General Government Function REGISTRAR OF VOTERS Mission: Description: Statutory Authority: The mission of the Washoe County Registrar of Voters Department is to provide the means by which all eligible citizens can exercise their right to participate in the democratic processes of signing and circulating petitions, voting a secret ballot and becoming a candidate for public office. The Registrar of Voters (ROV) administers all primary, general and special elections in the County according to State and Federal law. These elections are conducted in a fair, open and impartial manner and with the utmost integrity. The Registrar is also responsible for overseeing the County's voter registration process, which is designed to ensure that all those who want to vote are qualified to do so. The Registrar is responsible for the administration of candidate filing for most local jurisdiction candidates and serves as the office of filing for initiative, referendum and recall petitions; verifying signatures on these petitions and statewide circulated petitions to determine the eligibility of signees, in order to determine if a petition has a sufficient number of valid signatures to qualify for placement on a ballot or independent candidates or to recall a public official. The Registrar is responsible for election preparations, ballot design, vote tabulation, election results reporting, early voting and election day polling site management and absent ballot processing. The Registrar is the custodian of all election-related records and materials and is responsible, in coordination with the GIS Office, for the definition, generation and maintenance of the County s political (districts and precincts) mapping. The Registrar of Voters maintains a professional environment in which all staff members strive to provide excellent service to candidates, political parties, local political jurisdictions, the media, researchers and the general public. Federal Voting Rights Act ( 64), Minority Language Provisions of the Voting Rights Act (73). National Voter Registration Act (93), Help America Voter Act ( 02); Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ( 0) (UOCAVA) NRS Chapters; 293, 293B, 293C, 294A, 295; and Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) Chapters 293, 294 and 295 General Fund Expenditures by Type FY/2 Actual FY2/3 Budget FY3/4 Tentative Budget % Change 2/3-3/4 Salaries & Wages $ 350,054 $ 424,329 $ 434,680 2% Employee Benefits 42,486 64,022 74,333 6% Services & Supplies 687,978 796,083 796,407 0% Capital Outlay - 45,000 45,000 0% Total Registrar of Voters $,80,58 $,429,434 $,450,420 % Department Full-Time Equivalent Information FTE Summary by Fund FY/2 Actual FY2/3 Budget FY3/4 Tentative Budget % Change 2/3-3/4 General Fund 6.00 6.00 6.00 0%
General Government Function Registrar of Voters Department FY2/3 Strategic Plan.0 County Strategic Objective: Achieving long term financial sustainability (County Budget, Resources, etc.). 3 Year Goal FY 2/3 Fiscal Goal Measure & Target Status. Meet the Board s Financial Sustainability Metrics... Change current Election Day processing of voters to the real-time creation of Rosters, resulting in fewer poll workers being recruited and trained and fewer temp-hires required to segregate, assemble and distribute Rosters. Eliminate costs for printing of Rosters Savings per election $28,500 (NOTE: Will require statutory change)..2 Consolidate polling places in lower turnout elections (i.e. Primary Special Elections). Resulting in fewer staff and election supplies being delivered Savings per election $9,000 M: How many fewer poll workers and temp-hire employees are hired in 204 Election Cycle and how much voter time can be cut in the processing of voters at the polls on Election Day T: When the number of poll workers for an election is reduced from current 670 to 480, in order to hire and train fewer Election Day poll workers and cutting voter processing time at the polls by more than 2:00 minutes M: Consolidate polling places in the 202 Primary from 96 to less than 87 T:Reduce the number of poll workers hired, saving the County $4,500 per election Will need statutory change to implement 85 polling places 202 Primary reduced poll workers by 50, savings of $5,000 Department FY3/4 Strategic Plan.0 County Strategic Objective: Sustainability of our financial, social and natural resources Strategic Goal FY 3/4 Department Goal Department Measure & Target. Maintain a balanced budget that accounts for long-term liabilities..3 Develop and initiate implementation of a Natural Resource Sustainability Strategy... Consolidate the number of Election Day polling places in the Primary Election from 87 (in 202 Primary) to 80 in the 204 Primary. With the goal of reducing the number of poll workers hired, trained and assigned. Savings: $4,300.3..Began discussions to substantially reduce production of Sample Ballots M: How many fewer poll workers and temp-hire employees are hired for the 204 Primary Election and still maintain short processing time for voters who vote on the Primary Election Day T: Reduce the number of poll workers hired by 35, saving the County $4,300 M: How many fewer Sample Ballots are printed and mailed T: Initial target 0% Output Measures Department Objective Measure FY 0- (Actual -0) FY -2 Actual (6-2) FY 2-3 (Actual -2) FY 3-4 (Estimated for 6-4) Maintain accurate voter registration rolls # of registrants 220,808 27,905 24,23 240,000 2
General Government Function Registrar of Voters Department Objective Measure FY 0- (Actual -0) FY -2 Actual (6-2) FY 2-3 (Actual -2) FY 3-4 (Estimated for 6-4) Conduct fair elections # of elections # of polling sites (early) 8 7 22 7 Aggregate early polling hours,806,560 2,038,600 # of polling sites (election day) 95 85 90 80 # of Provisional votes/valid 580/45 46/36 987/990 00/75 Median time to cast a ballot (mins.) 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.0 Elapsed Time to complete tabulations (hours) 4.25 4.00 4.00 3.75 Turnout rate 64% 20% 78% 30% Conduct fair elections (continued) % of votes cast early % cast by absentee ballot 49% % 50% 6% 59% % 50% 2% % of votes election day 40% 44% 30% 38% # of Voter pamphlets mailed 220,808 27,905 24,23 225,000 Cost per pamphlet (includes printing, postage & mail service) $0.60 $0.3 $0.50 $.40 # of political maps sold 20 3 60 85 Petitions/Ballot Questions (Includes Referenda, Initiative and Recall) # of Petitions Received Petitions Signatures Raw Count/Verified Questions on Ballot 8 48,497/4,02 7 8,305/,305 0 24,685/,234 4 8 5,000/3,000 0 3
General Government Function Registrar of Voters REGISTRAR OF VOTERS DEPARTMENT 203/4 FY Goals and Strategies GOAL: Conduct elections with the hallmark of integrity, openness, accuracy and full accountability for operations, expenditures and investments of capital. STRATEGY: Make available every opportunity for those who wish to observe the ROV election set-up and tabulation processes to do so, regardless of the venue. GOAL: To administer elections while maintaining a strict impartial environment within the Registrar s Department, at early voting sites and at polling places on election days. STRATEGY: To make the need for impartiality an integral aspect of training for full-time, temp-hire and poll worker staff members. GOAL: To provide high quality professional service to the voters, candidates, political advocacy groups, researchers, other political jurisdictions and media. STRATEGY: To consolidate and simplify the operations of the ROV Dept. in ways that reduce operational costs and better serve the voters of the County. GOAL: To control manpower costs and achieve greater efficiencies in the administration of elections. STRATEGY: A) Maintain a small core of knowledgeable and well-trained individuals as full-time staff and to hire, train and assign temp-hire staff as the election cycle demands. To consolidate Election Day polling locations as needed. B) Apply electronic systems software and hardware to both internal and external applications wherever practicable, in order to enhance service delivery and empower voters to access needed data on-line. GOAL: To be recognized by fellow election officials, the voting public and observers as an organization that continually strives for excellence in the administration of elections. STRATEGY: To assess departmental performance and determine ways to continuously improve the County s election administration throughout and between each election cycle. PURSUING BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES: Each of the ROV Departmental goals is designed to pursue Accountability, Transparency, Professionalism, Teamwork, Quality Public Service and One County, One Region. 4
Registrar of Voters FY 3 4 4 Budget Presentation Date Location
ROV Organizational Chart Administrative Assistant FTE Administrative Functions (Purchasing, Assist with Budget, Invoice Payments, Vendor Contact, Office HR Rep Temp Hire Recruitment & Assignment Election DatabaseSetup & Mgmt, Sample Ballot Mailing Mgmt, Petition Mgmt, Candidate Filing, WbSit Web Site Postings Registrar of Voters FTE Office Support Specialist Office Support Specialist Office Support Specialist FTE Mapping/Redistricting Absent Ballots, Weekly VR Database Update, VR Data Entry Et FTE Front Office Operations Correspondence Early Voting Pll Pollworker Recruiting, VR Data Entry Temporary Pool FTE Equipment & Supply Management & Repair Securing Polling Places, VR Data Et Entry (Even Numbered Years) Up to 60 FTE during Election Cycle 2
Voter Growth & Turnout 250,000 200,000 50,000 00,000 General 2006 General 2008 General 200 General 202 50,000 0 Total l# Registered Total lturnout Election Day Voting Absentee Early Voting Voters 3
Funding Consistency Budget Budget Budget 20/202 202/203 203/204 Approved Expenditures $,384,53.56 56 (additional $300,000 for Congressional Special Election reimbursed to General Fund) Approved Recommended Expenditures Expenditures $,435,06.84 $,450,420.25 420 25 4
Electronic Poll Books Looking Ahead. Interactive, On Line Poll Worker Training Software 5
Department Goals Elections conducted with Openness, Integrity, Accuracy and Accountability Strict Impartiality High Quality Professional Service Excellence intheadministrationofelections of 6
Department Strategy Operate with small core of well trained, knowledgeable and dedicated staff Recruit, train and assign Temp Hire Staff as needed Use of Electronics: Hardware and Software Consolidation and Simplification of operations to better serve the public and reduce costs Continuous Improvement through continuous self assessment and collaboration 7