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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-05-12 EC MINUTESENGLEWOOD ELECTION COMMISSION May 12, 1993 I Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 5:20 p .m . by Chairman Lay. II Roll Call Present: Absent: Commission Members Lay, Mulnix, Warren, Crow Commission Member Wilson A quorum was present. Also present: Deputy City Clerk Castle Deputy City Clerk Ellis City Clerk Crow stated that Commission Member Wilson was absent with prior notice. Ms. Wilson advised the City Clerk's office that she would be unable to attend the April 14, April 28, May 12 or May 28, 1993 scheduled Election Commission meetings due to a prior commitment. ill Minutes MEMBER WARREN MOVED, AND IT WAS SECONDED, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ELECTION COMMISSION MEETING APRIL 28, 1993. Ayes: Commission Members Lay, Mulnix. Warren, Crow Nays: None Absent: Commission Member Wilson Motion carried. IV Election Work Session City Clerk Crow provided an update of the status of current legislation affecting elections. Ms. Crow advised that House Bill 1255 (regarding the Uniform Election Code) was adopted by the Senate on May 11 , 1993 and has gone to Conference Committee; House Bill 1063 (amending the Colorado Municipal Election Code) has received House concurrence to the Senate amendments and should soon be transmitted to the Governor; Senate Bill 135 (regarding petitions and random sampling) became law without Governor Romer's signature and becomes effective July 1, 1993; and the House's version of Senate Bill 98 (regarding the Legislature's interpretation of Amendment No. 1) was accepted by the Senate. Discussion ensued. Proposed amendments to sections of the Charter affecting elections were discussed and a draft of the recommendations to be submitted to Council was approved. City Clerk Crow stressed that proposed Charter changes will not impact the November 1993 election. Chairman Lay contended that the cities may feel they are losing local control, but she pointed out that the City and the County are both working without established guidelines which makes everyone uneasy. The Commission agreed to do more research on Recall and Initiative and Referendum Elections prior to addressing the pertinent Charter sections. Discussion ensued. Election Commission May 12, 1993 Pagel COMMISSION CHAIRMAN LAY MOVED, AND IT WAS SECONDED, TO SUBMIT OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL PRIOR TO THE JOINT COMMISSION/COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 7, 1993. Ayes: Nays: Absent: Motion carried. Commission Members Lay, Mulnix, Warren, Crow None Commission Member Wilson Lengthy discussion ensued regarding possible scenarios for the November 2 , 1993 election, i.e. mail ballot, polling place elections. As much depends upon the type of election Arapahoe County will conduct, no further actions were proposed. V Adjournment z= j w ~TO ADJOURN. The meeting adjourned at 6:12 p.m. Deputy City Clerk ELECTION COMMISSION WORK SESSION May 12, 1993 The Commission unanimously agrees that it is in the best interest of the electors of Englewood to conduct its future elections jointly with the other political entities within the County. With that objective in mind, the following amendments to the Charter are proposed: Section 10 -modify by eliminating "Municipal" to read: GENERAL All municipal elections shall be governed by the provisions of the Colorado MuRieipal election laws, and as hereafter amended or modified, except as otherwise provided in this Charter. The Council may adopt by ordinance such rules and regulations in respect to elections including by reference any laws of the State of Colorado not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter of the State Constitution, as may be recommended by the Election Commission. Section 11 -modify by eliminating "Municipal" in second paragraph; eliminate third paragraph regarding "tie vote" to read: ELECTION COMMISSION There is hereby created an Election Commission consisting of the City Clerk and four qualified electors of the City. Said electors, during their tenure in off ice, shall not be City officials or employees or candidates for elective city office. Council shall make two additional appointments, one term of appointment to terminate January 1, 1983 and one term of appointment to terminate January 1, 1985; thereafter appointments shall be for four-year terms. The Commission shall elect a Chairperson from its membership. The Election Commission shall establish precincts and appoint the election judges and clerks for each precinct as provided in ~ Colorado MuRieipal election laws and have charge of all other activities and duties required of it by law or this Charter. IR ease of a tie vote the EleetioR CommissioR shall determiRe by lot the persoR or persoRs who shall be elected. " Where municipal election procedure is in doubt, the Election Commission shall prescribe the procedure to be followed. Section 13 -eliminate in its entirety REGIS'FR''t':PIOH Eligibility to vote and registration shall be as required or prescribed by the Colorado Municipal Election Laws. Qualified electors may register at the off ice of the County ClerJc and Recorder or at the office of the city ClerJc at such times and on such dates as may be provided by statute. 'Fhe registration booJcs or lists of the County ClerJc and Recorder shall be the registration booJrn or lists of the City. Qualified electors, who are unable to register as provided above, may register as provided by statute for absentee registration if eligible to do so. Section 15 -modify second paragraph to read: NOMINATIONS FOR ELECTIVE MUNICIPAL OFFICE Each candidate for an elective municipal office shall be nominated by petition signed by at least fifty registered electors residing within the municipality, or the district , from which the officer is to be elected. Petition forms supplied by the City Clerk may be circulated and signed not more than fifty days prior to the day of the election and shall be filed with the city ClerJc not less than thirty days prior thereto. Petitions. Petitions shall be circulated and filed in accordance with Colorado Municipal election laws. Section 16 -eliminate in its entirety VO'FIHG 'Fhe method of voting on all proposals and election of candidates shall be as the Election Commission directs. 'Fhe names of the candidates nominated for public off ice shall be set up without party or other designation and shall be arranged under the designation of the off ice according to surname alphabetically from a to ~ and in reverse from ~ to a in alternate precincts. Section 17 -eliminate in its entirety ABSEH'FEE VO'FING 2 • e In aeeordanee with Colorado Municipal Election Laws, an absent voter must file with the City ClerJe an application which may be in the form of a letter for an absent voter's ballot not earlier than ninety days before and not later than the close of business on Friday immediately preceding any municipal election. The manner of easting sueh absentee ballot shall be in aeeordanee with Colorado Municipal Election Laws. Sueh ballot must be in the hands of the City ClerJe not later than five P.H.> on the day of the election. Section 18 -eliminate in its entirety ELECTIONEERIHG HEl& POLLS Ho person shall do any electioneering within one hundred feet of any polling place on election day. These amendments, if approved, would permit Englewood to coordinate its future elections with other entities within Arapahoe County should it wish to do so, but would not preclude the City from conducting its own election if that action would be advantageous to the City. These amendments also leave room to accommodate anticipated legislative changes. Other sections to review for possible changes to the Charter: Section 34 -RECALL ARTICLE VI -INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM Section 46 -SUBMISSIONS Section 47 -REFERENDUM 3