Drafter
Clerk 02/29/2012
Title
AN ORDINANCE related to membership and representation on the citizens' elections oversight committee; and amending Ordinance 15453, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 2.53.021.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The citizens' elections oversight committee has served as a significant resource and asset to King County voters and to King County in its role of providing oversight and advice on King County elections.
2. The committee was created by the council in May 2006. Since that time, an additional language requirement has been placed on King County by Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act, which requires that political subdivisions provide alternate language ballots and voter education materials if they have more than ten thousand or over five percent of the total voting age citizens who are members of a single minority language group and have limited English language proficiency. Following the results of the 2010 Census, the county must now print ballots and voter education materials in Vietnamese as well as Chinese.
3. It is appropriate that the Vietnamese-speaking community be represented on the committee.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 15453, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 2.53.021 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
A. ((The chair of the council and the council vice chair shall solicit nominations for membership from all council members. The chair of the council and the council vice chair shall jointly appoint oversight committee members who are confirmed by motion to the committee.
B.)) Committee membership shall include:
1. One representative from a nonpartisan organization active in King County that evaluates candidates and ballot measures, such as the Municipal League;
2. One representative from a nonpartisan organization active in King County that provides elections information to the public, such as the League of Women Voters;
3. One representative of an independent research and policy institute; and
4. One representative from a junior taxing district;
5. One representative of the Chinese-speaking community;
6. One representative of the Vietnamese-speaking community;
7. One representative from each of any other language minority community for which the Director of the Bureau of the Census determines by publication in the Federal Register that King County is required to provide minority language assistance under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act;
((7.)) 8. Two King County registered voters who are not representatives of any of the groups listed in subsection ((B.))A.1. through ((5.)) 7. And ((7.)) 9. through ((12.)) 14. of this section;
((7.)) 9. One representative from the King County Democratic Party;
((8.)) 10. One representative from the King County Republican Party;
((9.)) 11. One representative from the Washington state Democratic Party;
((10.)) 12. One representative from the Washington state Republican Party;
((11.)) 13. One ex officio, nonvoting representative from the Office of the Secretary of State;
((12.)) 14. One ex officio, nonvoting representative from the Washington State Association of County Auditors;
B. The process for filling vacancies on the committee is:
1. The chair of the council shall notify councilmembers of vacancies on the committee and shall direct council staff to develop a job description and list of qualifications for committee members, as well as an application form;
2. The open positions shall be advertised at a minimum in the county's newspaper of record;
3. The chair of the council shall direct council staff to develop administrative procedures for accepting applications. All applications shall be forwarded to all county councilmembers. Applications shall also be forwarded to the citizens' elections oversight committee for review and the committee may provide feedback to the employment and administration committee;
4. The employment and administration committee shall review applications, and may interview applicants. By majority vote, the employment and administration committee shall appoint members to the citizen oversight committee; and
5. Appointments shall be confirmed or rejected by the full council by motion.
C. When the Director of the Bureau of the Census determines by publication in the Federal Register that King County is no longer required to provide minority language assistance under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act to a language minority community, the term of the committee member representing that community expires and committee membership representing that community is no longer required.
D. All members should have:
1. A 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.)) E. Except for the member representing the Washington State Association of Auditors, a nominee or appointee to the committee shall not hold elective public office or be a candidate for election to public office, other than as a precinct committee officer.
((E.)) F. Except for the ex officio members, members shall serve three-year terms. However, the representatives representing the groups under subsection ((B.))A.6, ((9.)) 10. and ((10.)) 11. of this section appointed in 2006 initially shall serve one-year terms and the representative representing the group under subsection ((B.))A.1, 2, ((7.)) 8. and ((8.)) 9. of this section appointed in 2006 initially shall serve a two-year term. Ex officio members serve at the pleasure of their office or association. The member representing the Vietnamese-speaking community shall serve a three-year term that begins on the date of appointment to the committee and expires December 31, three years fter the appointment. Any other members that may be added as required by this ordinance and under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act shall serve three-year terms that begin on the date of appointment to the committee and expire December 31, three years after the appointment.