Budget Information

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1 Budget Information

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3 May 31, 2017 Board of County Commissioners St. Johns County 500 San Sebastian View St. Augustine, FL Dear Commissioners: In order to fulfill the duties and responsibilities for the efficient operation of the office of the Supervisor of Elections, and pursuant to section (2), Florida Statutes, I respectfully submit the proposed budget of expenditures for the fiscal year. Justifications for the required expenditures for the operation of the Elections Office and for 2018 Primary Election are also included. Please contact me should you have any questions. Sincerely, Vicky C. Oakes Supervisor of Elections VO/ew

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5 Contents SOE Office Budget and Justifications Department Elections Budget and Justifications Department Supervisor of Elections Overview... 5 Grant Funding... 6 Duties of the Supervisor of Elections... 7 The Florida Voter Registration System (FVRS)... 8 New Beginning October 1 st - Online Voter Registration Available... 9 Voter Registration Services Voter Registration Statistics List Maintenance Voter Education Election Schedule Offices Scheduled for Election Candidates Qualifying Fees Voting Trends Vote-By-Mail Early Voting Voting at the Polls on Election Day Poll Workers Voting Equipment Use of Updated Technology Obtaining Election Results... 29

6 SOE Office Budget and Justifications Department Salaries, Fixed Set by State Law $135, Regular Salaries $548, Overtime Employees $5, FICA/Medicare Taxes FICA 6.2%, Medicare 1.45% $52, Retirement Contributions Elected Official 46.12%; $135,174 Senior Mgmt %; Regular Class and Investment Plan 8.03% OPEB Contributions 12 employees (two are partial year) $13, Life & Health Insurance - 12 employees (two are partial year) $134, Workmen s Compensation Percentage of salaries set by law $1, Contractual Services Consulting fees; On-line benefits system $3, Travel & Per Diem Attendance at Division of Elections workshops, $7,500 FSASE yearly conference, FCEP classes, Election Center classes, various User group meetings and other election related programs; mileage Reimbursement for employees on county business Communications Telephone and internet services; office cell phones $28, Lease/Rental of Equipment Postage meter lease, computer leases, $13,320 Printer/scanner/fax/copier multifunction device leases Insurance General liability on office and all equipment; Coverage $6,441 On all office vehicles Equipment Maintenance Maintenance on folder machine, mail $4,660 Opener and Printer/scanner/fax/copier multifunction devices Vehicle Maintenance Maintenance on all office vehicles $1, Software Fees VR Systems license fees, VR interface to GIS system $95,010 Fees, VR Web Focus, Microsoft license fees, GeoElections, backup Software maintenance fees, all support services, misc. software Advertising Legal advertising for removal of registered voters per $1,000 Section , Florida Statutes Office Supplies All paper supplies (stationary, envelopes, copy and $65,000 Printer paper, labels), Voter Information Cards, educational and Informational materials; postage for all list maintenance, daily voter Card mailings, certified mail and routine correspondence Gas, Oil & Lubricant For office vehicles $2, Dues & Memberships FSASE (2% of SOE Salary) and Election Center $2,950 Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 1

7 Department SOE Budget Expenditure Actual Adopted Estimated Department Expenditures Budget Expenditures Requested Item Description FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2017 FY Salaries, Fixed $112,121 $122,000 $122,000 $135, Regular Salaries $543,836 $555,150 $555,150 $548, Overtime Employees $9,642 $15,000 $15,000 $5, FICA/Medicare $50,026 $52,949 $52,949 $52, Medicare $0 $0 $0 $ Retirement Contributions $113,340 $122,458 $122,458 $135, OPEB Contributions $11,197 $12,500 $12,500 $13, Life & Health Insurance $98,486 $125,710 $125,710 $134, HRA Medical Claims $0 $600 $600 $ Workmen's Compensation $563 $955 $955 $1, Unemployment Comp. $0 $0 $0 $ Contractual Services $12,353 $3,000 $3,000 $3, Travel & Per Diem $4,439 $7,500 $7,500 $7, Communications $11,899 $20,640 $20,640 $28, Lease/Rental of Equipment $19,350 $12,745 $12,745 $13, Insurance $5,577 $6,076 $6,076 $6, Equipment Maintenance $6,088 $5,800 $5,800 $4, Vehicle Maintenance $473 $1,500 $1,500 $1, Software Fees $63,245 $71,089 $71,089 $95, Advertising $800 $1,000 $1,000 $1, Office Supplies $53,059 $64,390 $64,390 $65, Gas, Oil and Lubricants $1,150 $2,000 $2,000 $2, Dues and Memberships $2,552 $2,595 $2,595 $2, Equipment $0 $0 $0 $ Office Equipment $0 $0 $0 $ Computer Equipment $0 $40,000 $40,000 $0 Total $1,120,195 $1,245,657 $1,245,657 $1,256,915 Departmental Summary: Personnel Services $939,211 $1,007,322 $1,007,322 $1,025,739 Operating Expenses $180,984 $198,335 $198,335 $231,176 Capital Improvements $0 $40,000 $40,000 $0 Other $0 $0 $0 $0 Total $1,120,195 $1,245,657 $1,245,657 $1,256,915 Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 2

8 Elections Budget and Justifications Department Other Salaries Part-time Elections staff including Voting Techs, $40,875 Front Office Staff, Poll Worker Assistant and Vote-By-Mail Staff Poll Worker Salaries Election Day and Early Voting poll workers $95,000 For one election Overtime Employees $1, FICA/Medicare Taxes FICA 6.2%, Medicare 1.45% $8,368 (Poll worker earnings only taxed if $1,600 or over per IRS) Workmen s Compensation Percentage of salaries set by law $ Contractual Services Phone Bank (staffing agency) $2, Travel & Per Diem Mileage for Voting Technicians $1, Communications Cell phones for poll workers at polls, Air $2,030 Cards for countywide EViD communication and DS200 modems Transportation Charges Delivery of voting equipment and election $10,000 Supplies to all polling locations and early voting sites for one election Lease/Rental of Building Rental charges for polling places for $2,075 One election Insurance General liability on voting booths, DS200 tabulators, $22,708 BOD printers, EViD s, ADA Express Votes, and DS850 vote-by-mail Ballot reader Equipment Maintenance Annual hardware maintenance on EViD s, $52,375 DS200 s, ADA Express Votes and DS850 vote-by-mail ballot reader Software Fees EViD Electronic Voter Identification System License $67,837 Fee, EViD Stations software fees, Election Systems and Software Electionware fees, Ballot on Demand printer software fees Advertising Legal and informational advertising required by Florida $17,500 Statutes (notice of elections, book closing ads, polling locations, Public notice of voting assistance), Voting Information (Early Voting Dates, times and locations) and sample ballots for one election Election Supplies Ballots (test, provisional, sample, vote-by-mail, $125,000 Early voting, overseas, state write-in, precinct), precinct supplies, Postage for vote-by-mail and sample ballots, and all supplies necessary To conduct one election Federal Grant Expenditure Project 1319 Grant Funds carry forward $16, Education Project 1319 County Matching Funds carry forward $1,824 Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 3

9 Department Elections Budget Expenditure Actual Adopted Estimated Department Expenditures Budget Expenditures Requested Item Description FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2017 FY Other Salaries $89,909 $43,250 $43,250 $40, Poll Worker Salaries $243,545 $176,530 $176,530 $95, Overtime Employees $741 $2,000 $2,000 $1, FICA/Medicare $9,809 $14,098 $14,098 $8, Workmen's Compensation $283 $307 $307 $ Unemployment Compensation $0 $0 $0 $ Contractual Services $10,289 $18,400 $18,400 $2, Travel & Per Diem $2,462 $2,000 $2,000 $1, Communications $3,241 $2,250 $2,250 $2, Transportation Charges $26,600 $23,000 $23,000 $10, Lease/Rental of Equipment $0 $0 $0 $ Lease/Rental of Building $6,200 $2,075 $2,075 $2, Insurance $18,786 $21,000 $21,000 $22, Equipment Maintenance $38,589 $43,375 $43,375 $52, Software Fees $65,702 $67,450 $67,450 $67, Advertising $36,270 $25,000 $25,000 $17, Election Supplies $236,969 $168,885 $168,885 $125, Federal Grant Expenditure $26,984 $40,765 $24,290 $16,475 * Education $22,597 $6,115 $4,291 $1,824 * Equipment $0 $0 $0 $ Office Equipment $0 $0 $0 $0 Total $838,976 $656,500 $638,201 $466,585 Minus Federal Grants: $26,984 $40,765 $24,290 $16,475 Total Budget without Grants: $811,991 $615,735 $613,911 $450,110 Departmental Summary: Personnel Services $344,286 $236,185 $236,185 $145,546 Operating Expenses $494,689 $420,315 $402,016 $321,039 Capital Improvements $0 $0 $0 $0 Total $838,976 $656,500 $638,201 $466,585 *Grant Funds and County Matching Funds to be carried forward into FY'18 for Project 1319; these amounts contain interest earned through 4/30/17; the final amount of the carry forward will contain all interest earned through 9/30/17 Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 4

10 Supervisor of Elections Overview The Supervisor of Elections budget varies annually depending upon the number of elections contained in each budget cycle. The cost per election also varies depending upon the type of election and anticipated voter turnout. The only election contained in the FY 18 budget will be the 2018 Primary Election scheduled to be held on August 28 th. Budget Year: FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 Elections Conducted: 11/4/14 General Election 1/27/15 Special Primary 11/3/15 Sales Tax Referendum 3/15/16 Pres. Pref. Primary 11/8/16 General Election 8/28/18 Primary Election 4/7/15 Special General 8/30/16 Primary Election Office Dept $1,097,834 $1,136,681 $1,245,657 $1,256,915 Elections Dept $1,181,001 $817,974 $656,500 $466,585 Capital Improvement $343,651 $0 $0 $0 TOTAL: $2,278,835 $1,954,655 $1,902,157 $1,723,500 $300, $166, Reimbursed By Dept. of Reimbursed by SJC School State District Special Election Cost Reimbursement: Overall Budget Decrease: FY 18 Dept has increased from FY 17 by.9% FY 18 Dept has decreased from FY 17 by % For FY 18 the overall SOE Office Budget has DECREASED by -9.39% The day to day operations of the Supervisor of Elections Office differs from the work load brought on by an election. We transition from a staff of 10 full time employees to a staff of approximately 300 employees who are required to conduct a successful election. To complete our work force, we also rely heavily on: Part-time employees Poll workers Contractual workers Volunteers Outsourcing a portion of the extra work that accompanies an election has greatly improved the efficiency of the Office and allows for the best use of our resources. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 5

11 Grant Funding As a cost savings measure, the Supervisor of Elections Office applies for and utilizes state and federal grant funds to offset direct costs to the County whenever possible. The Department of State has recently unveiled an online grants system. This system will allow us to apply for and manage Federal Elections Activities grants under the Help America Vote Act. We are excited to learn more details about this new program at the 2017 FSASE Summer Conference. We currently have one active grant as follows: Sample Ballot Grant ( ) Project 1319 Currently, $18, remains in the grant ($16, grant funds and $1,823.54) county matching funds.) These amounts include interest earned through April 30, All of these funds, plus interest accrued throughout the remainder of this fiscal year, will be carried forward into the new fiscal year. These grant funds are Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds and are to be used for federal election activities. Our office will use the funds to offset the cost of printing and mailing sample ballots for the August 28, 2018, Primary Election. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 6

12 Duties of the Supervisor of Elections The Supervisor of Elections is the official designated by Florida Law to administer voter registration and elections in St. Johns County The primary duties of the Supervisor include: Voter Registration Register eligible voters and issue voter information cards Maintain accurate voter registration rolls by conducting list maintenance Removing voters who have moved out of Florida, are deceased, or for any reason are no longer eligible to vote in Florida Update voter registration records when a request is received (name, address, party affiliation) Maintain and provide registration statistics and demographics Voter Education Provide voter outreach education and information Conduct annual voter education programs in all public/private county high schools and nursing/assisted living homes Conduct high school student council elections and Sunshine State Young Readers elections in elementary/middle schools Publish election and voter information in local media Candidates and Petitions Qualify candidates for county, municipal and special district offices Receive candidate campaign finance reports for all candidates and make them available to the public Receive annual financial disclosure forms from certain elected/appointed county officials Verify petition signatures for initiative petitions and candidate qualifying petitions Elections Conduct federal, state, county, municipal, special district and community development district elections in St. Johns County Maintain, program and test voting equipment for elections Acquire, equip and staff polling places Maintain precinct information, including an accurate street index Maintain and provide election results and voting history Hire and train poll workers Provide sample ballots to all voters prior to each election Send notice of election to overseas and military voters prior to each election cycle Provide election dates and voting information according to Election Laws Accept vote-by-mail ballot requests. Send, receive and verify vote-by-mail ballots Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 7

13 The Florida Voter Registration System (FVRS) The Florida Voter Registration System (FVRS) serves as the official voter registration list for conducting all elections for federal, state and local offices in Florida as required by section , Florida Statutes. FVRS is designed to interface and operate with the 67 county voter registration systems as well as several state and federal agencies. FVRS communicates with each county voter registration system in maintaining a single, uniform, official, centralized, interactive computerized voter registration system. FVRS also: Contains the name and registration information of every registered voter in the state Provides each registered voter in Florida with a unique identifier Coordinates with other agency databases including: o The Department of Health o The Clerk of the Circuit Courts o The United States Attorney s Office o The Florida Department of Law Enforcement o The Board of Executive Clemency o The Department of Corrections o The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Is administered by the Secretary of State who delegates voter registration duties and records maintenance activities to the local Supervisor of Elections; it is each county Supervisor s responsibility to perform these duties in accordance with state and federal law Provides any authorized election official in Florida immediate electronic access to the voter registration information in the FVRS The St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Office is an essential part of the Florida Voter Registration System (FVRS). As a local election official, we are responsible for: Accepting voter registration applications and updating voter information Entering new voter registrations Scanning documents into the system Acting as the official custodian of voter registration documents at the county level Ensuring that list maintenance duties are conducted in accordance with section and , Florida Statutes Mailing voter information cards upon request, following an update of a voters information or any time changes are made to precincts or polling locations Entering and maintaining requests for vote-by-mail ballots Verifying candidate and constitutional amendment petitions Entering voter history following each election Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 8

14 New Beginning October 1 st - Online Voter Registration Available Beginning October 1 st, Florida joins 37 other states plus the District of Columbia offering online voter registration. Online voter registration systems supplement the traditional paper-based process, by which new voters fill out a paper form that is submitted to election officials, who confirm the registration is valid and enter the information from the paper application into the registration system. Applicants may submit an online voter registration application using a secure internet website established by the Florida Division of Elections. This system has many safeguards in place that ensures data integrity and complies with the information technology security provisions set forth in Florida Statutes. The online system will allow first-time registrants to submit an application and also allows for updates to existing voter registration records. This system also conforms to all nationally accepted standards for accessibility for individuals with disabilities to ensure equal access. The online registration procedure is as follows: First-time registrant or existing voter submits their application through the online system Once all information is entered, the system assigns a unique identifier to the record The online system then compares the Florida driver license number or Florida identification number submitted with information maintained by the Dept. of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to confirm that both records are consistent If the applicant s name and date of birth are consistent with the DHSMV records, the system shall transmit the application along with the digital signature on file at the DHSMV to the Supervisor of Elections for processing If the applicant s name and date of birth are not consistent with the DHSMV records, or if the applicant has indicated that they have not been issued a Florida driver license or Florida identification card, the online system will populate the applicant s information into a printable voter registration application that the person must sign and date and deliver to the Supervisor of Elections Office for processing This system is to undergo a comprehensive risk assessment before becoming publicly available and will, by law, undergo the same assessment every two years. Allowing for online voter registration shall be an added convenience to voters and hopefully encourage voter participation. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 9

15 Voter Registration Services The Supervisor of Elections Office operates at one facility located at 4455 Avenue A, Suite 101 in St. Augustine. Under current law, voter registration services are also provided for in a number of locations throughout St. Johns County and October 1 st, will expand to allow registering to vote online. Section 97, Florida Statutes designates a number of locations as voter registration agencies where voters may register to vote or make changes to their voter record as needed in person. These locations include: St. Johns County Tax Collector Offices, which issue drivers licenses at Ponte Vedra, Julington Creek, St. Augustine, and DuPont Center St. Johns County Public Libraries in St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, Bartram Trail, Ponte Vedra, Hastings, and the Southeast Branch Library as well as a bookmobile which travels around the county on a daily basis Offices that provide public assistance or serve persons with disabilities include the following: o Department of Health o Department of Social Services o WIC Programs o Medicaid o Department of Children and Family Services Armed forces recruiting offices consisting of four offices within St. Johns County As the county continues rapid growth, voter registration numbers also continue to rise as reflected in the charts and statistics below. 180, , , , , , , , , , ,000 Registered Voters Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 10

16 Voter Registration Statistics Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 11

17 List Maintenance To comply with section , Florida Statutes, each Supervisor must conduct a general registration list maintenance program to protect the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring the maintenance of accurate and current voter registration records in the statewide voter registration system. Quarterly the National Change of Address (NCOA) list from the US Post Office is run against all voter addresses in St. Johns County. We use this information to mail list maintenance notices to voters who have moved to other Florida counties or outside the state. The NCOA list also locates voters who have moved within St. Johns County or who have changed their mailing address. This process allows us to interact with the voters and move them to their proper location in preparation for elections. List maintenance activities are also conducted when the following occurs: First class mail sent to registered voters has been returned to the Elections Office as undeliverable mail Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides us information on voters who have received a driver license in another state Address change information is received by the Clerk of Courts on jury notices Because an address list maintenance notice may not be issued 90 days prior to the date of a federal election, the greatest number of notices are mailed during off election years. As an example, with three federal elections conducted in 2016, a total of 4,788 list maintenance notices were mailed. To compare, the total number of notices sent out from January 2017 to April 25, 2017, was 24,567. Not only does our office mail notices to voters we have identified, we are also sending notices to voters who were moved into St. Johns County by returned first class mail sent from other Florida county elections offices. When a voter does not respond to an Address Confirmation Final Notice they are placed in an inactive status. Section (4)(c), Florida Statutes, states that A voter on the inactive list may be restored to the active list of voters upon the voter updating his or her registration, requesting a voteby-mail ballot, or appearing to vote. However, if the voter does not update his or her voter registration information, request a vote-by-mail ballot, or vote by the second general election after being placed on the inactive list, the voter s name shall be removed from the statewide voter registration system and the voter shall be required to reregister to have his or her name restored to the statewide voter registration system. Results from these activities, include, a total of 6,318 inactive voters being removed from the voter rolls by list maintenance after the 2016 General Election. These voters had not voted in the last 2 general elections. A total of 7,573 voters are currently in the inactive status from the list maintenance process and are in line for removal after the 2018 and 2020 general elections should they not vote in either election. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 12

18 Ongoing list maintenance activities are executed in accordance with Section , Florida Statutes. These activities identify and remove: Duplicate registrations Deceased persons Registrants adjudicated mentally incapacitated Registrants who have been convicted of a felony and whose rights have not been restored Other ineligible criteria (age requirements, citizenship, fictitious name, non-legal residence) Results from these activities in 2016 include the following: 1,545 voters removed as deceased, 6 removed for being declared mentally incompetent and 92 voters were removed due to felony convictions and they did not have their rights to vote restored. Voter Education One of the keys to conducting a successful election is educating the voters of St. Johns County and having them prepared to vote. During the 2018 election cycle, our office will participate in numerous community events in an effort to increase voter participation. By using voter education tools and outreach programs, our goals include: Ensuring all interested eligible residents have the opportunity to register to vote Inform voters of the three ways to vote o Vote-By-Mail o Early Voting o Election Day Educate voters on their correct polling place for Election Day Increase voter participation and interest in the election process Give voters a better understanding of what to expect when they vote, including providing photo and signature ID Educate voters on how to mark a ballot Demonstrate voting equipment Sample Ballots Sample ballots are one of the most effective tools for providing election specific information to the registered voters of the county. Registered voters are mailed, or ed a sample ballot prior to every election. Voters may also request their sample ballot be ed. To date 9,734 voters have requested that their sample ballots to be ed. This is a great cost savings measure as more voters request their sample ballots ed rather than sent regular mail. It reduces overall printing and postage costs. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 13

19 Community Events Taking the Elections Office out into our Communities Our office participates in numerous community events during election years. Conducting voter registration drives and distributing election materials provides a great opportunity to meet and talk with residents about our voting process. We will continue seeking and visiting various venues in all areas of the county, naturalization ceremonies and other events for which we are invited to participate. Citizen s Guide to Registering and Voting Our office created a publication called the St. Johns County Citizen s Guide to Registering and Voting. This publication was mailed to all county residents twice in the last two years. It contained invaluable voting information along with vote-by-mail ballot requests and voter registration applications to help voters prepare for the elections. We received a tremendous response from the mailing and plan on continuing this as we approach the 2018 election cycle. Supervisor of Elections Office Web Site To date, our best voter education tool continues to be our website by providing access to voter registration and election information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Beginning October 1 st, online voter registration will become available on our website making all of the services offered by the Supervisor of Elections Office available online. Providing services available on our website is extremely cost effective. It is also a convenient way for voters to manage their voter record and obtain important voting information. Our website continues to be well utilized by voters and is compatible for mobile devices. Facebook and Twitter are also used to distribute information. It is important to be able to provide our resources using social media to follow the trends in technology. It is very cost effective and a good way to help distribute information. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 14

20 Area High Schools Annually, Elections Office staff conduct voter education programs at St. Johns County public and private high schools. Our office visits all public high schools and some private high schools. Our programs are for the purpose of educating high school students about good government, discuss the importance of voting, and encourage their participation in the voting process when they become 18. We also provide the opportunity and encourage all students to register to vote. To date this year, we registered or updated the existing registration of 321 students. We are finding most students register to vote when they obtain their driver license. Under current law, anyone can pre-register to vote on or after their 16 th birthday, and may vote in any election held on or after their 18 th birthday. Upon turning 18 they will receive their voter information card. High School Elections One of the many highlights of our job is to conduct school elections. We conduct student government elections for many county high schools. Our office prints ballots based on the candidates running in the school election and programs our voting equipment for the election. The students who run for office have the opportunity to campaign, print and distribute campaign literature and give speeches in order to persuade their fellow students to vote for them. On election day, we take voting equipment to the schools and set up a polling place. Students then have the opportunity to vote using official ballots and voting equipment just like an actual election. Elementary and K-8 School Elections This was the 2 nd year that we teamed up with Media Specialists in a number of St. Johns County Elementary Schools, Middle Schools and K-8 Academies and conducted the Sunshine State Young Reader Program Elections for This is a great program which encourages reading among students from K-8 th grades. Students who read at least three of the 15 books selected for each grade level were eligible to cast their ballot for their favorite book. The program grew this year with these 13 schools participating: K-8 Academies: Valley Ridge, Patriot Oaks, Liberty Pines Middle Schools: Sebastian, Switzerland Point, Gamble Rogers Elementary Schools: South Woods, Palencia, Ocean Palms, Julington Creek, W.D. Hartley, R.B. Hunt, Ketterlinus An election day was scheduled for each school. On the designated election day, staff from the Elections Office took our actual ballots (up to 3 different ballot styles depending on grade level) and voting equipment to the media center, set it up as a polling place, complete with vote here signs, voting booths, ballots and the precinct tabulators. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 15

21 Eligible students came to the media center where they received their ballot in order to vote for their favorite book. We spoke to the students about how easy voting is and allowed them to cast their ballot, place it into the tabulator, and receive their I Voted sticker and a patriotic pencil. This was a great learning experience for our students and allowed them their first chance to vote. Many of the students had a difficult time deciding which book was their favorite. This is a true testament to the love of reading that the fabulous teachers in St. Johns County helped instill in their students. We are able to provide this service at no cost to our schools. We can never begin too early teaching students the importance of voting and letting them see how easy voting really is. This year 1,928 students participated in the election and experienced voting first hand. We hope these students will continue to enjoy reading and will look forward to the time when they are old enough to vote. Middle School Civics Programs For the 2 nd year our office participated in the Switzerland Point Middle School Civics Day program. The school invited numerous government and military representatives to participate and students rotated to each station throughout their school day. While visiting our station, the students learned about the voting process and the importance of voting. They were given a demonstration ballot and voted using a precinct tabulator. The students had great questions and really seemed to enjoy learning about elections! Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 16

22 2018 Election Schedule Primary Election August 28, 2018 General Election November 6, 2018 Primary Election (F.S ) In each year in which a general election is held, a primary election for nomination of candidates of political parties shall be held on the Tuesday, ten (10) weeks prior to the general election. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast in each contest in the primary election shall be declared nominated for such office. If two or more candidates received an equal and highest number of votes for the same office, such candidates shall draw lots to determine which candidate is nominated. Judicial and municipal candidates may also be elected beginning in the primary election. Should any runoffs be required for the nonpartisan offices, the runoffs occur in the general election. Closed Primary (F.S ) Florida remains a closed primary state. In a primary election a qualified elector is entitled to vote the official primary election ballot of the political party designated in the elector s registration, and no other. It is unlawful for any elector to vote in a primary for any candidate running for nomination from a party other than that in which such elector is registered. Minor political parties must also conduct nominating primaries, so currently both the major and minor parties may be involved in primary elections. Voters registered without party affiliation are eligible to vote for nonpartisan candidates, and any referenda or constitutional amendments which may appear on a primary election ballot. Universal Primary Contests (Florida Constitution Article VI, Section 5(b)) The only exception to the closed primary is when all candidates for an office have the same party affiliation and the winner will have no opposition in the general election. When this occurs, all qualified voters, regardless of party affiliation may vote in the primary election for that office. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 17

23 General Election (F.S ) A general election shall be held in each county on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even numbered year, to choose a successor to each elective federal, state, county, district and local officer whose term will expire before the next general election, and for voting on constitutional amendments. Municipal Elections Voters residing within a municipality in St. Johns County are entitled to vote on their City Commissioners. The applicable city races are nonpartisan and appear on all ballots. A separate voter registration is not required. All municipal elections are held in conjunction with the regularly scheduled general election. The municipalities included are the City of St. Augustine, the City of St. Augustine Beach, and the Town of Hastings. Special District Elections The Independent Special Districts located solely within St. Johns County have also adopted resolutions which provide for the Supervisor of Elections to conduct their elections. Those districts are St. Augustine/St. Johns County Airport Authority Board, St. Johns Soil & Water Conservation District, St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach Commission, Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County, and the Municipal Service District of Ponte Vedra Beach. Community Development Districts Community Development District elections are also conducted by the Elections Office in accordance with chapter 190, Florida Statutes. A total of sixteen (16) CDD elections are currently conducted by the Supervisor of Elections Office. Each municipality, special district and community development district is billed for the proportionate share of the cost of their elections. The revenues are deposited into the county general fund. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 18

24 2018 Offices Scheduled for Election Federal o United States Senator o Representative in Congress, Districts 4 & 6 State o Governor & Lt. Governor o Attorney General o Chief Financial Officer o Commissioner of Agriculture & Consumer Services o State Representative House Districts 17 & 24 o Circuit Judges, 7 th Judicial Circuit County o County Judge Group 1 o County Commissioners Districts 2 & 4 o School Board Members Districts 1, 3 & 4 Special Districts o Anastasia Mosquito Control District Seats 2 & 4 o St. Augustine St. Johns County Airport Authority Groups 1, 2 & 3 o St. Johns Soil & Water Conservation District Groups 1, 2 & 5 o St. Augustine Port, Waterway & Beach Commission Groups 1, 3 & 5 o Municipal Service District of Ponte Vedra Beach Seats 1, 3, 5 & 7 Municipalities o City of St. Augustine Seats 3/Mayor, 4 & 5 o City of St. Augustine Beach Seats 3, 4 & 5 o Town of Hastings 2017 Three Seats and 2018 Two Seats Community Development Districts o Aberdeen Community Development District Seats 1, 3 & 5 o Brandy Creek Community Development District Seats 1, 3 & 5 o Durbin Crossing Community Development District Seats 1, 3 & 5 o Glen St. Johns Community Development District Seats 1, 4 & 5 o Heritage Landing Community Development District Seats 2, 3 & 4 o Heritage Park Community Development District Seats 1, 3 & 5 o Julington Creek Plantation Community Development District Seats 1, 3 & 4 o Marshall Creek Community Development District Seats 1, 2 & 3 o Rivers Edge Community Development District Seats 2 & 4 o Sampson Creek Community Development District Seats 1, 3 & 5 o Sandy Creek Community Development District Seats 1 & 3 o St. Johns Forest Community Development District Seats 1, 2 & 3 o Sweetwater Creek Community Development District Seats 1 & 2 o Tolomato Community Development District Seats 2, 4 & 5 o Turnbull Creek Community Development District Seats 1, 3 & 5 o World Commerce Community Development District Seats 1, 2 & 3 Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 19

25 Candidates The Supervisor of Elections serves as the filing officer for all candidates on the county, local, and municipal level. In order to run for office, all candidates must file the required paperwork with the Supervisor of Elections during the time frame specified by law. Candidates may either pay a qualifying fee or choose to run by the petition method. The petition method allows a candidate to obtain a position on the ballot by obtaining at least 1% of the total number of registered voters in their district for the last preceding general election (2016) rather than paying the qualifying fee. County Commissioners and County Judges run countywide and petition requirements are based on countywide voter registration totals. School Board Members are single-member districts and are voted on only by the voters of their district. Their petition requirements are based on voter registration totals within their district. Special Districts and Community Development Districts petition requirements are uniform and are required to obtain 25 signatures. Municipal candidates qualify under the provisions of their respective city charters. Signatures Required for 2018 Based on District District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 County Number of Voters 35,936 31,166 33,396 40,589 32, ,199 Signatures Required ,734 Candidates are required to open a campaign account specifically for funds which are collected and spent during their campaign. The exception is Special District and Community Development District candidates who will only collect petition signatures, and do not intend to solicit contributions or make expenditures for their campaign. All candidates who must file Campaign Treasurer Reports are required to use the Candidate Financial Reporting System that is accessed through our website. The system is user friendly. The Financial Reporting System allows for: Easy maintenance of campaign records Immediate public access to campaign reports Candidate profiles Convenience for candidates and treasurers in filing reports electronically The Supervisor of Elections Office is a filing office only, and is not tasked with the responsibility of the enforcement of chapter 106, Florida Statutes, the campaign finance law. The Florida Elections Commission is the enforcing agency and all complaints regarding violations of the campaign finance law must be reported in writing to the Florida Elections Commission. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 20

26 Qualifying Fees Candidate qualifying fees are based on the annual salary of the office sought as of the July 1 st immediately preceding qualifying. Those figures will be available later this year. o The qualifying fee for partisan candidates is 6% of the annual salary o The qualifying fee for a non-partisan candidate is 4% of the annual salary Qualifying fees must be drawn on a candidates campaign account, with the exception of Special Districts and Community Development District Board Members Special Districts and Community Development District Board Members are not required to pay their qualifying fees on a campaign account if they will not be making any further expenditures or accepting any contributions Qualifying fees for Special District and Community Development District Board Members are set forth in chapters 189 & 190, Florida Statutes St. Johns County retains only a small portion of qualifying fees paid by candidates. Qualifying fees are distributed as per law as follows: County Judge and School Board Candidates: 4% paid to Elections Commission Trust Fund Partisan Candidates: 1% election assessment paid to Elections Comm. Trust Fund; 5% paid to candidate s political party NPA Candidates filing for a partisan office: 1% election assessment paid to Elections Comm. Trust Fund; 3% paid to county general revenue fund Special District Candidates: $ 25 filing fee deposited in the county general fund Municipal candidates: 1% election assessment paid to Elections Comm. Trust Fund; other fees specified by charter are returned to the applicable municipality Candidate Workshop Another service of the Elections Office is conducting a Candidate Workshop for anyone interested in running for office. By law, all funds spent on campaigns must be kept separate from personal bank accounts. The Workshop covers all the aspects of campaign finance and important information candidates need to be aware of in order to comply with the law. The 2018 Candidate workshop will be held in early spring. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 21

27 Voting Trends Trends during primary elections vary greatly from general elections. Statistics show that many voters still prefer to vote at their polling place on election day even though the popularity of Early Voting and Vote-By-Mail Ballots continues to grow. Sadly, voter turnout during primaries remain low. We expect that Early Voting and Vote-By-Mail Ballots will continue to be heavily utilized in the 2018 Primary election. As each election cycle progresses, statics show that the majority of the ballots cast in an election are cast prior to election day, this especially holds true for general elections. The following charts show voting trends in St. Johns County during primary elections: Methods of Voting in Primary Elections 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 58% 59% 53% 44% 26% 25% 25% 30% 26% 22% 16% 16% 2010 Primary 2012 Primary 2014 Primary 2016 Primary Early Voting Vote-By-Mail Election Day Voter Turnout 80% 60% 61% 49% 54% 55% 40% 20% 31% 22% 24% 16% 0% Primary Election General Election Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 22

28 Any voter can request a ballot and vote-by-mail Early voting is conducted prior to each election Vote at your precinct on Election Day 7 AM 7 PM Vote-By-Mail Voting by mail has become the most convenient way for voters to cast their ballot. Due to the convenience it affords voters, requests for vote-by-mail ballots continue to increase. A vote-by-mail request is sufficient for the next two regularly scheduled general elections. Any registered voter may request a ballot and vote-bymail. All mail ballots must be returned to the Elections Office by 7 PM on Election Day in order to be counted. Several convenient options are available for voters to return their ballots: Voted ballots may be turned in at early voting sites during regular voting hours A secure drop box in the front of the office provides for a location where a voted ballot can dropped off 24/7. Red ballot drop boxes are located inside all public libraries, Tax Collectors Office in Ponte Vedra & Julington Creek, plus St. Augustine Beach City Hall. We encourage the use of the drop boxes for voters who do not wish to return their ballot by mail. Ballots may also be returned to the Elections by mail New protection is now available to voters who choose to vote by mail but fail to sign their envelope or their signature does not match their signature of record on file with the Elections Office. Both are required in order for the mail ballot to be counted. CS/HB 105 creates a statutory affidavit cure process to remedy and count a vote-by-mail ballot where the ballot signature submitted by the voter does not match the signature on file in the registration book or precinct register. This new process is similar to the process for curing a vote-bymail ballot with no signature, adopted by the Legislature in The bill more effectively implements an ad hoc procedure that a federal district court judge mandated for the 2016 general election to count mismatched-signature ballots. Florida Democratic Party v. Detzner, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS During the 2016 General Election, locally we notified many voters to resolve issues with their ballots that otherwise would not have been counted. Of the 27,329 vote by mail ballots process & counted 52 voters returned their vote by mail ballots with no signature o 38 were cured / counted 108 voters returned their ballots with signatures that did not match o 75 were cured /counted Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 23

29 Early Voting Dates are set at the discretion of the Supervisor of Election for each county. conducted in St. Johns County for the 2018 Primary Election: Early voting will be August 18 th August 25 th Hours: 9 AM 6 PM daily at all locations Early Voting Sites for the Primary Election are as follows: Supervisor of Elections Main Office 4455 Avenue A, Suite 101 St. Augustine St. Johns County Service Center (Julington Creek Annex) 725 Flora Branch Blvd. St. Johns Ponte Vedra Library 101 Library Blvd. Ponte Vedra Beach Southeast Branch Library 6670 US 1 South St. Augustine St. Augustine Beach Town Hall 2200 A1A South St. Augustine Hastings Town Hall 6195 South Main Street Hastings St. Johns County set a new record with early voting turnout in the November 8, 2016 General Election. Over 71,600 voters cast their ballots early in the 13 days of early voting, and it continues to grow in popularity as some voters prefer to cast their ballots in person instead of voting by mail. Voters take advantage of the convenience it affords them, especially with voting available on Saturdays and Sunday. Voting at the Polls on Election Day Some voters still prefer to vote in the traditional way and cast their ballot at their polling place on Election Day. Polls are open 7 AM 7 PM. Prior to voting, voters should: Verify their address is correct Know where their polling place is located Present current and valid photo and signature identification when voting Review their sample ballot and be ready to vote upon entering their polling place Address changes may be made at the polls on Election Day by registered voters who have moved within St. Johns County, or from another Florida county, by completing a Florida Voter Registration Application. Once the application has been completed, the voter is permitted to vote a regular ballot. Election Day polling places have not been finalized for the 2018 election cycle. It is our goal to continue to use the same locations used during the 2016 elections. When the list is finalized, it will be published. Should any locations require to be moved, all affected voters will be notified. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 24

30 Poll Workers We have great elections in St. Johns County because of dedicated individuals who serve their community proudly as poll workers. They are the Gatekeepers of Democracy. It takes many hands to see that each and every voter is afforded the opportunity to cast their ballot. For the upcoming primary election we will hire and train approximately 250 poll workers. Poll workers are temporary employees of the Supervisor of Elections hired to work at voting locations during Early Voting and on Election Day. Based on skills and experience, poll workers are assigned to one of the following positions: Clerk Assistant Clerk Inspector Equipment Inspector Poll Deputy Training Classes Florida Statutes require all poll workers to attend mandatory training sessions for each election cycle. Poll worker salaries include compensation for their time spent in training. Training per election: Deputies 2-3 hours Inspectors 3-4 hours Equipment inspectors 4-5 hours Clerks & Asst. Clerks 4-5 hours A one hour class on sensitivity and conflict resolution is mandatory and included during each election cycle. Poll Worker Online Training Elections Office staff has developed an online training tool to assist poll workers in learning the tasks that are required when processing voters. This valuable tool is accessed through our website and the poll worker is assigned a unique user ID and password. The poll worker must still attend the required training classes but this is an additional tool to help them review the many procedures used when working the polls. St. Johns County Poll Workers are very conscientious and many use the system. This resource is expanding as materials are developed and laws change. This is also a cost effective way to provide additional training materials to our workers. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 25

31 Voting Equipment Our Voting Equipment is federally and state certified. To be used in any election in Florida, the voting system must be approved by the State. The State is required to test and determine that the hardware and software meet the standards set out in law and rule. Rigorous testing also occurs locally on each piece of voting equipment prior to every election. The law requires the equipment be publically tested and certified that it is counting accurately prior to being used in an election. The test is a function of the Canvassing Board and is open to all voters, candidates, press and the general public. The public test and certification always occurs within 10 days of the start of early voting. DS200 The ES&S DS200 is a precinct-based, voter-activated paper ballot counter and vote tabulator that is used at all early voting sites and all polling locations on election day. Voters mark their paper ballot by filling in the oval to the left of their choices and then insert their ballot into the DS200, where it is immediately tabulated. If a voter marks their ballot incorrectly, the DS200 will not tabulate the ballot, but will display the error on the screen, allowing the voter the option of casting their ballot with errors or returning it to the voter for review or correction. The voter can spoil their ballot by surrendering it to the poll worker. The poll worker will then issue a second ballot to the voter. After the new ballot is voted, it will then be reinserted into the DS200 by the voter for tabulation. ADA Voting Equipment Federal and state requirements that meet ADA guidelines for persons with disabilities require that voting systems allow the same opportunity for all voters at every voting location. The ExpressVote allows blind and visually impaired voters to vote privately. Persons who are visually impaired may instead access the system s audio feature. Once a voter has selected their choices, the ExpressVote prints an abbreviated paper ballot that the voter will insert into a DS200 for tabulation. Vote-By-Mail Ballot Tabulator The high speed vote-by-mail ballot reader completes the suite of tabulation equipment; the ES&S DS850 high-speed, digital scan ballot tabulator has a processing rate of up to 300 ballots per minute and uses cameras and imaging algorithms to image the front and back of a ballot in a single pass and then evaluate the results that allow for the near continuous scanning of ballots. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 26

32 Ballot on Demand Printers The use of ballot on demand printers has proven to be cost effective. The system s ease of use, flexibility and durability make it an effective solution for printing test ballots, over the counter vote-bymail ballots and early voting ballots. The system has proven to be an innovative solution that provides an efficient, accurate and transparent method for all of our ballot needs. Electronic Voter Identification System As elections officials we must ensure that all elections are conducted transparently, efficiently and administered fairly. It is very important that voters have confidence in our processes. EViDs (electronic poll books) allow us to manage and deliver successful elections by streamlining the voter check-in process at all voting locations. During early voting and election-day operations, each EViD station communicates securely with elections headquarters to maintain up-to-the minute accuracy on its voter file. Features of the EViDs include: Quick voter check-in; Less workers needed to process voters (cost savings) Access to voter database assures that only valid registered voters are eligible to cast a ballot and have it counted Voter s whose registration is questionable must vote a provisional ballot Check-in data collected is shared throughout the county system to prevent a voter from voting twice Voters who move and have not updated their address can have their address updated quickly and vote a regular ballot Based on a voter s address, the EViD provides the correct location and print driving instructions for voters who check in at the wrong precinct on election day During early voting and some precincts on election day, EViDs connect to ballot-on-demand printers to print the correct ballot for each voter (cost savings) Eliminates the need for paper registers at the polls on election day A monitoring feature at the Elections Office allows staff to display the status of each EViD station and precinct to observe voting patterns at each voting location. This allows for quick deployment of additional resources should the need arise. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 27

33 Use of Updated Technology Technology allows us to provide convenience to voters and promote voter participation. More information via the internet and mobile devices is available than ever before, such as: Voters can access their voter registration, request vote-by-mail ballots, look up their precinct and see a map for directions to the polling place or early voting location plus obtain their sample ballot Overseas and military voters may download and mark their vote-by-mail ballots for mailing/faxing back to our office Numerous other tasks that voters can accomplish through the use of our website By using the EViDS (electronic poll books) during early voting and on election day to check in voters, it allows us to provide voter turnout statistics in many different forms. As needed, wait times for each of our early voting sites are also available to be posted during busy elections. This information is set on a per location basis and allows the voter to see if there is any wait time and, if there is, approximately how long it is. This information is updated on our website every five minutes. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 28

34 Obtaining Election Results Vote-By-Mail Results The processing of vote-by-mail ballots begins prior to an election. The number of days is determined by the anticipated volume of ballots to be counted. Candidates and political parties are notified of dates and times of the Canvassing of the vote-by-mail ballots are advertised as it is open to the public. Once opened, the ballots are run through the high-speed tabulators. Results are stored on secure media and are not made public until the close of the polls on Election Day. Early Voting Results At the end of early voting, the ballot tabulators are closed down. The media from each tabulator is removed and placed into a secure pouch and sealed with a numbered seal. The sealed pouches are brought to Elections Central along with the voted ballots. Upon arrival, they are secured in our vault where they are kept until Election Day. At the direction of the Supervisor, they are unsealed and the results are read into the Elections Management System. Once the polls close at 7 PM all counted vote-by-mail ballots and early voting results are uploaded to our website and made public. Precinct Results Using wireless technologies, election night results are sent from each precinct to Election Central. This allows us to post results to our website quickly on Election Night. Upon each precinct s arrival to the office on election night, the official ballots and results stored on media from each tabulator is received, accompanied by the totals printout tape. Results received wirelessly are overridden by using the actual media from the precinct to ensure accuracy of the results. Reports are then printed and vote counts matched against the totals tapes printed directly from each tabulator. This audit process is completed election night to ensure all votes are reported accurately, and all valid ballots cast have been counted. Provisional Ballots A voter whose registration is in question or who does not have valid ID is required by law to vote a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is placed into an envelope and sealed rather than in the tabulator. A voter has until 5 PM on the second day following the election to produce evidence to the Supervisor as to why their ballot should be counted. The two days also allows additional research time for each provisional ballot. Once the review is completed; each valid vote cast by a registered voter contained in their envelope is opened and counted. The provisional ballot results are then added to election night results. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 29

35 Results Reported on Website The use of updated technology has also changed the way election results are obtained and released election night. Our website allows election night results to be viewed in a number of ways. Precincts are listed as the results report in A map indicates unreported precincts Totals are available by precinct o Election day broken down by precinct o Vote by mail o Early voting Post-Election Internal Audit In the days following an election, an internal audit is conducted on each precinct. The ballot accounting forms are reviewed by staff and a three way verification done to assure that each voter who was checked in, each ballot that was issued and each ballot placed into a ballot tabulator is accounted for. A review of the daily balancing forms from early voting is also conducted. A final verification of the vote by mail ballots is also done, so a determination that all votes cast in the election are accounted for and reconciled. Public Manual Audit Following the certification of election results, a public manual audit of the voting system is required by Florida Statutes The manual audit consists of a manual tally of the votes cast in one randomly selected race that appears on the ballot. A randomly selected precinct is chosen and the audit must include vote-by-mail, precinct, early voted and provisional ballots. Results of the audit are filed with the Division of Elections. Supervisor of Elections Budget Information Page 30

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