Election Commission

Election Commission | Census Office City Hall • 375 Merrimack Street, Rm. 5 • Lowell MA 01852 Tel: 978.674.1200 • Fax: 978.970.4089 www.lowellma.gov Board of Election Commissioners Meeting Tuesday, June 15, 2021 Election & Census Conference Room 6:00 PM MEETING MINUTES 1. Roll Call and Attendance Start Time 6:05 Meeting called to order by Vice Chair Jim Pope. Commissioners Beverly Anthas, Commissioner Jim Pope and Commissioner Paton were present. Chair Zoe Dzineku arrived at 6:08 PM. At that time Vice Chair Jim Pope relinquished the chair to Chairperson Dzineku. 2. New Business a. Discussion on setup of polling locations for 2021 Municipal Elections. Elliott Veloso updated the commissioners on the issue of polling locations for the new municipal districts for the 2021 Municipal Elections. The issue with the polling locations was that, due to delays in the release of federal census polling data due to actions by the previous Trump Administration, the City’s current wards and precincts would not be reprecincted into the new municipal districts until November/December of 2021. Had the census data been timely, reprecincting would have been done at the beginning of 2021 prior to the municipal elections. As a result, certain Wards/Precincts are divided between two or more municipal districts, making them impossible to use as a means of separating voters into their correct polling locations. To ensure voters receive their correct ballots and to prevent voter fraud, one polling location would have to be designated for each new municipal district for the 2021 municipal elections only. Once state reprecincting is finished in late November 2021, the City can go back to the prior Ward/Precinct process.  Election Commission | Census Office City Hall • 375 Merrimack Street, Rm. 5 • Lowell MA 01852 Tel: 978.674.1200 • Fax: 978.970.4089 www.lowellma.gov Mr. Veloso spoke with the City’s voting machine vendor, LHS Associates, to go over options for this year’s municipal elections in light of the federal consent decree and the issues with reprecincting. LHS informed Mr. Veloso that the machines could be coded in a way to allow for voting by the municipal districts if the wards/precincts were unavailable. As such, due to the circumstances caused by the delay in federal census data and the inability to use current Wards/Precincts, one polling location will be designated for each municipal district for only 2021. Voters in each district will come to the polling location and line up in three lines based on their last name: A – M, N – S, and T – Z. The central polling location will be a preexisting polling location. Voters have to line up by last name to prevent voter fraud so they cannot sign in at one line, vote, and then line up in another in an attempt to place another vote. No new polling locations would be needed. Polling Locations – 2021 Municipal Elections (Central Location)  District 1 – Pawtucket Memorial Elementary School, 425 West Meadow Road  District 2 – Robinson School, 110 June Street  District 3 – Reilly School, 115 Douglas Road  District 4 – Lowell High School, 50 Father Morissette Blvd.  District 5 – Butler Middle School, 1140 Gorham Street  District 6 – Morey School, 114 Pine Street  District 7 – Senior Center, 276 Broadway Street  District 8 – James Daley School, 150 Fleming Street As a result, Immaculate Conception Church, Greenhalge Elementary, Bailey School, MacAvinnue School, J.G.Puye School would not be used this year. Once the wards and precincts are reprecincted in November, the City can go back to using Wards and Precincts in future elections.) Chair Zoe Dzineku had concerns that there may be individuals that worry about voter suppression. Director Veloso explained that he would make every effort to ensure that there would be no long lines. He also stated that he was working on vote by mail and that he was working with the Senior center on early in-person voting for the primary and general election. Similar to 2020 . He also stated that he was working with LTC, and You Tube to educate voters. Chair Zoe Dzineku would like to reach out to voters via text message. Mr. Veloso said he would reach out to Phil to see if it was possible, but indicated that based on previous inquiries it may not due to limintations in the text service. .  Election Commission | Census Office City Hall • 375 Merrimack Street, Rm. 5 • Lowell MA 01852 Tel: 978.674.1200 • Fax: 978.970.4089 www.lowellma.gov i. Vote to designate the polling locations for 2021 Municipal Elections. A motion was made by Chair Zoe Dzineku. Seconded by Beverly Anthes: To accept the Municipal District Election Central Location Polling Locations for 2021 only as listed.  District 1 – Pawtucket Memorial Elementary School, 425 West Meadow Road  District 2 – Robinson School, 110 June Street  District 3 – Reilly School, 115 Douglas Road  District 4 – Lowell High School, 50 Father Morissette Blvd.  District 5 – Butler Middle School, 1140 Gorham Street  District 6 – Morey School, 114 Pine Street  District 7 – Senior Center, 276 Broadway Street  District 8 – James Daley School, 150 Fleming Street Roll call was taken 4 -0 vote to approve. b. Status on nomination papers and candidate reporting requirements for 2021 Municipal Elections. Director Veloso informed the Board that as of June 15th, appx. 30 individuals have taken out nomination papers for the upcoming city elections. They have until August 3rd by 5:00 pm to return the Nomination papers. He mentioned that he has given each individual a guide packet containing: a CD-ROM, registered voter list and street listing, 2021 Election Calendar, City of Lowell Election and Census Office Guide to changes in 2021 Municipal Elections, and 2021 Municipal Election Frequently Asked Questions sheet. Chair Zoe Dzineku requested that the board be given copies of what candidates receive from the Election Commission prior to the candidates. Mr. Veloso stated he would e-mail the materials to the commissioners Commission Jim Pope stated that individuals need 150 signatures on their nomination papers. He had concern, what if no one from a District runs? Director Veloso will look into his concern and get back to the Board. c. Update on technology improvements for Election Office equipment.  Election Commission | Census Office City Hall • 375 Merrimack Street, Rm. 5 • Lowell MA 01852 Tel: 978.674.1200 • Fax: 978.970.4089 www.lowellma.gov Director Veloso informed the commissioners that there was only one RFQ received for the new voting machines. He also informed the commissioners that the vendor, LHS Associates, informed the City that they were awaiting certification by the state for a new model of voting machines that would be even better than the one they offered in response to the RFQ. Mr. Veloso recommended that the RFQ be withdrawn so a new one could be offered later in the year, so that the best potential model be available by the City for use in future elections. Mr. Pope inquired as the lack of vendors applying to the RFQ. Mr. Veloso stated that he reached out to the Massachusetts SEC prior to the RFQ for guidance on the process. The state advised that Massachusetts only recognizes two vendors as authorized vendors to sell equiptment to Massachusetts municipalities, LHS Associates and ES&S. Any voting machines must have Massachusetts certification to be used. As such, it limits the number of vendors that can actually submit quotes for voting equipment. The commissioners agreed that it made sense to withdraw the RFQ, as the City would want to be in the position to purchase the best equipment available and potential certification of the new machines could be approved by the state as soon as August 2021. d. Update on logistics plans and setup of 2021 Municipal Elections. Director Veloso provided a brief update on the logistics plans, and stated that he would modify them in light of the need to change polling locations this year. Mr. Veloso stated he would update the commissioners when he further updated the plans. The next Election Commission Board meeting will be Tuesday June 29th. 4. Adjournment: Motion to adjourn by Zoe Dzineku, seconded by Beverly Anthes. All in favor END TIME 6:52 PM