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Committee backs plan to require Elections Department to plan for mailing ballots to all registered voters
Summary
The committee approved amendments and recommended to the full Board an ordinance directing the Department of Elections to prepare an emergency November 2020 plan to mail ballots to all registered voters, require a June 30 report on implementation, and analyze future Voter Choice Act implementation; estimated direct costs to mail ballots were about $1.5 million.
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee on May 7 recommended an ordinance to the Board of Supervisors that would direct the San Francisco Department of Elections to mail a ballot to every registered voter for the Nov. 3, 2020 consolidated election and to present a plan to the Board by June 30 describing how that election would be implemented under pandemic conditions.
Amy Beinart, legislative aide to Supervisor Ronen, said the measure also asks the Department to report back on implementing the California Voter Choice Act in future local elections and includes amendments to preserve in-person voting options and early voting where feasible. Beinart said the Office of Racial Equity and community-based organizations would play a role in outreach to communities with historically low turnout.
Severn Campbell of the Budget and Legislative Analyst—s Office gave a high-level expense estimate, saying the cost for sending vote-by-mail ballots and associated outreach is about $1,500,000 for the November election; Campbell noted the department had not produced estimates for public-health measures and disability-access costs and recommended the Director of Elections submit additional cost information at the May 19 Board meeting.
Director of Elections John Arntz told supervisors the department could provide more information by May 19 but may not have a complete cost scaling for November until the governor issues an executive order clarifying the state—s approach. Arntz said county-level plans depend on that guidance and that local polling-place configurations could change (for example, fewer polling places or more voting centers) depending on the state—s orders.
Supervisors pressed on in-person access and operations if ballots are mailed to all voters; Vice Chair Aaron Peskin and Supervisor Matt Haney emphasized preserving in-person drop-off, early voting, and polling places for voters who need or prefer to vote on-site.
Public comment came from David Campos, chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, who urged both mailing ballots to all registered voters and preserving in-person options with extended early voting windows to increase participation in historically underrepresented communities.
Chair Marr moved to duplicate the file, accept the presented amendments, and send the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation. The committee recorded unanimous ayes and also continued the duplicated/amended version to the call of the chair so city attorneys and staff could finish the outstanding legal review on baseline in-person voting language.
