Drafter
Clerk 06/09/2009
Title
AN ORDINANCE related to conducting elections entirely by mail; amending Ordinance 15523, Section 2, adding a new chapter to K.C.C. Title 1 and repealing Ordinance 9391, Section 1, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.08.020 and Ordinance 918, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.08.030.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. On June 19, 2006, the King County council approved Ordinance 15523 directing that all future county elections will be conducted entirely by mail on a date established by the director of elections, only after certain conditions had been met.
2. The conditions established by the council included: the appointment and confirmation of a director of elections and a superintendent of elections; completion of a cultural change and management training; council approval of a plan for regional voting centers and ballot drop boxes; the implementation of an Internet-based ballot tracking system.
3. These conditions were established largely to ensure that the elections office had highly trained leadership, management and staff that could successfully manage a transition to vote-by-mail.
4. All the conditions of Ordinance 15523 have been met except for the appointment and confirmation of a superintendent of elections.
5. Since 2004, King County elections has made significant improvement to its policies and procedures and the training of staff and has conducted twenty-two successful elections. During this time, the county has not had a superintendent of elections and yet operations continue to improve.
6. Given the history of operational improvements since 2004, there is reason to believe that King County elections can make a successful transition to conducting all future elections by mail without a superintendent of elections.
7. K.C.C. 1.08.020 and 1.08.030, which is about rental for polling places, inspectors and judges which are no longer necessary when elections are done by mail.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 15523, Section 2, as amended by section 2 of this ordinance, should constitute a new chapter in K.C.C. Title 1.
SECTION 2. Ordinance 15523, Section 2, is hereby amended to read as follows:
The director of ((the records,)) elections ((and licensing services division)) is directed to conduct all King County elections entirely by mail ballot in accordance with state law((beginning on a date in 2007 or in 2008 determined by the director only after the following conditions have been met:
A. A new director of records, elections and licensing services and a superintendent of elections have been appointed by the executive and confirmed by the council;
B. The director and elections section staff have completed the cultural change and management training recommended by the citizens' election oversight committee and the independent task force on elections; and
C. The executive has transmitted and the council has approved by motion a plan with cost estimates for regional voting centers and ballot drop boxes. The plan shall be filed in the form of an original and ten copies with the clerk of the council, who will retain the original and will forward copies to each councilmember and to the lead staff of the committee-of-the-whole.))
SECTION 3. The position of superintendent of elections is still important to conducting elections in King County. Therefore, the council strongly encourages the appointment of a highly qualified superintendent of elections as soon as practicable.
SECTION 4. Ordinance 9391, Section 1, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.08.020 and Ordinance 918, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.08.030 are hereby repealed.