City Council
259 N. Wilma Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
MEMO
To: Honorable City Council
From: Lisa Roos, City Clerk & Finance Director
Date: 02/13/2024
Subject: Registrar of Voters - permanent drop box installation RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the License Agreement with the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters for the installation of a permanent ballot drop box outside of City Hall.
BACKGROUND:
Over the past six years, the City of Ripon has had a ballot drop box during elections inside of City Hall. There were certain security regulations that we had to comply with in order to have this ballot box. The Registrar of Voters’ (ROV) office picked up the ballots regularly during the voting period and participation by voters was high.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted to approve the purchase of large, permanent ballot boxes. These new drop boxes weigh 1,000 lbs. and are constructed from steel. Once installed, they will be securely bolted at their designated locations. These drop boxes will feature fortified locking mechanisms, augmented with tamper seals. During non-election years, these boxes will be sealed for added security. These state-of-the-art ballot safeguarded drop boxes are being installed in locations throughout the San Joaquin County with 24-hour surveillance so that registered voters are able to conveniently and securely cast their vote no matter where they live in the County. There will also be a strict process for ballots to be retrieved and delivered to the ROV’s office to be counted. Ballot drop boxes will be open 24 hours a day for 30 days prior to an election.
The ROV has made the decision to have uniformity and serve all voters the same across the County, so the City of Ripon is no longer able to have the mobile drop box inside of City Hall.
For the current election, a ballot box has been temporarily installed between the City of Ripon Police Department and City Hall and will remain there until election day on March 5, 2024. If the City Council approves the License Agreement and installation of the permanent box, then this temporary box will be bolted down in its location and become permanent to be used by the Registrar of Voters in future elections.
FISCAL IMPACT:
All costs to install and maintain the ballot box will be paid for by the Registrar of Voters.
Attachments:
1. 2023-022 Final License Agreement - City of Ripon