LTC 066-2009 November 2009 Runoff Electionr~i: `{VDU
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r,c I_rc # o~6-zoo9 LETTER TO COMMISSION
ro Mayor Matti H. Bower and Members of the City Commission
FROnn Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager ~~
DATE: March 9, 2009 (((/ J
SUR1ec_r NOVEMBER 2009 RUNOFF ELECTION
On February 1 1, 2009, Mr. Lester Sola, SupervisorofElections, Miami-Dade County Elections
Department, notified the City Clerk that because of the new optical scan voting system, the
Elections Department is strongly urging each municipality to conduct the general election and
runoff election a minimum of three (3) weeks apart. Attached for your perusal is a copy of
Mc Sola's Icttcr.
A referral to the Neighborhood/Community Affairs Committee will be placed on the March
18, 2009 Commission Agenda and Mr. Sola will be invited to attend the Committee meeting
to answpe~r~any questions.
JMG/REPS
Cc: Josc Smith, City Attorney
Hilda Fernandez, Assistant City Manager
Tim Hemstreef, Assistant City Manogcr
Robert Middaugh, Assistant City Manager
"\:^. FR\; IFR\F:)RftS",,7GG. F..roff elac~on 3 wcckz.ltc.doc
Elections
2?l1U t;b1' 87th;\venue
MIAM I•DADE __ .Miami. Florida sst 72
!{ i , . ~" ~ i" ! '~ I 'i05-J49-VC )TE F :2U.i 499 ti.i47
2~~9 FEB 17 FM 12~ 32 miamidade.gov
February 11, 2009
Robert Parcher
City of Miami Beach
1700 Convention Center Dr., Suite 200
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Dear Mr. Parcher:
With the ?008 election year behind us. the Elections Department is looking to refine our procedures
based on the new optical scan voting system. What we have teamed this past year is that this
system requires much more preparation time than what was previously required. This: in turn,
requires that your municipality reevaluate when you hold your run-off elections. In order to give this
Department the time that is required to properly prepare for every election and in addition, give your
voters the opportunity to take advantage of absentee voting: I strongly urge you to conduct your
general and run-off elections a minimum of three weeks apart. As you know, there are many steps
involved in preparing for a municipal election. This includes:
Updating voter registration records
Coding, proofing and testing two different voting systems (optical scan and electronic)
• Ordering, printing, processing and mailing absentee ballots
• Giving adequate time to voters to receive and return their absentee ballots
Hiring and training personnel for early voting sites, if applicable, and for Election Day
Delivering paper ballots and supplies to early voting sites and polling locations
Resetting, reprogramming, and retesting all election equipment
Preparing for the state-mandated Logic and Accuracy Test (L&A) and Post Election Audit
It is a tremendous challenge for this Department to perform all of the procedures stated above in the
timeframe that currently exists between your general and runoff elections. The greatest concern is in
regards to absentee voting. The short time period between elections may prevent voters from taking
advantage of absentee voting andlor being able to successfully return the ballot to our office by the
deadline.
I know we share a common goal to ensure that your elections are thorough, complete, and accurate.
With this in mind, I hope you take this recommendation into consideration and allow a minimum of
three weeks between your general and run-off elections. I would like to remind you that F.S.
100.3605 stipulates that municipalities have the authority to change the date of their elections, a
right that many municipalities have exercised in the past.
Should you have any questions or require additional information, please feel flee to contact me
directly or Tara Smith, Chief Deputy Supervisor of Elections, at 305-499-8509.
Sincere) ,
Leste Sola
Sup rvisor of Ele tons
Miami-Dade Elections Department