HomeMy WebLinkAboutElection Process Determination for 2011 City of Bozeman.pdfPage 1 of 3
Commission Memorandum
REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Stacy Ulmen, City Clerk
Greg Sullivan, City Attorney
SUBJECT: Election Process Determination for 2011 City of Bozeman Elections
MEETING DATE: May 16, 2011
AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Action
RECOMMENDATIONS:
(1) Consider a Mail Ballot Election or a Polling Place Election for the 2011 Elections.
AND
(2) If it is determined by the City Commission that a Mail Ballot Election is the best option, consider
funding return postage costs.
AND
(3) Direct Staff to draft a Resolution notifying the Gallatin County Election Administrator of
the City’s desire to conduct the 2011 City Primary (If held) and the 2011 General Election by the
process determined by the Commission to the Consent Agenda on May 23rd, 2011.
BACKGROUND: The 2011 Elections include a Mayor seat and one Commission seat on the ballot.
Candidate filing opened on Monday, May 2nd and runs through Thursday, June 30th.
Primary Election: According to the Gallatin County Elections Administrator, a Primary Election will occur if 4
Candidate’s file for the Commission seat or if the 4th Candidate files for the Mayor’s seat. If this occurs, the
Primary Election will be held September 13, 2011. The City will know by 5 p.m. on June 30th if a Primary
Election is necessary.
General Election: A General Election will occur with or without a Primary Election. The General Election will
be held November 8, 2011.
Mail Ballot Elections
In a mail ballot election, only active registered voters are mailed a ballot. This is According to Montana
Code Annotated (MCA) 13-19-207. When materials to be mailed. (1) Except as provided in subsection
(2), for any election conducted by mail, ballots must be mailed no sooner than the 25th day and no later
than the 15th day before Election Day. (2) (a) All ballots mailed to electors on the active list must be
mailed the same day. At this time there are 21,000 active registered voters.
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Commission Memo for Election Process Determination for 2011 Elections
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These Figures are based on a 65% estimated return rate.
Total Estimated Cost for 2011 Primary and General Election by Mail Ballot: $24,792.51 per Election
With postage paid by the City: $31,754.01 per Election
2007 Primary and General Election-The City had successful returns from the mail ballot election for
the Primary and General Elections in 2007 with voter turnout for both Elections higher than in previous
years reaching 44.7% for the General Election.
The 2007 General Ballot had the following items for consideration:
The First Mayor’s Office
Mill Levy issue for Fire
Mill Levy issue for Police
2009 General Election-The City opted to conduct the 2009 General Election by Mail Ballot.
Bozeman’s return rate with postage paid was 34.58%.
The 2009 Ballot had the following items for consideration:
Commission Candidates
If the City Commission opts to move forward with a Mail Ballot Election for 2011, The City Clerk must
submit a Resolution by no later than June 11, 2011 to the Gallatin County Elections Office.
Return Mail Postage
If the Commission should decide to pay the postage, according to Gallatin County Elections
Administrator Charlotte Mills, a business reply permit (not using a stamp) would be printed on the
return envelope. The City would only pay postage for the voted ballots that come back. When the
Commission considered paying the postage in 2009, Ms. Mills explained that they have not done
prepaid postage with any of the mail ballots since 2005 and still are maintaining a return rate of between
40-55%. According to Ms. Mills, Bozeman’s Election had the lowest return rate of any of the City
Elections held that year. The other cities had higher return rates and did not pay for returned postage and
all of the other cities were only council member and mayor candidates with not ballot issue.
The postage paid return is higher than just putting a stamp on an envelope. The County Elections
Department has to print special envelopes with the postage paid so the cost of return signature envelopes
is higher. If the Commission chooses to pay the postage, the cost of the postage per returned ballot is
$.51 not $.44.
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Commission Memo for Election Process Determination for 2011 Elections
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Polling Place Elections
The number of voters the County Election Department uses for a polling place election is larger than a
mail ballot election. All the annual absentee voters are mailed a ballot but a larger number has to be used
for a base to figure the number of ballots to be printed because there is no way to know how many
voters will show up at the polls. The setup charges for a Polling place elections are higher. Currently
there are 28,153 registered voters and 7,500 absentee voters.
These Figures are based on a 65% estimated return rate.
Total Estimated Cost for 2011 Primary and General Election by Polling Place: $36,180.35 per Election
With postage paid by the City: $39,049.10 per Election
ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Commission.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES: None.
FISCAL EFFECTS: The costs of the election will be included in the Fiscal Year 2012 City Manager
Recommended Budget. We will know whether a primary is held prior to final budget approval, and will
budget accordingly.
Attachments:
Breakdown of Costs Spreadsheet from Gallatin County Elections Department
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$ per unit Mail Ballot
Active voters 21000 Registered Voters 28153
% total reg voters 100.00%Absentee Voters 7500
Ballot Styles 17 17
Contests/Issues 3 3
Candidate/Responses 10 10
Ballots
ballot paper 0.11$ 2,310.00$ 0.11$ 3,096.83$
ballot printing 0.09$ 1,890.00$ 0.09$ 2,533.77$
secrecy envelope 0.07$ 1,470.00$ 0.07$ 525.00$
signature envelope 0.13$ 2,310.00$ 0.13$ 975.00$
Window envelope 0.09$ 1,890.00$ 0.09$ 675.00$
Labels 0.03$ 630.00$ 0.03$ 225.00$
instructions 0.05$ 1,050.00$ 0.05$ 375.00$
Programming:-$ -$
Layout 30.00$ 510.00$ 30.00$ 510.00$
Central Tabulator 437.50$ 337.78$ 437.50$ 437.50$
Precint Counters 437.50$ 437.50$ 437.50$
ERM 437.50$ 337.78$ 437.50$ 437.50$
Ballot Types 62.50$ 48.25$ 62.50$ 62.50$
Precincts 6.25$ 106.25$ 6.25$ 106.25$
Ballot Faces 12.50$ 212.50$ 12.50$ 212.50$
Contests/Issues 15.00$ 45.00$ 15.00$ 45.00$
Candidate/Responses 6.25$ 62.50$ 6.25$ 62.50$
Media Burn 20.00$ 15.44$ 10.00$ 280.00$
AutoMark -Candidate 8.10$ 81.00$ 8.10$ 81.00$
AutoMark -Political Parties 5.80$ 5.80$ 5.80$ 5.80$
AutoMark -Contest/Issue 11.70$ 35.10$ 11.70$ 35.10$
AutoMark -Instructions 17.20$ 17.20$ 17.20$ 17.20$
AutoMark-Ballot Faces 11.70$ 198.90$ 11.70$ 198.90$
AutoMark-Lanuguage 285.00$ 285.00$
Postage/Labor/Advertising -$ -$
Sent Postage 0.28$ 5,775.00$ 0.28$ 2,062.50$
Return Postage 0.51$ 6,961.50$ 0.51$ 2,868.75$
Labor Stuffing/Opening 0.15$ 3,150.00$ 0.15$ 3,150.00$
Labor -- Overtime 0.05$ 1,050.00$ 0.05$ 1,050.00$
Election Judges 15,000.00$
Uhaul Rentals -$ 400.00$
Polling Place Rentals 400.00$
Ad-Close of Registration 498.00$ 99.60$ 498.00$ 498.00$
Ad-Notice of Election -$ 1,000.00$ 1,000.00$
Registers & poll supplies 200.00$ 154.41$ 1,000.00$
Total 31,754.01$ 39,049.10$
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