Drafter
Clerk 07/09/2003
Title
AN ORDINANCE establishing the King County citizens' elections oversight committee.
Body
PREAMBLE:
1. The proper administration of elections is an essential function of county government in Washington state. Public confidence in the prompt and accurate counting of ballots is of the utmost importance to our democratic society. Conducting elections requires numerous other important administrative matters including registering voters, processing filings for candidates and measures, and publishing voters' pamphlets.
2. Tens of thousands of absentee ballots were mailed two weeks late for the November 2002 general election. In many cases, the ballots did not arrive in voters mailboxes until the day of the election.
3. The metropolitan King County council has provided leadership and strong oversight to restore public confidence in the King County election system.
4. The council's committee-of-the-whole received a briefing on December 9, 2002, on the operations of the King County elections office in general and the distribution of absentee ballots for the November 2002 general election in particular.
5. In February 2003, the Secretary of State's Office released a report reviewing the November 2002 general election in King County. The report found that King County had fallen significantly behind in processing voter registrations. The report also recommended that the county develop or acquire a voter registration system that meets the needs of the county.
6. On February 3, 2003, the committee-of-the-whole held a special meeting at the King County mail ballot operations satellite, where absentee ballots are counted. The council toured and inspected the facility.
7. On February 14, 2003, the metropolitan King County council adopted Ordinance 14570, which was enacted. The ordinance requires council confirmation of the position of manager of the King County records, elections and licensing services division and the position of superintendent of elections.
8. On February 25, 2003, the council's labor, operations and technology committee received a briefing on the review of King County election process by the Office of the Secretary of State, and the King County records, elections and licensing services division.
9. In March 2003, the metropolitan King County council hired an elections consultant, a former county elections manager, to conduct an independent review of county elections.
10. On April 22, 2003, the labor, operations and technology committee received a briefing on the elections consultant's review of the county election process.
11. Several polling places ran out of ballots during the April 22, 2003 special election for the Highline School District.
12. On April 22, 2003, the council's elections consultant produced "The Final Report to the County Council on Reviewing the Election Process in King County". The report makes short- and long-term recommendations for improving the election process in King County.
13. More than one thousand five hundred absentee ballots for vote-by-mail precincts in unincorporated King County were not mailed until four days before the May 20, 2003 election.
14. On May 20, 2003, the metropolitan King County council sent King County executive Ron Sims a letter signed by all councilmembers confirming an agreement between the council and executive to use the council's elections consultant to closely monitor the elections process from within the elections section. The letter also recommended increased consultation and assistance from the Washington Secretary of State for the fall 2003 elections and encouraged appointment of a citizen panel to monitor the fall elections and restore voter confidence.
15. The council now desires to establish such a panel in the form of a citizen's oversight committee with the ultimate goal of restoring public confidence in King County elections.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Establishment - definition. The King County citizens' elections oversight committee is hereby established. For the purposes of this ordinance, "the committee" means the King County elections citizen oversight committee.
SECTION 2. Membership - appointment process, requirements and restrictions.
A. The committee shall consist of nine voting members. The members shall be appointed by the executive from nominations submitted by the chair of the council. The appointments shall be subject to confirmation by the council.
B. Membership shall include one representative from the Municipal League, League of Women Voters, the King County Democratic Party, the King County Republican Party, the Office of the Secretary of State and a King County school district and three King County registered voters.
C. All nominees should have:
1. Substantial working knowledge of local or state government elections operations and management;
2. A strong commitment to an accountable, transparent, well-managed and efficient elections operation in King County; and
3. A willingness to commit the time necessary to attend committee meetings and activities.
D. A nominee or appointee shall not hold or be a candidate for elected office.
E. The chair of the council shall submit nominations to the executive. The executive shall transmit to the council nine appointments to the committee by July 31, 2003. The transmittal shall be accompanied by appropriate contact information for the appointees.
F. Terms of committee membership shall be eight months and shall not be for staggered terms.
SECTION 3. Mission and goals. The mission of the committee is to provide citizen oversight of the operation and management of the elections section of the King County records, elections and licensing services division. The goal of the committee shall be to make recommendations to:
A. Improve performance of the King County elections section;
B. Improve accountability of the King County elections section; and
C. Ensure that accountability and performance of the elections section is provided in an open, transparent manner that is meaningful to the citizens of King County.
SECTION 4. Responsibilities.
A. Before undertaking its other responsibilities identified in this ordinance, the committee shall elect officers and adopt administrative procedures.
B. To accomplish its missions and goal, the committee shall complete the following tasks:
1. Reviewing "The Final Report to the County Council on Reviewing the Election Process in King County" and the Office of the Secretary of State's report, which reviewed the November 2002 general election in King County;
2. Reviewing current King County elections operations and management, policies and procedures, business processes and business practices; and
3. Monitoring the fall 2003 primary and general elections in King County to determine if improvements should be made to ensure the successful operation and management of elections in King County and to ensure that problem areas are discussed in an open and public manner.
C. The committee shall also develop the following reports:
1. A report on improving the King County elections section's mission statement, goals and objectives, performance measures and benchmarks; and
2. A report on the fall 2003 primary and general elections in King County, including recommendations to improve and make available to citizens elections that will occur in King County in 2004. This report should also determine if the recommendations made by the Office of the Secretary of State and the council's elections consultant were implemented for the fall 2003 elections.
SECTION 5. Staffing and operations.
A. The lead analyst for the King County labor, operations and technology committee, or its successor, or another staff person designated by the chair of the council, shall assist with coordinating the initial staffing and operation of the committee.
B. The committee shall identify an independent contractor to support the committee, and shall request that the chair of the council hire those persons or contractor as provided in the council's organizational motion. The person, persons or contractor shall assist and facilitate the committee, conduct independent research and analysis, review best practices for operations and management of elections, review current and proposed information systems for elections, and prepare final reports of the committee's findings and recommendations, as required herein.
C. County staff in the department of executive services shall be available to answer questions and provide information to the committee.
SECTION 6. Compensation and reimbursement. The county shall reimburse committee members for mileage at the standard county reimbursement rate for travel within the county and to and from scheduled committee meetings. The county shall provide parking space free of charge in the county garage to committee members while attending meetings where committee business is conducted.
SECTION 7. Expiration. The committee expires on March 31, 2004. It is the
intent of the council to evaluate the continued need of the committee before the committee sunsets and to consider whether to repeal or continue the committee.