MEETING

Elections Commission Regular Meeting

Meeting details

Date and time

How to participate

In-person

City Hall, Room 4081 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Get directions

Online

Event number: 2484 871 0540 Event password: elect (use 35328 from phones)
Join the meeting
415-655-0001
Access code: 2484 871 0540 Event password: 35328 (for phones only)

Overview

See below agenda item #1 for a PDF version of the agenda and for the meeting minutes approved at the December 12, 2022 meeting. See below the remaining items for the agenda packet documents. Meeting recording (Duration: 4:09:19): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa_5YLZ4gBE (Also see below the agenda for the video embedded with transcript.)

Agenda

1

Call to order and roll call

A member of the Commission will state the following (from the adopted 10/19/22 Elections Commission Land Acknowledgment Resolution):

The San Francisco Elections Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula.  As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost, nor forgotten their responsibilities as caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory.  As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland.  We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the ancestors and relatives of the Ramaytush Community and affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples.

2

General public comment

Public comment on any issue within the Elections Commission’s general jurisdiction that is not covered by another item on this agenda.

3

Discussion and Possible Action on Resolution on Continuation of Remote Elections Commission Meetings

Attachments: City Attorney Memo Regarding Public Meetings and Findings Motion; Draft Resolution of the San Francisco Elections Commission

4

Approval of Minutes of Previous Meetings

Discussion and possible action to approve Minutes for the October 19, 2022 Elections Commission Meeting.

Attachments: Draft Minutes

5

Redistricting Process Initiative

Discussion and possible action regarding the Commission’s potential recommendations with respect to the San Francisco redistricting process, including historical background and the proposed project plan.

Invited Speakers:

  • Nancy Wang, Executive Director, Voters Not Politicians
  • Rebecca Szetela, Past Chair and Vice Chair, Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission
  • Alejandra Gutiérrez, Chair, Long Beach Independent Redistricting Commission

Attachments: Updated Proposed Project Plan v3; Speaker Bios; Long Beach Report; Lessons Learned from MICRC; Redistricting Comparison

6

Dominion Voting Systems Contract Extension

Discussion and possible action regarding the two one-year options to extend the City & County of San Francisco’s contract with Dominion Voting Systems.

Attachments: February 2022 Budget Memo; SF Charter Section 9.118; Board Resolution No. 127-19; BLA Report on Resolution; Director Arntz Email & Attachments (Signed Dominion Contract and Appendices); Contract Extension Memo (Jerdonek)

7

Director's Report

Discussion and possible action regarding the Director’s Report.

Attachments: November 2022 Director’s Report; Memo on Open Source Voting Pilot & Attachments (Letter from Secretary of State; OVSTA Meeting Minutes)

8

Commissioners' Reports

Discussion and possible action on Commissioners’ reports on topics not covered by another item on this agenda: meetings with public officials; oversight and observation activities; long-range planning for Commission activities and areas of study; proposed legislation which affects elections.

Attachments: New Hampshire Open Source Voting Pilot Memo (Jerdonek)

9

Possible Closed Session Regarding Public Employee Appointment/Hiring: Director of Elections

Discussion and Possible Action.

The Director of Elections’ current five-year term expires at 12:00 a.m. on May 21, 2023. The Charter requires that the Commission appoint a Director for the next term at least 30 days before the expiration of the current term. S.F. Charter§13.104. At this meeting, the Commission may decide either to appoint the incumbent Director to an additional five-year term or to engage in a competitive selection process, in which the incumbent Director may participate. Portions of this item may be held in closed session pursuant to California Government Code§54957(b) and San Francisco Administrative Code§67.10(b).

a) Public comment on all matters pertaining to this agenda item, including any comment pertaining to the Director of Elections’ selection/appointment and/or whether to meet in closed session.

b) Vote on whether to hear Item 9(c) in closed session. (Action)

c) Discussion and possible action to appoint the incumbent Director of Elections to an additional five-year term or to engage in a competitive selection process (in open or closed session, per the Commission’s vote).

d) If closed session is held, reconvene in open session. Report action taken in closed session as specified in California Government Code §54957.1(a)(5) and San Francisco Administrative Code §67.12(b)(4).

e) Discussion and vote pursuant to Sunshine Ordinance §67.12(a) on whether to disclose any portion of the closed session discussion. (Action.)

10

Selection and Hiring Process for Director of Elections Position

Discussion and possible action regarding the selection and hiring process for the position of Director of Elections, including the funding and process to select an executive recruitment firm, as well as the possibility of creating a committee to assist with the selection and hiring process.

Attachments: Executive Recruitment Process Slides; Current Version of Civil Service Rule 114, Article VII (from https://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules)

11

Agenda items for future meetings

Discussion and possible action regarding items for future agendas.

12

Adjournment

Meeting resources

Video recording

Watch Video

Notices

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When you speak

  • Make sure you're in a quiet place
  • Speak slowly and clearly
  • Turn off any TVs or radios
  • Speak to the Commission as a whole, not to specific Commissioners

Commission packets

Materials contained in the Commission packets for meetings are available for inspection and copying during regular office hours at the Department of Elections, City Hall Room 48. Materials are placed in the Elections Commission's Public Binder no later than 72 hours prior to meetings.

Any materials distributed to members of the Elections Commission within 72 hours of the meeting or after the agenda packet has been delivered to the members are available for inspection at the Department of Elections, City Hall Room 48, in the Commission's Public Binder, during normal office hours.

Cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices

The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers and similar sound-producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. The Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager, or other similar sound-producing electronic devices.

Disability access

The Commission meeting will be held in Room 408, City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA. The meeting room is wheelchair accessible.

The closest accessible BART station is the Civic Center Station at United Nations Plaza and Market Street. Accessible MUNI lines serving this location are: #42 Downtown Loop, and #71 Haight/Noriega and the F Line to Market and Van Ness and the Metro Stations at Van Ness and Market and at Civic Center. For information about MUNI accessible services call (415) 923-6142.

There is accessible curbside parking adjacent to City Hall on Grove Street and Van Ness Avenue and in the vicinity of the Veterans Building at 401 Van Ness Avenue adjacent to Davies Hall and the War Memorial Complex.

To obtain a disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to participate in a meeting, please contact the Department of Elections at least 48 hours before the meeting, except for Monday meetings, for which the deadline is 4:00 p.m. the previous Friday. Late requests will be honored, if possible.

Services available on request include the following: American sign language interpreters or the use of a reader during a meeting, a sound enhancement system, and/or alternative formats of the agenda and minutes. Please contact the Department of Elections at (415) 554-4375 or our TDD at (415) 554-4386 to make arrangements for a disability-related modification or accommodation.

Chemical based products

In order to assist the City's efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical-based products. Please help the City accommodate these individuals.

Know your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance

Government's duty is to serve the public, reaching its decisions in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils, and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people's business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people's review.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE OR TO REPORT A VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE, CONTACT THE SUNSHINE ORDINANCE TASK FORCE:

Sunshine Ordinance Task Force
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
Room 244
San Francisco, CA 94102-4689
Phone: (415) 554-7724
Fax: (415) 554-5163
Email: sotf@sfgov.org
Website: http://sfgov.org/sunshine

Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can be obtained from the Clerk of the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, at the San Francisco Public Library, and on the City's website.

Lobbyist Registration and Reporting Requirements

Individuals that influence or attempt to influence local policy or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance (San Francisco Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code sections 2.100 – 2.160) to register and report lobbying activity.

For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact:

San Francisco Ethics Commission
25 Van Ness Avenue
Suite 220
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 252-3100
Fax: (415) 252-3112
Email: ethics.commission@sfgov.org
Website: sfethics.org

Partner agencies

Elections Commission