San Francisco County Grand Jury
• 2002-2003
Improving the Infrastructure of Democracy Civil Grand Jury Report on Department of Elections and the Conduct of the
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 5 findings
F1
Spreading election operations over six main facilities is both undesirable and inefficient. Ballots are handled and moved more often than necessary.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The City should identify and secure a single site for consolidation of DOE operations.
F2
Failure to centralize DOE election processing reduces the transparency of the processing by making it difficult or impossible for citizens to observe all aspects of the post-balloting procedure, which they have the right to do.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
Consolidation of DOE operations into a single facility would reduce the costs of Sheriff-provided security, ballot transportation, facilities management, and the expense of temporary employees, would eliminate the need to renovate 240 Van Ness Avenue, and would largely satisfy the need created by the ejection from Pier 29.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
DOE should provide each deputy sheriff assigned to Election Day precinct closing duties with a supply of generic ballots for delivery to precincts in his or her assigned area after 5:00 p.m. pending receipt of precinct-specific ballots from DOE.
F4
The findings in the September 30, 2002 Strategica report are well founded.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
DOE should identify the amount and types of work that should be performed by permanent employees, hire additional permanent employees to fill those positions, and eliminate the imbalance between understaffing for budgeted permanent positions and overspending for temporary employees.
F5
Poll workers lack adequate incentive to attend training sessions. Workers who already have a promise of $87 may value the prospect of an additional $25 as less valuable and thus less enticing than a promise of $112 for the entire election.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
DOE should provide a blank inner envelope in the materials supplied to voters with an absentee ballot, with instructions to place the completed ballot in the blank envelope, which should then be inserted in the outer, signed envelope.