Board of Elections Supervisors

Approved: 09/05/24 Board of Election Supervisors City Hall - Community Room August 1, 2024 7:00 p.m. Draft Minutes Member Present Absent 1. Mary Barnes X 2. Frank Cifaldi X 3. Lynea Cooper-Pitts X 4. Susan Huemmrich X 5. Tonia James X 6. Ruth Murphy X Also present: Yvette Allen, City Clerk; Joi Woods, Contract Secretary. I. Call to Order Susan Huemmrich called the meeting to order at 6:59 p.m. II. Approval of the meeting agenda A motion was made by Mary Barnes and seconded by Ruth Murphy to approve the meeting agenda as amended. The motion passed 5-0-0. III. Approval of the July 15, 2024 Minutes A motion was made by Ruth Murphy and seconded by Frank Cifaldi to postpone the approval of the July 15, 2024 minutes until September 5th to allow for further review. The BOES will assess the desired level of detail of meeting minutes. The motion passed 5-0-0. IV. Welcome new City Clerk The board welcomed the new City Clerk, Yvette Allen. V. September 17, 2024 Draft Presentation to Mayor and City Council The BOES reviewed and discussed key metrics, data, and topics for the draft presentation. A. Attachments 1) Budget for Vote by Mail (VBM) a. The BOES discussed highlighting the cost difference from approximately $68K in 2023 vs an estimated $82,766 for a VBM election in 2025 b. Proposed Election format for 2025 c. Comparison with Takoma Park and Hyattsville including costs and increasing voter participation 1  i. VBM elections have a significant increase in costs with an approximate return of 50% on the total number of voters in comparison to a 10% return on the total number of voters in the 2023 election. ii. A historical data table was presented for comparison to demonstrate estimated related costs and voter participation. The BOES discussed costs scenarios based on the number of in person voting days. Data points included: • Total ballots mailed • Total ballots casts (Early Voting, Mail-in Ballots) • Total ballots casts On election Day • Total Costs per vote o Hyattsville ($ 61.54) offering more in person voting days o Takoma Park ($ 11.12) o College Park ($ 19.00) d. Potential Recommendations for the 2025 election format options i. Make no changes from the current election format (3 in person voting days) ii. Complete VBM election format (1 in person voting day) iii. Blended format to include VBM & in person voting options e. Highlight the amount of time with monetary and human costs associated with each option B. Topics 1) Increasing voter engagement and turn out a. Number of Registered Voters 2) Communications a. Discussed methods on how to reach residents of all ages including registered voters under 35 included social media, the city website; banners, signage, community organization, church bulletins, etc. 3) Vote at Home 2024 Policy and Research Guide – research about the potential for fraud a. The board noted current best practices to reduce voter fraud including PG County Voter Roll Maintenance (from the previous BOES report) 4) Budget Considerations a. Current Election costs b. Ballot acknowledgment options and projected costs i. Increasing comfortability with a VBM format by providing voters with acknowledgement that their ballots have been received • BOES will inquire if Fort Orange Press offers services to confirm casted ballots The board discussed modifying ballots to collect e-mail addresses to establish an email confirmation system using barcodes as unique identifiers to auto send ballot receipts and to possibly establish database inquiries 2  5) Establishing a university presence - Meeting with Sam Novey, CDCE August 27, 2024, 3:00 pm to discuss a. Voter Education b. Technology and synchronizing with national election c. Identifying Student Election Judges 6) Including 16 & 17-year-old voters in city elections a. Benefits, drawbacks, and other considerations i. The board discussed associated costs, supporting voter registration, administrative burden and factors related to equity that impact voter education for 16 and 17- year-old voters about candidates and local election processes. There was discussion whether the BOES has the capacity to service 16 and 17-year-old voters and what information regarding this age group would be presented to the Council. ii. Regarding identifying the number of registered 16 and 17-year-old voters, it was noted that BOES would use PG County Board of Elections voter rolls to include 16 and 17-year-old voters. iii. As far as estimating the number of 16 and 17-year-old voters for future elections, other local municipalities such as Takoma Park and Hyattsville stated their 16 and 17-year-old turnout is very low. Based on this information, BOES is unable to estimate potential participation for College Park at this time; However, ideas on how to reach out to this age group are being discussed. VI. BOES Subcommittee Assignments for the upcoming year The board discussed establishing expertise areas related to election processes to identify relevant research and to establish recommendations for Mayor & Council. A. Candidacy forms and City Code & Charter sections on Elections and Ethics review (All) B. Campaign/Financial Reports (Frank Cifaldi) C. Polling Places & Staffing (Ruth Murphy) D. Candidacy forms & Packets (Lynea Cooper-Pitts) 1) Dates and guidelines are included in the forms and packets are aligned with the City Code & Charter 2) Candidate Roadmap VII. Agenda Roadmap Review The BOES will review the Agenda Roadmap before the September meeting to identify additional tasks and considerations for Subcommittee Assignments. Implementation of the Roadmap will take place October 1 in preparation for the upcoming 2025 election. VIII. New Business – None. IX. 2024 Upcoming Meetings & Adjournment A. 2024 Upcoming Meetings 3  1) September 5, (September 17 report to Mayor and Council), October 3, November 7, and December 5 2) Adjournment A motion was made by Mary Barnes Ruth Murphy and seconded by Lynea Cooper-Pitts to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed 5-0-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:42 pm. 4