City Commission Policy 118 - Absentee Ballot Policy
DEPARTMENT: Treasurer-Clerk
DATE ADOPTED: December 18, 1991
DATE OF LAST REVISION: February 12, 2003
118.01 Authority: Section 2-25 of the City Code of Ordinances designates the City Commission as the Canvassing Board and designates the time the Board will meet as 12:00 noon on the day following the election. These procedures are an extension of this authority and are effective upon adoption by the City Commission.
118.02 Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to require procedures to be developed which will systematize and streamline the process used to review and determine the validity of absentee ballots.
118.03 Scope and Applicability: This policy applies to regular and special municipal elections held by the City of Tallahassee.
118.04 Policy Statement: It is the policy of the City of Tallahassee to develop procedures that assure the accuracy and integrity of the City's elections as it pertains to the canvassing of absentee ballots and standards for challenges and/or protests to the absentee ballot process.
118.05 Definitions:
Staff Review Committee: A committee composed of the City Treasurer-Clerk, the Deputy Treasurer-Clerk, and the Records Management Administrator.
Ex Officio Members: The Leon County Supervisor of Elections serves as a nonvoting advisor to the Staff Review Committee and the City Attorney serves as legal counsel to the Staff Review Committee.
118.06 Exceptions: All elections conducted in conjunction with a County, State, or Federal election wherein the election is not considered to be a City election.
118.07 Action Sections:
Preliminary Review: Pursuant to the contract with the Supervisor of Elections, he/she will be responsible for conducting City elections and presenting the City with all absentee ballots cast in the election.
Committee Meeting: The City Treasurer-Clerk will be responsible for the coordination of the committee meetings the day of the election to accept absentee ballots.
Committee Review: The committee shall review ballots for flaws/errors. The ballots will then be sorted and separated into categories based upon the error. All errors will be announced publicly along with the number of ballots with the errors.
Review of Standards: The City Attorney and the Supervisor of Elections of Leon County will be consulted each year prior to City election(s) to determine that standards included in the procedures remain in compliance with the Florida Statutes.
Review of Voter Signature: The Committee will be responsible for accepting from the Supervisor of Elections the absentee ballots and verification of voter signatures.
Opening of Ballots: The Committee will be responsible for the tabulation of the ballots and the presentation of the ballots to the Commission. The Treasurer-Clerk will present a resolution with the results of the Election for adoption by the Commission.
Procedures: See attached Absentee Ballot Canvassing Procedures.
118.08 ADMINISTRATION: The City Treasurer-Clerk shall be the administering department for this policy and shall be responsible for updating this policy as state statutory requirements change.
118.09 SUNSET REVIEW: The policy will be reviewed every five years. Any modifications to the standards governing acceptance or rejection of absentee ballots shall be presented to the Commission for approval.
Revised: December 16, 1992
Sunset Review: November 26, 2002 (Revisions to attachment only)
Revised: February 12, 2003 (Revisions to attachment only)