Extracted text (via pymupdf)
12015 characters
Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 9:30 AM BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Maricopa County, Arizona (and the Boards of Directors of the Flood Control District, Library District, Stadium District, Improvement Districts, Housing Authority of Maricopa County and/or Board of Deposit) "The mission of Maricopa County is to provide regional leadership and fiscally responsible, necessary public services to its residents so they can enjoy living in healthy and safe communities” Board Members Clint Hickman, Chairman, District 4 Jack Sellers, Vice Chairman, District 1 Steve Chucri, District 2 Bill Gates, District 3 Steve Gallardo, District 5 County Manager Joy Rich Clerk of the Board Fran McCarroll Meeting Location Supervisors' Auditorium 205 W. Jefferson Phoenix, AZ 85003 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS The Board of Supervisors of Maricopa County, Phoenix, Arizona, convened in Informal Session at 9:30 AM on Monday, May 04, 2020, in the Supervisors' Auditorium, 205 W. Jefferson, Phoenix, AZ 85003, with the following members present: Clint Hickman, Chairman, District 4; Jack Sellers, Vice Chairman, District 1; Steve Chucri, Supervisor, District 2; Bill Gates, Supervisor, District 3; Steve Gallardo, Supervisor, District 5. Also present: Fran McCarroll, Clerk of the Board; Kelly Gardiner, Minutes Coordinator; Joy Rich, County Manager; and Andrea Cummings, Legal Counsel (telephonically). PRESENTATION AND ACTION Elections 1 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE 2020 PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS Presentation regarding Election Day Planning Considerations and a request for an extension of time to finalize and submit the Election Day Plans for both the 2020 Primary and General Elections. Scott Jarrett, Director, Election Day and Emergency Voting (C-06-20-490-P-00) Chairman Hickman brought the meeting to order and stated Scott Jarrett, Director, Election Day and Emergency Voting was present to give a presentation and update on planning for the upcoming August Primary Election. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 Page 2 of 10 Mr. Jarrett thanked the Board for their time and the opportunity to present an update from the Elections Department. He said a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic has not been seen in generations. Mr. Jarrett stated it is affecting all jurisdictions across the nation including Maricopa County which has the second largest voting jurisdiction. He spoke about the upcoming election being the largest in-person event since the governor’s order to shelter in place and it is necessary to plan for 2.4 million voters with approximately 700,000 in-person voters in the August 4 Primary Election. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 Page 3 of 10 Mr. Jarrett reviewed the information on the above slide which shows the Original Model (Precinct Polling Model) versus the Revised Model (Vote Center Model). The Vote Center Model was designed to take into consideration the health and safety of voters as well as the integrity of the election process. He said in order to accommodate the projected number of voters with the Vote Center Model, Elections would increase the number of days the Vote Centers would be open (10-14 days) which would include weekends and evenings. One of the benefits to the Vote Center Model is any registered voter can show up at any of the Vote Centers and vote. The On-Demand Ballot system with the new tabulation equipment provides secure voting. Mr. Jarrett reviewed the above slide and explained the factors that impact decision-making for the upcoming elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors compelled the Elections team to consider the Vote Center model. The need to change the elections model is driven by safety concerns for the citizens as well as poll workers. With the Vote Center model, the number of poll workers and polling locations is far fewer. Additionally, the Ballot-on-Demand tabulation style would allow Maricopa County to order far less paper due to the generic nature of that ballot Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 Page 4 of 10 The above slide shows the benefits of the revised model. Mr. Jarrett explained one benefit of the Vote Center model is that while there are fewer physical polling places, the increased days that those polling places are open creates more access for the voter while keeping the locations safe and clean. The above slide shows some of the results of analyses related to voter behavior and how increased Vote Centers coupled with increased days available for voters would likely result in shorter wait times for those who showed up to vote in person. The Elections Department would continue to encourage voters toward early ballot requests and vote-by-mail to reduce the impact on the Vote Centers. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 Page 5 of 10 The above slide shows in-person voting patterns. The red areas show historically high density in- person voting, orange shading shows the next level of vote density, and yellow shading the next. This information helps guide the Elections Department in strategic Vote Center placement. Mr. Jarrett reviewed the slide on Polling Locations and said the priority was to ensure plenty of social distancing. He stated analysis was done and calculations show 2500 square feet per Vote Center is Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 Page 6 of 10 needed to accommodate nine site book check-in stations, three Ballot-On-Demand printers, and 20 voting booths. Additional equipment was purchased in order to meet the needs for the coming elections. The Elections Department reached out to the school districts as possible sites because schools are typically in central locations and are familiar to many voters as a voting location. Other traditional options have been explored and the Maricopa County Real Estate Division was consulted. Mr. Jarrett reviewed the slide on Strategies for Poll Workers. He stated they have filled approximately 70% of the positions needed and with the strategies that have been implemented, he was confident the recruitment and training goals would be met. Chairman Hickman asked if the County employees would be recruited again. The fact that many have been trained previously would allow them to potentially step in for “surge” coverage as needed. Mr. Jarrett said those individuals would be considered. Supervisor Gallardo spoke about the number of unemployed people who might benefit from a few weeks of work to help make ends meet. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 Page 7 of 10 The above slide reviews the Safety aspects of the voting experience. Mr. Jarrett said they had conducted practice runs within the Vote Center to find out how long it takes to get through the process and where there might be potential problems. He said that Elections had been looking at many different approaches targeting safety. He emphasized the need for Voter Outreach to let the public know what their options are including mail in ballots. Mr. Jarrett stated that the more voters who vote by mail or drop off the ballot on election day will result in fewer people subject to social distancing and wait times in the heat of the summer. Supervisor Gates asked about Monsoon storms and the possibility of a storm knocking out power. Mr. Jarrett said if a storm came up and took out electricity, there are backup generators and the likelihood of it knocking out power to more than one Vote Center is remote, and a voter could be directed to a nearby Vote Center. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 Page 8 of 10 Mr. Jarrett reviewed the above slide on strategies related to Communications. The focus of this communication is to reassure the voter on how to cast a vote safely and that options are available. Mr. Jarrett reviewed the CARES Funding and said CARES would help offset the increased cost of conducting an election during this pandemic. He stated that the Vote Center model being considered does not cost less, but CARES funds have been allocated to the elections in Maricopa County. Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 Page 9 of 10 Mr. Jarrett asked the Supervisors if there were any questions. Supervisor Chucri asked for clarification on the actual hours for the polls. Mr. Jarrett said that the hours of operation are contingent on the actual locations that are available and utilized. He said some of the locations impose time of day guidelines and most likely polls would be open until 7:00 PM on some evenings. Supervisor Chucri asked about the term “all mail” elections and confirmed those are only jurisdictional elections that are “all mail.” Supervisor Chucri asked Supervisor Gates about the Elections Operations Agreement (EOA) established in 2019 which defined the division of authority within the elections process. He stated concern that with the proposed Vote Center model, Election Day becomes Election Days, and the importance of making clear who was responsible for the different time frames. Supervisor Gates stated it would be a good conversation to have with their legal team. Supervisor Gates thanked Mr. Jarrett for all the work that has gone into this election process. He asked about ballot drop off at the Vote Center. Mr. Jarrett said, from a safety standpoint, it would be preferable to have the ballot drop box at the curb and two poll workers present to monitor that process. Supervisor Gates also suggested pop up tents to shade the voters who are waiting in line outside the Vote Center. He expressed confidence in Mr. Jarrett and his team to take care of the security and safety of the elections process. Supervisor Gallardo talked about the use of Mega Centers for Vote Centers. He said that the logistics of these sites are not favorable for the average voter who might be required to walk a longer distance to cast their vote. He also talked about the “messaging” associated with the voting process and to let the voters know the CDC Rules are being followed in the Vote Centers. Supervisor Gallardo asked for the slide of the heat map be put up. He said that District 5 did not have the high-density areas like other districts and that his district is likely more impacted by COVID-19. He stated he wants to make sure that his constituents have convenient access to Vote Centers also. Mr. Jarrett commented on the Phoenix Convention Center and Mesa Convention Center and said his Informal Meeting Minutes Monday, May 04, 2020 Page 10 of 10 team is looking at these and will consider Supervisor Gallardo’s concern about the walking distance for voters. Chairman Hickman asked about the Recreation Centers in Sun City and if any have been considered as a Vote Center. He stated he would like to see poll workers able to attend satellite training locations near the Vote Center where they are working. Mr. Jarrett said there is interest in having the training occur at the Vote Center location. Chairman Hickman asked about the sanitation supplies that were a problem during the Presidential Preference Election. Mr. Jarrett said the shortage of supplies was due to orders not coming in rather than burning through a lot of product. Chairman Hickman thanked the Elections Department for these planning sessions and the ability to ask questions and express concerns. 2. EXECUTIVE SESSION Vote to convene in Executive Session to consider items on the Executive Agenda dated May 04, 2020, for Board of Supervisors and relevant Special Districts pursuant to statutory authority listed for each item. Motion to approve by Supervisor Chucri, seconded by Supervisor Sellers Ayes: Sellers, Chucri, Gates, Hickman, Gallardo MEETING ADJOURNED After discussion on the Executive Session items and there being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned. ______________________________ Clint Hickman, Chairman of the Board ATTEST: ____________________________ Fran McCarroll, Clerk of the Board