Board of Elections Supervisors

Board of Election Supervisors City Hall - Community Room September 5, 2024 6:30 p.m. Final 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 Arrived at 6:55 p.m. Also present: Yvette Allen, City Clerk; Joi Woods, Contract Secretary. I. Call to Order Susan Huemmrich called the meeting to order at 6:49 p.m. II. Approval of the meeting agenda A motion was made by Tonia James and seconded by Mary Barnes to approve the meeting agenda as written. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. III. Approval of the July 15, 2024 and August 1, 2024 Minutes A motion was made by Mary Barnes and seconded by Frank Cifaldi to approve the Meeting Minutes from July 15, 2024. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. A motion was made by Mary Barnes and seconded by Tonia James to approve the Meeting Minutes from August 1, 2024 as amended. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. IV. Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (CDCE) A. Yvette Allen and Susan Huemmrich met with Sam Novey, Mike Hamner, and Naomi Cohen, from the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (CDCE) on August 27, 2024. The meeting was held to discuss options for the BOES to establish a university presence to encourage voter participation. 1. The BOES discussed student engagement in city elections and the impact on voter participation across each district a. Considerations for students, transient workers, and other temporary residents 2. The CDCE expressed interest in supporting voter outreach for city elections 1  a. Vote Sixteen b. Vote Sixteen is inclusive of 16year old and 17-year-old residents in College Park. i. There are funds available in the city budget to assist with the Vote Sixteen Project ii. If the Mayor and City Council are interested in pursuing Vote Sixteen, next steps would include: introducing a charter change, a hearing, and voter education. b. Concurrent City and Federal Elections i. The BOES discussed the feasibility of holding city elections concurrently with federal elections. ii. College Park has been identified by the Federal Government as a non-partisan city. A concurrent election can be held without a Hatch Act violation. iii. Logistical considerations including availability of the BOES and City Staff to support polling placings for the duration of the election.  The transition will require an adjusting in the number of elections held year after the 2025 election  The BOES noted a need for targeted focus on: o Voter Education o Technology and synchronizing with national elections o Identifying Student Election Judges A motion was made by Mary Barnes and seconded by Susan Huemmrich to explore the feasibility of concurrent elections that align with federal elections. The motion passed 5-0-0. 3. Including 16 & 17-year-old voters in city elections a. Benefits, drawbacks, and other considerations i. The board revisited determining associated costs with supporting voter registration, the administrative burden, and other factors related to equity that will impact voter education for 16 and 17-year-old voters. 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. Identifying the number of 16 and 17-year-old voters  It was noted that the BOES would use PG County Board of Elections Voter Rolls to get mailing information for 16 and 17-year-old voters. V. September 17, 2024 Draft Presentation to Mayor and City Council A. The BOES discussed and revised the presentation. The presentation will include 3 targeted topics, with recommendations and supporting data. The targeted areas of focus to increase voter participation include: 1. Ranked Choice Voting (Recommendation not in favor) 2. Vote 16 (Recommendation in favor) 3. Vote by Mail (VBM) (Recommendation in favor) 2  B. Tasks & Assignments 1. Mary Barnes and Frank Cifaldi will refine talking points and the visual presentation using the city’s style guide and forward it to Yvette Allen. 2. Susan Huemmrich will be the presenter during the work session. Other BOES members in attendance will answer questions. VII. Agenda Roadmap Review The BOES will review the Agenda Roadmap before the October meeting to identify additional tasks and considerations for Subcommittee Assignments. VIII. New Business A. Upcoming Meetings 1. The BOES discussed meeting start times and format options for the remainder of the year. The BOES voted to adjust the meeting start time, meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. a. October 3, November 7 (hybrid), and December 5 (hybrid) IX. Adjournment A motion was made by Frank Cifaldi and seconded by Ruth Murphy to adjourn the meeting to complete presentation revisions. The motion passed 5-0-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m. 3