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Title:
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Accept Consultant's Final Report on the Election Code Update
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Subject
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Accept Consultant's Final Report on the Election Code Update
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Department
City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council accept the Final Report from the Gant Group on City Election Code update.
Discussion
Background
The Mayor and Council held a series of work sessions on city election reform, with Jason Gant of the Gant Group (election consultant) facilitating the discussions. The governing body provided feedback and guidance on various topics, including topical areas that were pertinent as the Gant Group worked to finalize the report with their recommendations.
Attached to this staff report is the Final Report from the consultant for your review and acceptance. Included in the Final Report are the consultant's recommendations. These include:
1. Election Laws
* The intermingling of the election administration and campaign finance sections needs to be separated into Section 8 Election Administration and Section 8A Campaign Finance. This separation will allow better interpretation of the laws and allow candidates to better understand what the rules are without having to hire an attorney to decipher the language.
2. Election Process and Procedures
* Establishing an Election Handbook, adding additional policies in categories of Pre-Election, Election Day, and Post-Election, would be helpful to clarify additional election administration activities to keep staff, BSE, candidates, and the public aware of various policies.
* Election Code changes should not be made in the twelve months leading up to an election.
3. Campaign Finance
* The city code has not kept up with the times in the world of campaign finance and needs to be updated.
* Campaign committee types need to be defined, contribution limits created, filing requirements established; increase the number of campaign reports, use real-world examples when completing campaign finance forms; develop independent expenditure rules, and enforcement procedures detailed with complaint forms, investigative authorities, and prosecution guidelines.
4. Board of Supervisors of Elections
* The BSE should continue its responsibilities to set policy, create forms, and oversee the overall administration of elections. New responsibilities would include hiring a legal counsel and election staff. The BSE should have clear guidance in the code to review, approve, deny, and penalize all campaign committees. The enforcement of fines and penalties should be at the Board's discretion, with its legal counsel, and allowed to hear appeals and make rulings on all violations.
5. Ballot Measures
* Allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote could be implemented for the 2027 election. There was considerable public support for the idea of increasing opportunities to vote for those age groups. Before final approval would be made, the city needs to verify with the County and the State that this new initiative would not cause any issues with the current partnership that has been in use for years.
Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council held two work sessions with the election consultant on City election reform. The first worksession was held on May 19, 2025, and the second worksession on July 21, 2025.
Public Notification and Engagement
There were two community engagement sessions. The first session was held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, 7 - 9 pm, and the second session was held on Saturday, June 7, 9-12 pm. About thirty-five (35) people attended the first session and twenty-five (25) the second session. If members of the community were unable to attend either session, they were also encouraged to submit their comments to the City Clerk/Director of Council Operations.
Boards and Commissions Review
The consultant met with the Board of Supervisors of Elections (BSE) on April 24, 2025, where the board members provided input.
Next Steps
Following the presentation of the Final Report and recommendations, the Mayor and Council should move to accept the consultant's Final Report.