Administrative
Report
N.3., File # 21-3295 Meeting Date: 11/9/2021
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
TITLE
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION PERTAINING TO A POSSIBLE CHARTER/ORDINANCE
AMENDMENT FOR VOTERS TO APPROVE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RANKED CHOICE
VOTING AND REPLACE RUNOFFS FOR CITY ELECTIVE OFFICES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Pursuant to the FY21-22 Elections Budget Response Report, the City Council allocated $144K funding for the City electorate to vote on a City Charter amendment and ordinance change to consider implementing Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). The $144K was based on an estimate provided by the County for a June 2022 election. On September 28, 2021 the County increased their election cost estimate by $78K to schedule a June 2022 election. This would require a budget modification resolution, which can be brought back for Council approval as part of the mid-year budget review.
BACKGROUND
On March 2, 2021, the City Clerk’s office successfully conducted the General Municipal Election for the elective offices by All-Mail-Ballot format independent of a full-service provider.
Pursuant to County Registrar cost estimates in excess of $600,000 to administer the March 2021 election, Secretary of State-authorized vendors/service providers and an election consultant were engaged to provide certain specified election services and equipment to enable the City Clerk’s office to run our independent stand-alone election.
The City was able to conduct the election at a final cost of $216,619:
· Staff (part-time and overtime) -- $ 27,485
· Postage, supplies and advertising -- $40,199
· Contracts/Professional Services and Vendors -- $167,435 · Candidate Statements’ Reimbursement -- <$18,500>
Other California charter cities, including Whittier and Temple City observed our processes and are, or considering, conducting their own elections again, including discussion of potential cost-sharing opportunities for future elections. General law cities do not have this option, but must comply with state law requiring gubernatorial primary elections to be held in June not March; every two years they are held in March with the next two years falls in June making municipal elective office cycles inconsistent.
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RANKED CHOICE VOTING (“RCV” aka instant runoff voting)
Per Charter Section 18.4 (A) Runoff elections and MC 2-2.202 Notices of Runoff Elections, Ranked Choice Voting eliminates the necessity for costly runoff elections.
How RCV Works
RCV provides voters the opportunity to rank candidates in order of preference. If a candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes in Round 1 counting (first tabulation), that candidate wins. However, if no candidate wins in Round 1, counting goes to “Round 2” (a second tabulation) and the process of eliminating candidates begins. During each round, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and voters who chose the eliminated candidate will have their vote counted for their next choice. When the voter’s highest-ranked candidate is eliminated, the vote is transferred to the next continuing candidate; repeated rounds continue until a majority winner is determined. A short video “How Does Ranked-Choice Voting Work” (YouTube, 10/2018, NPR) will be shown at the Council meeting.
Currently, Dominion is the only fully California State-certified system (service provider for City and County of San Francisco, Alameda County, Palm Desert and Eureka) with other major vendors, e.g.
Hart Intercivic, the City’s GME’21 ballot design and tabulation vendor in RCV development. The maximum number of choices on a ballot is ten (10), which was implemented by San Francisco in 2019 (from three (3); plurality ballot items (e.g. ballot measures) can be on the same ballot without issue. Depending on the number of contests/candidates selected for RCV, there may be multiple page ballots.
City Charter Amendment
Before RCV can be implemented, a ballot measure to amend the City Charter and Municipal Code is required. If the voters approve, the Secretary of State must then certify the charter amendment before an RCV election can be implemented.
Unfortunately, the City cannot conduct its own election for proposed charter amendments; they must be on a statewide election ballot.
There are two forthcoming opportunities to hold a special election in consolidation with L.A. County to include a ballot measure for a City Charter amendment to Section 18.4. Majority vote: Runoff elections and implement Ranked Choice Voting and Municipal Code 2-2.202 Notices of runoff elections.
ESTIMATES Special Election Costs (Source: LACRRCC)
COUNTY ELECTION 3 MEASURES EFFECTIVE FOR
R.B. ELECTION
11/2021 COST
ADJUSTMENTS
INCREASED COSTS
6/2022 Primary $144K March 2025* $222K $78K
11/2022 General $136K March 2025 $175K $39K
Election for June 2022 must be called by the City Council by March 11, 2022 Election for November 2022 must be called by the City Council by August 10, 2022 *To provide greater voter outreach, if approved, the City Clerk’s recommendation is to schedule the first RCV General Municipal Election for March 2025, instead of the BRR identified allocation for 2023.
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The above costs are estimations provided by the L.A. County Registrar of Voters; they do not constitute a firm quote and are subject to change. Additional criteria for the above calculations are based on an estimated 5 pages of text per ballot measure. Costs for November elections are generally lower because more agencies are participating.
Future RCV implementation cost estimates:
Print & Mail (ballots, voter information guide, postcard and postage) Depending on the number of contests and candidates, additional pages to the ballot will result in additional costs for printing and postage based on current voter registration, the estimated cost would be $150-$175K.
$150K - $175K
Ballot Design & Voter Tabulation Equipment
At this time, Dominion Voting Systems remains the only California-certified RCV provider; the rental cost for their existing “Democracy Suite” voting system and support services, including software, rental equipment, is approximately $60-$65K.
$60K - $65K
Additional Equipment Needs
To streamline efficiencies, the purchase of sorting equipment to manage the high volume of incoming ballot envelopes at a cost of ~$150K is highly desirous. Currently, the manual process of sorting and qualifying returned envelopes is time consuming and work-intensive. A potential for cost-sharing the equipment with another municipality whose elections are scheduled in even-numbered years exists and would reduce this cost to approximately $75K.
$75K
Voter Outreach
A highly important component of RCV implementation is voter outreach. When the Secretary of State approved the RCV voting system in 2010 for Alameda County, implementation of a voter education and outreach program to educate voters about ranked choice voting was a required element from a citizens’ initiative. The program was to include Educational Materials (brochures) and Media Development (PSA video, social media presence), a Public Distribution Plan, Communication with Targeted Groups (local civic and service group even participation and presentations, swag), and Election Day Procedures for election workers. An implementation plan is an essential best practices component to assure the RCV voter is a user-friendly and supported experience. Costs could run from $100K to $200K for the first few elections to educate voters. $100K - $200K
ESTIMATED TOTAL: $515K
Potential Outreach Partners & Subsidized Funding
Potentially, some associated outreach costs may be subsidized by grant opportunities. Fairvote, a nonpartisan 501c3 advocate for electoral reforms; www.fairvote.org <http://www.fairvote.org> is
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known as a major RCV promoter. Fairvote also has compiled a major library of voter outreach materials and resources assisting with in-person educational public forums in different parts of the city in advance of elections. Additional resources for implementation and educational content are CalRCV and the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center (501c3; www.rsvresources.org <http://www.rsvresources.org>).
Assisting Legislation
Federal legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate on October 5, 2021--The Voter Choice Act (S.2939); amending the Help America Vote Act of 2002. If passed, this bill authorizes $40 million in federal grants to support local and state governments that choose to transition to RCV. Grants would support up to 50% of the cost for local and state governments to transition to RCV, including through the acquisition of voting equipment and tabulation software, appropriate ballot design, educational materials, and voter outreach. It has been recommended that local support in the form of a Council resolution or letter to local and state representatives in support of this legislation would be helpful to move it forward.
FISCAL IMPACT
Charter Amendment Election Cost: $222,000, Budgeted in 2021-2022 - $144,000 and $78,000 would be allocated at mid-year.
If approved by voters, RCV Estimated Implementation Cost: $515,000
ATTACHMENTS
City Charter Sec. 18.4 Majority vote: Runoff elections
Municipal Code Section 2-2.202 Notices of runoff elections PowerPoint presentation forthcoming as a Blue Folder item
4 11/4/21, 3:24 PM Sec. 18.4. Majority vote: Runoff elections. www.qcode.us/codes/redondobeach/?view=desktop&topic=official_charter-xviii-18_4 1/1 Redondo Beach Municipal Code
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OFFICIAL CHARTER
Article XVIII. Elections
Sec. 18.4. Majority vote: Runoff elections.
A. Except as provided in this Section with regard to runoff elections, a majority (more than half), of the votes cast for all candidates for each City elective office is required for the election of the candidate to such office. In the event no candidate for an elective office receives a majority of the votes cast for all candidates for such office, the two (2) candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes cast for any such office shall thereby qualify as candidates for such office at a runoff election to be held not later than seventy (70) days after such election. In the event that any person qualifies pursuant to law to become a write-in candidate for such office at the runoff election, the candidate who receives a plurality of all the votes cast for such office in the runoff election shall be elected.
B. Notwithstanding the foregoing, members of the Board of Education shall continue to be elected by a plurality of votes cast.
*18.4—as added by election 11-4-80; as amended by election 11-6-84 and 3-7-95.
View the mobile version.
5 11/4/21, 4:19 PM <em class="hit">2-2.202</em> <em class="hit">Notices</em> of runoff elections. www.qcode.us/codes/redondobeach/?view=desktop&topic=official_charter-xviii-18_4 1/1 Redondo Beach Municipal Code
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Title 2 ADMINISTRATION
Chapter 2 ELECTIONS
Article 2. Election Procedures
[ remove highlighting ]
2-2.202 Notices of runoff elections.
The provisions of the Elections Code of the State shall govern the procedures for conducting municipal runoff elections, except that notices of such elections shall be published not earlier than the date of the primary election and not later than sixty (60) days before the runoff election. (§ 1, Ord. 2361 c.s., eff. February 28, 1983) View the mobile version.
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