Discussion of Authorizing the Conduct of Municipal (City) Elections Wholly by Mail. City of Culver City California Agenda Item Report Item Number: A 5 Phone Number: 310 253 5851 Meeting Date: 04/13/15 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Discussion of Authorizing the Conduct of Municipal (City) Elections Wholly by Mail. Contact Person/Department Martin R. Cole Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Fiscal Impact: Yes X No Public Hearing: Commission Action Required: Yes No X Date: _______________ Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas City Council (03/13/15 and 04/08/15) Department Approval: Martin R. Cole (04/08/15) Chief Financial Officer Approval: Jeff Muir (04/08/15) City Attorney Approval: Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (04/08/15) City Manager Approval: John M. Nachbar (04/08/15) Action Item: X General Fund: Yes X No Attachments: X RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the City Council discuss authorizing the conduct of municipal (City) elections wholly by mail and direct the City Manager and/or City Attorney as deemed appropriate. BACKGROUND: At the General Municipal Election held on April 11 2006 the voters of Culver City approved Measure V a measure placed before the voters by the City Council. Approval of Measure V enacted a significantly revised and updated City Charter. Section 1505 of the City Charter provides: The City Council may by ordinance authorize the conduct of elections wholly by mail under which all votes shall be cast in the manner of absentee ballots. At a recent City Council Meeting the City Council directed the City Manager to place the discussion of this subject on an upcoming agenda. DISCUSSION: Vote by Mail (VBM) which had been previously known as Absentee Ballots has been used by an increasing percentage of voters for some time. On a statewide basis VBM ballots comprised 27% of total ballots cast in 2002 to just over 50% in 2012. For Culver City at the General Municipal Election held on April 8 2014 63.03% of all ballots cast were VBM. Of the City s 13 voting...
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