Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances elections-code cleanup to ensure voter pamphlet mail date and streamline candidate statements
Summary
An ordinance package to update municipal election deadlines and standardize candidate statements (including moving the voter information pamphlet mailing to 29 days before an election) was advanced to the full Board after severing a section on candidate filing fees for later consideration.
The Rules Committee advanced most of an elections-code ordinance package intended to fix timing and formatting problems that affected the voter information pamphlet and candidate submissions.
Supervisor Sean Ellsburn introduced the ordinance as a response to voter complaints about late mailing of the pamphlet. Linda Tulat, deputy director of the Department of Elections, said staff and the Elections Commission worked with supervisors to adjust several deadlines and to add a section clarifying candidate-statement fees. The package moves the pamphlet mail date from 21 to 29 days before an election and adjusts related deadlines to ensure material can be prepared and mailed in time.
Deputy City Attorney Anne O’Leary explained two fee-related provisions: one clarifies candidate-statement fees and the other (section 8.10), which would increase Board candidate filing fees, requires separate consideration. The committee severed section 8.10 for later review and forwarded the remainder of the ordinance to the full board with recommendation.
Committee members said the package is intended as cleanup legislation that balances administrative needs of the Department of Elections with candidates’ and voters’ rights to timely materials.
The committee transmitted the ordinance (minus section 8.10) to the full Board for final action.
