8.3. SR 10-05-2015
Request for Action
To Item Number
Mayor and City Council 8.3
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
WorksessionOctober 6, 2015Tina Allard, City Clerk
Item Description Reviewed by
City Feedback for Purchasing Election Equipment Cal Portner, City Administrator
Reviewed by
Action Requested
Council feedback regarding their support for the purchase of election equipment.
Background/Discussion
Residents and candidates have voiced frustration with timely posting of election results. In 2014,
Sherburne County was among the last three counties to post to the Office of the Secretary of State’s
website.
Our current equipment was purchased in the late 1990’s and is showing its wear with an increasing
number of equipment failures. We have worked with the county to improve the process; however, the
transmission of results from polling locations is a barrier.
The county would like all cities to purchase new precinct ballot scanners and a central ballot scanner.
Ballot scanners are located at each precinct to count the paper ballots and the central ballot scanner is
located at the county for the absentee voting process. They offered to pay half the cost of the ballot
scanners and request each city pay a portion of the central ballot counter based on the number of
registered voters in each precinct.
Staff is requesting two extra ballot scanners to act as backups in case of equipment failure.
Financial Impact
The cost estimate for the city share of purchasing election equipment is estimated at $45,000. The county
is offering two payment options:
1.Full payment in 2016, which would be added to the 2016 CIP.
2.Pay a rental cost to the county over a certain period of time. Details to be worked out later.
Attachments
September 18, 2015, Email and Letter from Sherburne County Auditor
November 22, 2014, Star News Article
Allard, Tina
From:Kris Engel <Kris.Engel@co.sherburne.mn.us>
Sent:Friday, September 18, 2015 2:25 PM
To:Baldwin Township; Becker Township (Beckertownship@windstream.net); Big Lake
Township (townbiglake@windstream.net); Blue Hill Township; City of Becker ; City of
Big Lake; city of clear lake; Allard, Tina; City of Princeton; City of St Cloud; Clear Lake
Township ; Haven Township; City of Zimmerman; Livonia Township; Orrock Township;
Palmer Township; Santiago Township
Cc:Diane Arnold; Letta Whittaker
Sherburne County Purchase of New Election Equipment
Subject:
Attachments:DOC_20150918_141440.pdf
Good Afternoon,
Attached is the letter that discusses the proposal of Sherburne County purchasing new election equipment for 2016.
Letta and I contacted each of the clerks to let you know that we would be sending more information and cost
estimates. Please respond with your feedback to either Diane Arnold or myself by Friday, October 2, 2015. Feel free
to let us know if you have any questions.
Some of the boards have their monthly meeting next week so we wanted to get this to you as soon as possible.
Hard copy of the letter will be sent via US Mail.
Thank you,
Kris Engel
Sherburne County
Auditor/Treasurer Dept
(763) 765-4360
NOTICE: Unless restricted by law, email correspondence to and from Sherburne County government offices may
be public data subject to the Minnesota Data Practices Act and/or may be disclosed to third parties.
1
Sherburne County
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13880 Business Center Drive NW
Elk River, MN 55330-1692
763-765-4351 LJ 1-800-438-0576 L) Fax: 763-765-4400
Web: www.co.sherbume.mn.us
September 18, 2015
To: Town Clerk/City Administrator
Re: Purchase of new election equipment
As you may know, there has been some discussion from our County Commissioners and
members of the public about how Sherburne County precincts can increase the speed of
reporting election returns, particularly in light of the delays experienced during the 2014
election. In order to address this issue, the County is considering requesting proposals for
the purchase of new ballot scanners for all precincts and a new central scanner for
absentee ballots. The purpose of this letter is to ask for your feedback on this proposal.
The ballot scanners your precinct currently uses are over 10 years old. When those
machines were purchased, each precinct purchased their own equipment and the County
agreed to reimburse precincts $ 1,000 per machine, or about twenty percent of the total
cost. In order to facilitate this project, the County is proposing to pay approximately half
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the cost of each machine and the ongoing maintenance costs.
We have received an estimate from our current vendor of about $6,400 per machine. In
order to receive a volume discount, the County is proposing to purchase new machines
for all precincts. The County would then store and maintain the machines, unless other
arrangements are made at the request of individual precincts. Each precinct Would be
assigned a specific machine to use at each election. Under this proposal, cities and
townships would pay half the cost of each machine purchased for there, or approximately
S3,000 per machine based on the cut -rent estimate. In addition, cities and townships
would pay a proportionate share of the central ballot scanner based on the number of
voters in their precincts. These arno-unts could be paid as a lump sum or partially over
tirne, as a rental cost of the machines.
If enough cities and townships are in support of this project, we will come back to each
city council and town board asking for a commitment as to the number of machines that
will be ordered. We will need this information in order to provide vendors with ail
accurate request for proposals on which they can base their bid. Please note that in order
to receive the anticipated prices, the County will need to get commitments, request bids,
select a venclor and order machines by December of this year. We anticipate that prices
will go up in 2016. Therefore, we are asking that you provide the County with at least
informal feedback on this proposal by Friday, October 2, 2015,
Without a consensus, we will be utilizing the old equipment in 2016 and expected delays
will continue especially since it will be a presidential election year and election turnout is
higher.
I have enclosed an estimated breakdown of each precinct's cost, This is an estimate only
based on informal feedback from our current vendor, .and the prices may change
depending on the bid results. Nevertheless, I thought it would be helpful to give
everyone an idea of potential costs.
If you have any questions, please contact me (763-765-4363) or Kris Engel (763-765-
4360), Thank you for working with us to improve the election process for Sherburne
County residents,
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E
9/21/2015 From the editor: County election results come slowly but surely; push needed to bring timliness in line with neighboring counties to the east I Star News
Opinion & Co�l��..unns
From the editor: County election results come slowly
but surely; push needed to bring timliness in line
with neighboring counties to the east
Published November 22, 2014 at 7:00 am
The folks gathered around the Elk River Area School District's board room table on
election night with a glass bowl at the center of it to collect handwritten predictions.
They weren't on the success or failure of the school bond and levy referendums, which
were approved with flying colors. It wasn't even the race between incumbent Shane
Steinbrecher and challenger Larry Farber.
The question at play in the board room was what time would the first Sherburne County
election result be posted to the Minnesota Secretary of State's website.
Sherburne and Wright counties are notorious for being among the last counties in
Minnesota to report results to the state, and true to form this year, they were among the
last three counties out of 87 to begin reporting their results to the state.
School district administrators, some members of the Community for Kids group that
sought a "yes" vote and one Elk River Area School Board Member played the famous name
game, watched comedians via YouTube videos projected on a wall and grazed on cold
pizza while checking intermittently on election results when new vote totals were noticed
on smartphones gathered around the table.
The lion's share of the results — Elk River's and Otsego's in particular — would not be
posted until after midnight, which meant a long night for those that decided to stick it
out. By the time the result of the bond and levy were in it was 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 5. So
when it finally became time to celebrate, most had gone home.
District 728 officials had a lot to celebrate, especially given the broad support it found at
the polls for a $5.9 million operating levy and a $98 million bond referendum. With the
exception of one Elk River precinct on Question 2, all precincts in four largest
communities (Elk River, Rogers, Otsego, Zimmerman) of the district supported both
questions.
One long-time administrator suggested that hadn't ever happened in his nearly 30 years
here in the district. It might not have happened in the 30 years prior to that either
http://erstarnews.com/2014/11/22/county-election-results-come-slowly-but-surely- push- needed-to-bring-ti mliness-in-line-with-neighboring-counties-to-the-east/ 1/3
9/21/2015 From the editor: County election results come slowly but surely; push needed to bring timIiness in line with neighboring counties to the east I Star News
because most of the facilities were in one town.
District 728 officials should find a time to properly celebrate this monumental vote. It's a
sign the Elk River Area School District has pulled together and is focused on bettering
educational opportunities for all parts of the school district.
First results
Among the first results locally on the bond and levy came from the state's most populous
counties of Anoka and Hennepin. Rogers results, for instance, came in during the 9 o'clock
hour.
Anoka County had all of its results in by about 10:30 p.m. according to a news editor
stationed in Coon Rapids.
So what gives?
It's technology and the feasibility of its use.
After initial talks with county auditors in Sherburne, Anoka and Hennepin counties, it's
clear the big difference is Anoka and Hennepin have gone to wireless modems, thanks in
large part to Help America Vote Act of 2002, and continued financial support at the local
and county level.
The act got those two counties going in this direction and technological advances since
have only made their processes even faster and more accurate.
The city of Anoka, for instance, started reporting its precinct results at 8:02 p.m. on
election night. The last precinct sent its results at 8:10 p.m. Rogers, located in Hennepin
County, was also quick.
That gives the county plenty of time to merge the results of absentee ballots and get the
results posted up on the Minnesota Secretary of State's Web page.
I would encourage the county boards in Sherburne and Wright counties get behind the
Minnesota Association of County Officers to push for a Help Minnesota Vote Act.
Sherburne County Auditor Diane Arnold has worked with precincts throughout the
county to check into the feasibility of electronically submitting results from the precincts,
but she has found many barriers ranging from a lack of access to phone lines as well as a
lack of cellular towers and tin roofs ill-suited for such efforts. There are a host of other
barriers.
Some may miss the nostalgia of waiting up all night for results to come in on election
http://erstarnews.com/2014/11/22/county-election-results-come-slowly-but-surely- push- needed-to-bring-ti mIiness-in-line-with-neighboring-counties-to-the-east/ 2/3
9/21/2015 From the editor: County election results come slowly but surely; push needed to bring timIiness in line with neighboring counties to the east I Star News
night, listening to WCCO Radio and being the first to know. But with results coming in so
quickly in places around the state, the charm of nostalgia flies out the door.
Technology has helped improve not only the accuracy of tabulating votes, but also the
speed. It's time for technology to bring the speed of reporting results for Sherburne and
Wright counties in line with its neighboring counties.
Without new and improved vote tabulating technologies, I would encourage District 728
folks to plan a potluck on the night of the next election with a bond and or levy
referendum with even more games. Maybe there would be enough people to be around to
celebrate a victory or commiserate in defeat.
With new technology, those same officials would have to find another date for a game
night. — Jim Boyle, Editor
Filed Under: anoka cora nl: y, elections, lf-1elp ArnerIlca Votc Act of 2012, fiennepiti county,
Sherburne Coi.nnty, Wright CoUnty
STAR NEWS
AdvertWirng IRates . Info I ContM1nctUs I Subscribe I E'-Ediltiorrnn.
Copyright P2015 E(:'M Pi..iblishers., Inc. • All Rights Reserved
http://erstarnews.com/2014/11/22/county-election-results-come-slowly-but-surely- push- needed-to-bring-ti mIiness-in-line-with-neighboring-counties-to-the-east/ 3/3