HomeMy WebLinkAboutres2005-001WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 2004 -454
CLEARANCES
Initial
Date
Date Received in Council Office
Agenda Date
Assi nedto:
OriginarocAudi"
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Division Head:
1 /11 /05
Public Hearing
Depi. Head.
Prosecutor:
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PurAuding/Uudgei
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TITLE OF DOCUMENT.- Resolution Limiting the Size Of All Voting Precincts to Less than 200 Registered
Voters Each, Thus Allowing the County Auditor to Designate all Whatcom County Precincts as "Vote by
Mail o
ATTACHMENTS:
SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( ) NO
Should Clerk schedule a hearing? (x ) Yes ( ) NO
SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( ) NO
Requested Date:
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE. (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public
hearing, you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be
clear in explaining the intent of the action.)
The Whatcom County Auditor is requesting Council adoption of a resolution establishing Whatcom County as a
"vote by mail" county and directing the County Auditor to develop voting precincts as having less than 200
registered voters, provided that in determining the number of active registered voters for this purpose, persons
who are ongoing absentee voters under RCW 29A.40.040 shall not be counted as outlined in RCW 29A.48.010.
COMMITTEE ACTION:
COUNCIL ACTION:
12/7/2004: Introduced
1/11/2005: Approved 7 -0, Res. #2005 -001
Related County Contract #:
Related File Numbers:
Ordinance or Resolution Number:
Resolution #2005 -001
Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing on
the CnunW v wehcite ate wwav rn whatrneo urn vc/ nanril
SPONSORED BY: Consent
PROPOSED BY: County Auditor
INTRODUCTION DATE: December 7, 2004
RESOLUTION N0, 2005 -001
LIMITING THE SIZE OF ALL VOTING PRECINCTS TO LESS THAN 200
REGISTERED VOTERS EACH, THUS ALLOWING THE COUNTY AUDITOR TO
DESIGNATE ALL WHATCOM COUNTY PRECINCTS AS "VOTE BY MAIL"
WHEREAS, RCW 29A.16.040 allows the county legislative authority to
establish by ordinance a limitation on the maximum number of active
registered voters in each precinct within its jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, 29A.48.010 states that the county auditor may designate
any precinct having fewer than two hundred active registered voters at the
time of closing of voter registration as provided in RCW 29A.08.140 as a mail
ballot precinct; and
WHEREAS, 82% of voters voting in the February 2004 Special
Election in Whatcom County voted by mail; and 84% of voters voting in the
2004 Primary Election voted by mail; and
WHEREAS, 86% of those who are registered to vote in Whatcom
County voted in the November 2004 General Election; and
WHEREAS, 73% of voters voting in the November 2004 General
Election voted by mail; and
WHEREAS, 27% of voters voting in the November 2004 General
Election voted at a polling place; and
WHEREAS, the large number of vote by mail voters creates a
disproportionate amount of funds expended to the polling places; and
WHEREAS, the Help America Voting Act of 2002 (HAVA) requires the
replacement of punch cards by January 1, 2006; and
WHEREAS, federal funds allocated through the Secretary of State's
Office for this replacement amount to approximately $580,000; and
WHEREAS, the cost to replace the punch card system at the polling
place with touch screen equipment and comply with the HAVA is
approximately $2.3 million, a net cost to the Whatcom County taxpayers of
$1.72 million; and
WHEREAS, the cost for a voting system for Whatcom County to be a
"vote by mail" county is approximately $580,000, which is the same amount
allocated to Whatcom County by the Secretary of State's Office; and
WHEREAS, the "vote
by mail"
system
will result
in the taxpayers of
Whatcom County paying no
additional
funds;
and
WHEREAS, this method saves Whatcom County taxpayers
approximately $1.72 million over a combined polling place /vote by mail
system.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Whatcom County
Council hereby approves making Whatcom County a "vote by mail" county
and directs the County Auditor to develop voting precincts to enable this
action.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALL voting precincts in Whatcom
County be designated as having less than 200 registered voters, provided
that in determining the number of active registered voters for this purpose,
persons who are ongoing absentee voters under RCW 29A.40.040 shall not
be counted as outlined in RCW 29A.48.010.
APPOVED this 11th day of January 2005
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL,
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON:
Laurie Caskey - Schreiber, Council Chair
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David Grant
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney