Title
An Ad Hoc Committee to Study the 2013 Municipal Election and Make Recommendations, If Needed, to Improve the City Code, Structure, and Procedures for City Elections - For the purpose of establishing an ad hoc committee to study the 2013 municipal election and make recommendations, if needed, to improve the City Code, structure, and procedures for elections in the City of Annapolis.
Body
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
City of Annapolis
Resolution 9-14 Amended
Introduced by: Alderman Littmann and Alderwoman Pindell-Charles
Co-Sponsored by: Mayor Pantelides, Alderman Budge, Alderman Pfeiffer, and
Alderman Kirby
Referred to
Rules and City Government
A RESOLUTION concerning
An Ad Hoc Committee to Study the 2013 Municipal Election and Make Recommendations, If Needed, to Improve the City Code, Structure, and Procedures for City Elections
FOR the purpose of establishing an ad hoc committee to study the 2013 municipal election and make recommendations, if needed, to improve the City Code, structure, and procedures for elections in the City of Annapolis.
WHEREAS, the 2013 City election for Mayor and for Alderman of Ward 2 were decided by absentee and provisional ballots. The narrow margins in both these races focused the community's attention on the process for providing, processing, validating and counting a few hundred absentee and provisional ballots; and
WHEREAS, the City of Annapolis recognizes, in particular, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as a landmark piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination in voting, and therefore, the City of Annapolis abhors any efforts that would inhibit or thwart or any attempt to inhibit or thwart any person who proceeds to legitimately exercise his or her right to vote; and
WHEREAS, the chairs of both Central Committees have called on the City Council to conduct an investigation into the 2013 City election; and
WHEREAS, the City Council believes that the issues and concerns that were identified in the aftermath of the November 5, 2013 election deserve additional attention and consideration. Those issues include but are not limited to:
· Procedures for notifying voters of their correct precinct and polling place, particularly after new districts are drawn.
· Procedures for training election judges on their responsibilities for cooperating with poll watchers representing candidates and campaigns.
· Procedures for training election judges on their responsibility to provide provisional ballots to voters who show up at polling places believing they are registered to vote but are not listed on the voter rolls.
· Procedures for allowing election judges to vote at the precinct where they work.
· Procedures governing poll watchers, including their training and responsibilities to work with election judges.
· Procedures for notifying the public of the deadlines for registering to vote for both the primary and general elections.
· Procedures for notifying voters that they are ineligible to vote if they register after the deadline.
· Procedures for notifying voters of the deadlines for requesting an absentee ballot, and for returning the ballot.
· Procedures for notifying voters if their application is incomplete and allowing them to correct their application.
· Procedures for informing voters that once they receive an absentee ballot they cannot vote at the polls, even if they do not return the absentee ballot.
· Procedures for documenting and date stamping absentee ballots once they are returned, whether by mail or in person at City Hall.
· Procedures for sealing an absentee ballot before it is returned, including the use of tape if the seal on the ballot is insufficient to keep the ballot closed.
· Procedures for informing voters of their right to vote by provisional ballot if they show up to vote and are not listed on the voter rolls.
· Procedures for documenting receipt of provisional ballots.
· Procedures for disqualifying absentee and provisional ballots.
· Procedures for ensuring that election judges are trained and willing to cooperate with established rules and procedures.
· Procedures for ensuring campaign compliance with City code, contribution limits and reporting.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that an ad hoc committee is established, consisting of 11 13 members as follows:
· The Annapolis Democratic Central Committee shall name one co-chair and 4 additional members.
· The Annapolis Republican Central Committee shall name one co-chair and 4 additional members.
· Existing members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall be included in the list of names as appointments from their respective central committees.
· The Mayor CITY COUNCIL shall solicit nominations VOLUNTEERS for members with no political party or are registered independents OF OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES OR NOT REGISTERED (UNAFFILIATED) WITH A POLITICAL PARTY, and from said nominations VOLUNTEERS THE COUNCIL shall select one THREE memberS.
AND, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ANNAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL that the ad hoc committee shall convene a public hearing with proper notice and take written and oral testimony from voters, the candidates, their campaigns, the lawyers who represented the campaigns, the City Clerk's office and experts on voting practices and procedures to document the actual experiences of voters, understand current practices and procedures and make recommendations to the Election Board, the Mayor and the City Council to address voter issues and concerns.
EXPLANATION
CAPITAL LETTERS indicate matter added to existing law.
Strikethrough indicates matter stricken from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments.