Butte County Grand Jury Report Artist: Mailynn Tran, Pleasant Valley High School

Recommendations 5

• R1

  Page 30
  The Grand Jury recommends that pending the results of the 2017 MSR, LAFCo initiate the process of consolidating OMAD and DMAD under BCMVCD.
• R2

  Page 45
  Beginning with FY 2017-2018, yearly plan updates should be scheduled to keep up with the rapid changes in technology, unexpected department needs and staffing.
• R3

  Page 45
  ISD should notify the Butte County Chapter of CGJA regarding the completion of the department’s FY 2016-2017 strategic plan as previously requested.
• R4

  Page 45
  The Butte County Administration Office and Board of Supervisors should provide continued annual support for ISD funding, staffing requests and the continuation and regular updating of the newly developed ITSP. Information Systems Department 36 RESPONSES Pursuant to Penal Code section 933.05, the following response is required:  Information Systems Department Director: respond to F1, F2, R1, R2 and R3 The Grand Jury invites the following responses:  Butte County Administration Office, Chief Administrative Officer: respond to F1, F2, R1 and R4  Butte County Board of Supervisors: respond to F1, F2, R1 and R4 Information Systems Department 37 [This page left blank intentionally] 38 Artist: Jennyfer Nunez, Gridley High School 39 [This page left blank intentionally] 40 BACKGROUND The County Clerk-Recorder, as the Chief Election Official/Registrar of Voters, administers and conducts all federal, state, county, city, school and special district elections. The current Butte County Clerk-Recorder is the longest tenured Clerk- Recorder in California. This accomplishment speaks to the stability of the office. The Clerk-Recorder Office is responsible for the following:  Maintaining voter files for the County of Butte  Promoting and encouraging voter registration  Processing and certifying initiative referendum, recall and candidate nomination petitions  Processing and maintaining election records and candidate filings  Precinct and district boundary maintenance  Providing vote by mail balloting services  Locating polling places that are accessible to the elderly and disabled voters  Recruiting, appointing and training election-day workers  Programming/testing ballot count system  Tally/certification of ballots cast  Conducts official canvass of the vote and any recounts The County Clerk-Recorder is also the official filing officer for campaign disclosures and statements of economic interests as provided by state and local laws. APPROACH The Grand Jury held interviews with the department during which the election process was explained from beginning to end including counting, machinery, Clerk-Recorder 42 security, staffing and trained volunteer positions. The staff is split between the Clerk-Recorder department (15) and Election office (6) for a total of 21 employees. A tour of the facility was conducted which involved explanations and visuals regarding the purpose of numerous pieces of equipment to be used. In addition to the meeting and tour of the department, the Grand Jury also received the training and informational documents listed below:  Voting System Specialist Handbook  Precinct Officer Handbook  AccuVote Voting System  Report to the Retired Public Employee Assoc.  Secretary of State Voter Fraud Protection Handbook DISCUSSION Pre-Election During the election process, approximately 500-600 county residents volunteer their services. Positions available are: Precinct Inspector, Voting Systems Specialist, Chief Inspector, Traffic Director and Clerk. Once selected, they are required to attend classroom training in Oroville. Approximately 85% of volunteers are 65 and older. Students 16 years of age or older with a grade point average of 2.5 or better are encouraged to volunteer and participate in the election process. They must have permission from a parent and a teacher. The students are a huge asset to the election process and it also provides them with an important learning experience. Three Grand Jury members volunteered and were trained to be on the Logic and Accuracy Board/Election Observer Panel. The purpose of the panel was to observe Clerk-Recorder 43 all procedures of the ballot counting process and to verify that the program accurately tallies the logic and accuracy test ballot cards. The members of the panel performed random testing on voting system equipment to be used. The random test allowed each member to select a voting precinct, where they tested touch screen, vote by mail and polling place paper ballots. The Logic and Accuracy Panel helps to ensure the accuracy of the election and to facilitate voter confidence in the process. On election night, the panel observes the ballot count and remains throughout the evening until all ballots are counted. Approximately 70% of Butte County residents vote by mail. Post-Election The Grand Jury held an additional interview to discuss the post-election summary which was created to help determine problems that may have surfaced during the election. These issues will be evaluated and addressed for future elections. The day before the election, a call center is set up to log all calls regarding issues and concerns from poll workers and the public. Precinct Officers also provide feedback regarding problems and improvements. The information is compiled and the Post-Election Summary is created to prioritize needed changes and improvements for future elections. Some issues collected from the 2016 election are listed below:  Inactive voters  Absent precinct employees  Not enough “I Voted” stickers  Need more supplies, i.e. pens, paper, provisional ballots, etc. Clerk-Recorder 44  Extra paper for touch screens  Need more County Chief Inspectors to volunteer and be available to answer questions  Electioneering near precincts - individuals need to stay 100 ft. away from entrance door and are not to pass out information or interfere with lines and voters  Better regulation of building temperature  A lack of comfortable chairs at precincts  Residency issues In order for the Election Office to protect the integrity of the process and to operate more effectively, there is a need for an additional staff member. In view of the large number of responsibilities they have, the office is currently understaffed. During the review, it was pointed out that the majority of voting equipment is approximately ten years old and considered outdated. In view of the advances in technology that can improve the efficiency of the voting equipment, replacement of the outdated equipment is advisable in the near future. Advanced planning for the costly replacements will be needed. Notwithstanding these deficits, the Butte County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters department shows a history of being well managed and is committed to improving and streamlining election processes. The Grand Jury also acknowledges their hard work and diligence in ensuring the accuracy and security of the 2016 election. Clerk-Recorder 45
• R5

  Page 119
  The TOP should consider facility improvements to the fleet maintenance shop, possibly a canopy to provide protection from the elements when repairing vehicles or equipment in the shop driveway. This should be completed by FY 2018-2019. RESPONSES Pursuant to Penal Code section 933.05, following response is required:  The Town of Paradise Town Council respond to R1  The Town of Paradise Manager respond to F1, F2, F3, F4, R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 The Grand Jury invites the following response:  Director of Public Works/Engineering is invited to respond to R3, R4 and