Motion by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky

March 14, 2000

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR ZEV YAROSLAVSKY

AMENDMENT TO ITEM S-2

I, THEREFORE, MOVE THAT:

The Auditor-Controller expand the scope of the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's Management Audit to review the following absentee ballot report processing procedures:

Evaluate the Department's procedures for processing absentee ballot requests, and whether staff is given adequate instructions and training for this work.
Assess the use of bar-coding and other technology to speed up entry of requests for absentee ballots into computer systems.
Review how absentee ballot packages are prepared and what monitoring processes are provided to ensure that absentee voters receive the proper ballot. Determine if high-speed printers designed specifically for envelopes or other technology is used to expedite this process.
Determine if productivity measures have been established for absentee ballot processing, and whether staffing is adequate given legal deadlines.
Assess the sources and timing of absentee ballot requests (i.e., sample ballot applications, applications in campaign literature, private letter, etc.), and evaluate the Department's efforts to work with campaigns so that absentee ballots requested from non-County sources are received by the Department within legal deadlines and are handled efficiently.
Evaluate the Department's agreements with the U.S. Postal Service to ensure absentee ballots are delivered to voters within legal deadlines. Assess the Department's oversight of the Postal Service handling of absentee ballots.
Meet with the U.S. Postal Service and review their understanding of the arrangements with the Department and their procedures for processing absentee ballots. Determine the Postal Service's quality control procedures. Determine procedures for handling undelivered absentee ballots.
Evaluate the Department's procedures for processing absentee ballots returned by voters.

Assess the process for validating voter signatures and use of technology to do so.
Assess the methods used to make sure absentee ballots are sorted correctly by ballot type in order to be properly counted.
Assess the process for handling absentee ballots that are damaged or have other problems to correctly record the voter's intended votes.

Evaluate the Department's arrangements with the U.S. Postal Service for absentee ballot pick up at the closing of polls on Election Day.

In addition, the Auditor-Controller is directed to:

Evaluate the Department's procedure for printing and mailing sample ballots to ensure they are handled efficiently and delivered within legal deadlines; and,
Assess the Department's technological ability to update in a timely manner the County's voter file after the close of registration and its capability to respond to issues and problems associated with the voter file brought to the attention of the Department by the public.