HomeMy WebLinkAboutres1994-056V
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 9¢273G
CLEARANCES
Initial
Date
Date Received in Council Office:
Agenda date
Assigned to:
Originator. Clerk
11/16
11/22/94
Council (other items)
7ivision Head:
Dept. Head:
Prosecutor.
Purchasing/Budget:
Executive:
SUBJECT`
Resolution accepting irrigation district election ballots that have been signed, but not witnessed
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
SUMMARY STATEMENT
Related Countv contract #:
Please complete sections of box as appropriate & mphdn the item below.
Should Clerk schedule a hearing? NO AV YES / / Requested date:
When he prepared the voting instructions accompanying ballots for the irrigation district election, the election
supervisor did not indicate that ballot signatures need to be witnessed. A large number of ballots have been
returned without the signature of a witness. Those ballots will not be counted and their results will not be
included in the election tally unless the Council passes this resolution accepting ballots without witness
signatures.
1lie Council Office has received many irate calls from citizens who returned ballots without a witness' signature
because there was nothing in the voting instructions to indicate it was necessary.
The signature of a witness is relatively meaningless, since no one has any way to verify whether the signature
is truly that of a person who can attest to the statements made on the ballot envelope. Two voters reported to
the Clerk that they intended to sign the witness line themselves, but use the name of a small pet or minor child.
The Council Office has no way to determine how many voters took this approach.
CLERK'S RECOMMENDED MOTION (for final action):
"I move that the Council approve of the resolution."
COMMITTEE ACTION TAKEN
COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN:
11/22/94: Council approved the Resolution, 5 - 2, Henderson and Harris opposed.
Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number (this item only):
Res94 -056
irrivote.res 11/15/94
AB94 -273 (sr
SPONSORED BY: Consent
PROPOSED BY: Clerk of the Council
INTRODUCTION DATE: 11122194
1 RESOLUTION NO. 94 -056
2 ACCEPTING IRRIGATION DISTRICT ELECTION BALLOTS
3 THAT HAVE BEEN SIGNED, BUT NOT WITNESSED
4 WHEREAS, voters in the irrigation district election were directed to sign the
5 outside of their ballots in order to swear that they were qualified to vote in the election;
6 and
7 WHEREAS, next to the signature line on the ballot envelope there was a space
8 for a witness to sign and indicate that they could attest that the voter's sworn statement
9 was true; and
10 WHEREAS, the voting instructions prepared by the election supervisor and
11 accompanying the ballot did not indicate a need for the voters' signature to be witnessed;
12 and
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WHEREAS, a great number of ballots have been returned to the Council Office
without the signature of witnesses; and
WHEREAS, it would be a hardship for voters and for the Council Office staff to
have voters and witnesses come to the Council Office, retrieve their ballots, and witness
them before the election deadline of November 17; and
WHEREAS, the witnessing of these ballots is relatively meaningless since there is
no way to verify whether the witness can, in fact, attest to the statements on the ballot
envelope; and
Irrigation District Ballot Count, 11115194
Page 1
1 WHEREAS, it is within Council's authority, as the canvassing board of this
2 election, to rule that all non - witnessed ballots will be counted and the resulting votes
3 included in the final result of the election; and
4 WHEREAS, the Council needs to make this determination before its November
5 28 meeting at which the votes shall be canvassed;
6 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Whatcom County Council that
7 irrigation district election ballots received in the Council Office without the signature of
8 a witness shall be counted and their votes included in the final tally for this election; and
9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the election supervisor is directed to count
10 said ballots separately, in the event a challenge to their acceptance is ever launched.
11 APPROVED this 22nd day of Nov . , 1994.
12 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
13 ATTEST:
14
15 Ramona Reeves, Council Clerk
16 APPROVED as to form:
17
18 Civil Deputy Pros. Atty.
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Irrigation District Ballot Count, 11115194 Page 2