Election officials offer improvement plan

Changes may help future voting proceed more smoothly

After last year’s fall election, the Yuma County Recorder and Elections departments worked together to identify a number of changes that could be made to improve future elections.

Recorder Robyn Poquette and Election Services Director Laura Sanchez presented the Yuma County Board of Supervisors on July 17 with an improvement plan and recommendations that have already been implemented.

The presentation followed a discussion held Dec. 5 that addressed issues that came up in the Nov. 8 election, such as software malfunctions, problems with poll workers, allegations of electioneering within the 75-foot limit and even snafus involving food and water deliveries.

The Recorder’s Office plans to implement several measures to expand early voting time and address equipment malfunctions. Poquette believes that new election equipment will offer a “more efficient” and streamlined voting process.

Listed among the recommendations, Poquette said that a vote-by-mail assessment for Somerton had been completed. As a result, Yuma County will conduct an all-mail election for the city on Nov. 7. Early ballots will be sent to all active registered voters, which total about 5,320 voters.

The mail election will save the jurisdiction 40 percent in costs, Poquette said.

Poll workers have been hired to handle early voting, which will begin Aug. 1. They were trained the week of July 9-13 and will be needed for the Yuma city election in August, Poquette said.

The county will also implement registration training for third-party groups, the same used by Maricopa

County for large organizations. The county is currently acquiring a list of organizations and is facing challenges in identifying groups, Poquette said.

Among the pending tasks are implementation of training and education for candidates; updating the voter outreach campaign, which includes a 2018 voter brochure, a partnership with the Clean Elections Campaign and working with the Yuma County Communications Office and social media to get the word out on crucial deadlines, for example, the last day someone can register to vote or return an early ballot.

Sanchez hopes that voluntary training for candidates pulling packets for the 2018 election cycle will be complete by October.

The Recorder’s Office is also currently assessing space needs to accommodate voters at the 197 Main St. office.

The department’s current projects include a Secretary of State’s Election Procedures Manual, state election officer certification and recertification, equipment training for the ballot inserter and new software (the Pitney Bowes team will be onsite July 26 through Aug. 4) and assessing responses as part of an update of the statewide voter registration system.

Sanchez followed with a presentation of the Elections Division Improvement Plan, which includes distributing water to vote centers and election day runners as needed.

Toshiba electronic poll books were set up July 5-6 for the Yuma city election. On July 25-27, the county will run tests to verify that the e-poll books are processing data correctly.

On Aug. 28-30, Elections Division workers will be on site for Election Day support and will be available where needed, Sanchez said.

Poll observer handouts will be updated beginning in October and available for the 2018 election cycle.

The department presented information and cost-savings statistics on all-mail elections to Somerton city officials on May 2. The council approved the mail election to be held in November, and the county election officials will update the supervisors on the outcome in December.

In January, the county will evaluate vote centers to assess traffic and determine if any need to relocated or closed or if they need to create new centers. The evaluation should be completed by March for the 2018 election cycle, Sanchez said.

In January, the department will begin a review of past elections to determine if there is a need to recruit more inspectors. The review should be completed by March.

The department will also establish procedures with the Communications Division to get results out to media outlets on Election Day. This task should be ready for the 2018 election cycle.

In May the department updated the early and duplication board procedures. A test run with the Town of Wellton election “went well,” Sanchez said.

Her department also met with Clean Elections and other counties regarding a 2018 election voter education plan.

Pending actions include a demonstration of election equipment in August. The department will need final approval of the elections equipment by October for the 2018 election cycle.

In addition, the county plans to implement “enhanced” online and handson training for poll workers for the 2018 election cycle.

Both departments hope to meet with Cocopah and Quechan tribes as part of outreach efforts.

The Elections Division will also look into leasing shades and roping for vote centers in preparation for the 2018 election cycle.