CC WORKSESSION PACKET 02092021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CURRENT IN PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING Since before 2015, St. Anthony has provided in person absentee voting (ab voting) at City Hall. In person absentee voting begins 46 days prior to every election. The City Clerk and front office staff have previously staffed the front counter administering in person ab voting, which starts out slow and then gradually gets busier towards election day putting staff behind in their other duties. For the General Election in 2020, we moved ab voting out of City Hall and into the Council Chambers to allow for social distancing due to COVID. We also hired six election judges to staff the in person ab voting. In addition to the election judges the Administrative Services Coordinator and Accounting Specialist supervised the in person ab election judges, fielded questions, comments and concerns, and completed daily reporting tasks to both counties. The last couple of weeks prior to election day, the Administrative Services Coordinator and Accounting Specialist spent approximately 20 hours each, per week on election administration. CONTRACTED IN PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING Ramsey County has designed their contracts going forward, amongst all their contracted cities, to have consistent terms with the requirement that in person AB voters from contracted cities vote at a County locations and that no in person AB voting will occur at City Halls. Hennepin County has agreed to allow us to contract with Ramsey County for elections administration going forward, and will allow Ramsey County to administer AB voting on behalf of St. Anthony, at one of their voting locations for the voters living in the two Hennepin precincts. This location will not always be the same place, but most likely would be the New Brighton Community Center. Residents will still be able to vote AB by mail, at a Ramsey County AB location, and in person on Election Day at their St. Anthony precinct. The cost for contracting with Ramsey County for elections in 2021 & 2022 is $28,980.00 each year. TAKE ELECTION SERVICES BACK IN HOUSE With our most current model of contracting with Ramsey County for election services city staff have still administered in person ab voting. During the last few weeks prior to the election, administering in person ab requires about 40 hours per week of staff time. In 2020, we had three elections, even years we have two, and odd years we have one. Taking back election services in house will require staff to take on all the duties that Ramsey County has covered and that are listed above. We would anticipate this requiring an additional permanent .50 to .75 FTE in addition to the time of the Administrative Services Coordinator. We would then continue to offer in person AB voting at City Hall. DISCUSSION ITEMS FOR COUNCIL FEEDBACK Below are the specific items for discussion and feedback for the City Council: •Does the Council wish to contract with Ramsey County for Election Services, thus eliminating in person absentee voting at City Hall? •Does the Council wish to take elections back in house and make necessary adjustments to staffing?