates Clubhouse
York Motors Declined to renew
Lynx Creek Yavapai Hills Clubhouse
York Motors Closer to Precinct
Stoneridge Bethel Baptist Church
Stoneridge Community Center
Located in Precinct
Middle Verde Verde Valley Church of Christ
Seventh Day Adventist Church
ADA Issues
Prescott Country Club 1 & 2
Prescott Golf & County Club Clubhouse
Bradshaw Mtn. Christian Assembly
ADA Issues & Declined to renew
Polling PlacesPolling Places
• We will need to do 2 to 3 newspaper announcements to advertise changes• Daily Courier County Rates:
• 1/4 page: $220.72/day• 1/2 page: $459.24/day• Full page: $918.48/day
• Approx cost = $2,000
• Will also advertise on website• Printed on Sample Ballot
Polling Place ChallengesPolling Place Challenges
ADA accessibility issues:• Hearing April 28th
• Seeking additional state/federal grant funds – have not spent all of HHS grant
• Met with Development Services and Attorney’s offices for guidance
• Development Services has offered to accompany Election staff in checking for ADA compliance
• Challenges:• Finding already ADA compliant polling places• Storage of additional equipment for temporary
compliance• Manpower to install and remove equipment
Polling Place ChallengesPolling Place Challenges
• Old equipment• Poll Booths need replacement
• Lights broken• Privacy panels broken• Need 1 booth for every 150 registered
voters (rule of thumb) = 742• Have 677 usable and 66 broken booths
Polling Place ChallengesPolling Place Challenges• Secretary of State’s replacement policy for
voting equipment • 38 original optical scan units – purchased 1998
“Equipment Refresh Policy - Election equipment is a major capital expense for Arizona’s counties. As with any technical equipment, election equipment eventually wears down, becomes antiquated, may cause problems, and therefore requires replacement. A standard equipment refresh policy ensures that all counties have adequate systems to effectively run accurate elections. It also provides the criteria necessary for counties to properly plan for the expense of equipment replacement.It is therefore recommended that the counties plan and budget to have all voting system hardware replaced at a minimum of every 10 years.”
Polling Place ChallengesPolling Place Challenges• Number of Provisional Forms to
supply• We can only make a best guess on how
many provisionals will be needed• Reasons for provisionals:
• No ID or Insufficient ID• Moved • Changed Name• Early Voter• Not on Roster (Not Registered to Vote,
Incorrect Precinct, etc.)
Polling Place ChallengesPolling Place Challenges
• Number of Ballots for Primary Election• Non-Partisan, Independent and Non-
Recognized Parties can vote their choice of a Democratic or Republican ballot
• Have to order enough DEM and REP ballots to cover all the “Other” voters
New Polling Place New Polling Place ProcedureProcedure• Problem: ID at the polls causes line
backups and extensive voter wait time• Solution:
• 2 to 3 ID clerks with complete signature rosters can help any voter who arrives
• Voters would sign in at same time that ID is checked
• Budget increase for one extra clerk per polling place– approx. $9,000 for General election
• Budget increase for 2 extra signature rosters per polling place – approx. $6,200
Early/Mail Voting Early/Mail Voting ChallengesChallenges• No Signature/Signature Different on
Ballot Affidavit EnvelopeElection # Voters - called # Voters –
corrected
May 2007 479 48
Sep 2007 579 130
Nov 2007 136 32
Feb 2008 26 4
Mar 2008 39 4
CHANGED ENVELOPE
Other Cost Savings IdeasOther Cost Savings Ideas
• Currently rent U-Hauls to deliver polling place supplies • Pinal Co. uses Public Works employees and trucks for
delivery• Switched from personal cars to county cars for
travel boards• Cross-trained Recorder’s staff in:
• Signature Verification• Petition processing• Posting voting credits• New registrant entry• Ballot batching
• ID at the polls – piggyback with SOS advertisements
BOS Guidance for BOS Guidance for BudgetingBudgeting• Special District Fee Schedule
• Different for Cities/Towns?• County Poll Worker Program?• Work with Public Works for Deliveries?• ADA Compliant Polling Places
• Storage of temporary fixes• Manpower to install and remove temporary
fixes• Poll Booth Replacement?• Optical Scan Replacement?
Budget Wish ListBudget Wish List
• Needed: 1 working crystal ball
Questions?Questions?