Drafter
Clerk 02/12/2015
Title
AN ORDINANCE related to elections; establishing the position of deputy director of the department of elections and designating the position as a key subordinate unit requiring council confirmation of appointments to the position; amending Ordinance 11955, Section 12, as amended, and K.C.C. 2.16.100 and adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 2.16.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
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 also requires numerous other important administrative matters including voter registration, processing of filings for candidates and measures, and the publication of voters' pamphlets.
2. Public confidence in the persons who provide and protect our elections requires a selection process offering the greatest possible public scrutiny. Delegation of these vital duties by the elected director to an appointed official requires a process for careful consideration of the professional qualifications of the official.
3. On February 4, 2003, the King County council approved Ordinance 14570, which required council confirmation of the manager of the records, election and licensing division and the superintendent of elections, the two key positions then responsible for administering elections in King County. On November 19, 2007, the council approved Ordinance 15971 which established the elections division and designated the manager of the division as a key subordinate unit subject to council confirmation.
4. On November 4, 2008, the voters of King County approved Initiative 25, which established the office of an elected county director of elections to replace the position of the appointed manager of the elections division.
5. On November 18, 2008, the King County council approved Ordinance 16302, which establi...
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