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Home My WebLink About13 Policy for Election ResultsAqendaItem#13-..........TRUCKEEDONNERPublicUtilityDistrictACTIONTo:BoardofDirectorsFrom:ShannaD.Kuhiemier,CMCDate:November07,2018Subject:ConsiderationofSettingaPolicyRegardingtheTimingofthe2018ElectionResultsI.WHYTHISMATTERISBEFORETHEBOARDTheBoardofDirector’ssetsDistrictpolicies.2.HISTORYElectionsareheldfortheDistrictinevennumberyears,staggeringofficetermsforDirectors.Assuch,inthe2016election,therewerethreeopenseatsandinthe2018electiontherearetwoopenseats.Asageneralrule,theDistrictconsolidatesitselectionswithNevadaandPlacerCounties.Thereisaconsiderableamountofsavingstoconsolidatetheelections.DuetothepopulationoftheDistrict’sconstituents;themajoritybeinginNevadaCounty,NevadaCountyistheDistrict’sprimarycounty.Accordingly,PlacerCountyreportsitselectionnumberstoNevadaCountyandNevadaCountycertifiesthecanvasfortheDistrictforbothcounties.Thecanvasisalsoknownastheelectionresults.3.NEWINFORMATIONTheDistrict,likeallotherspecialdistrictsandlocalpublicagenciesinthestate,conductsitselectionspursuanttotheUniformDistrictElectionLaw.Unfortunately,thereisaconflictbetweentheUniformDistrictElectionLawandanotherprovisionoftheCaliforniaElectionsCodethatgovernsthetimeforreportingelectionresultsbythecountyelectionofficials,i.e.-theNevadaCountyRegistrarofVoters.Theconflictisnotreadilyapparentonthefaceofthecodes,butariseswhenthecodesareapplied.TheUniformDistrictElectionLawrequiresthat,“NolaterthantheMondaybeforethefirstFridayinDecemberthecountyelectionsofficialshalldeclaretheelectedcandidateorcandidates.”Thislawfurtherprovidesthat,“Electiveofficers,electedorappointedpursuanttothispart,takeofficeatnoononthefirstFridayinDecembernextfollowingthegeneraldistrictelection.”In2018,theelectionisNovember6,thefirstFridayinDecemberisDecember7andtheMondaybeforethatdayisDecember3.Thus,iftheNevadaCountyelectionsofficialistomeetthestatutorydeadlines,hewouldhavetodeclaretheelectedcandidateswithin26daysoftheelection. Notwithstandingthe26dayscitedabove,theNevadaCountyRegistrarofVotershasuntilwithin30daysoftheelectiontoprepareacertifiedstatementoftheresultsoftheelectionandsubmitittothegoverningbody.Thus,thereisaconflictbetweenthe26daysperiodandthe30dayperiod.EveniftheNevadaCountyRegistrarofVotersweretoprovidetheBoardwiththeelectionresultsonthe3Qthday,theDistrictwouldnotreceivetheresultsuntilFriday,December3,whichisthesamedaythattheelectedofficersaresupposedtobeseated.Itisalsopossibleforthecompetingstatutestobeappliedharmoniously.TheNevadaCountyRegistrarofVoterscoulddeclaretheelectedcandidatesnolaterthantheMondaybeforethefirstFridayinDecember;however,hemayhavetosobeforeallballotshavebeencountedandbeforeheisreadytoprepareandsubmitacertifiedstatementoftheresultsoftheelection.Nonetheless,theNevadaCountyRegistrarofVotershasinformedtheDistrictthathewillnotdothis.Hewillnotdeclaretheelectedcandidatesbeforehehascompletedthecanvassandisreadytosubmitacertifiedstatementoftheelectionresults.In2016,theelectionsresultswerereportedindraftformandtheDistrictwasnotnotifiedofthe“certified”resultsuntilwellintoJanuary2017.StaffdecidedtoseattheBoardatthefirstmeetinginDecembertomeettherequirementsoftheElectionsCodethattheelectedofficersbeseatedbythefirstFridayinDecember.However,NevadaCountyparticipatedinanallvotebymailelectionsforthePrimaryinJune2018.,ThiselectionwasdeemedsuccessfulbecauseforthefirsttimeinrecenthistoryNevadaCountywasabletocertifythecanvasintwoweeks;itdidn’tneedthefull30days.Thiswastheresultofminimizingtheprovisionalballots.AfterconsultingwithNevadaCounty’sRegistrarofVoters,GregDiaz,theDistrictunderstandsthatheishopefultheGeneralElection(whichtheDistrictisapartof),willprovetohavesimilartimeresults.HisgoalistoprovidetheDistrictwiththecertificationpriortoourDecembermeeting,ifatallpossible.Itshouldbenoted,thisisnotapromisebutadesire.Whilewearehopefultotimelyreceivecertifiedresults,the2018electionhasthepotentialforthesameissuetoariseasoccurredinthe2016election.ElectionDayisNovember6thandtherequiredcertificationdateisDecember6th,thedayafterthefirstregularlyscheduleDistrictBoardmeeting.Ifthisweretooccur,theDistrictmaynotreceivethecertifiedstatementoftheresultsoftheelectionuntilafterthefirstFridayinDecember.Therefore,webelieveitprudenttoplantoseattheBoardattheDecember5Boardmeetingandplanforthepossibilitythatwewon’treceivethecertifiedresultsuntilafterthatmeetingbyconsideringdatesforaspecialBoardmeeting,ifneeded,toseattheBoardassoonaspossible.CaliforniaElectionsCodeSections10500-10556ElectionsCodeSection10551(a).ElectionsCodeSection10554.ElectionsCodeSection15732(a).ElectionsCodeSection10554. 4.FISCALIMPACTThereisnofiscalimpactassociatedwiththisitem.5.RECOMMENDATIONDirectstafftoagendizeseatingtheBoardattheDecember5meetingandselectsomepossibledatesforaspecialmeetingtoseattheBoardintheeventthecanvasisnotcertifiedpriortotheDecembermeeting.FortheBoard’sconsiderationbelowareacoupleofoptions:.SelecttwodatesinDecemberforaspecialmeeting,beginningwithweekofDecember10th,toacceptthecertifiedcanvasandtoelectofficers;withtheearliestpossibledatetobeused;or.CarrytheitemtotheJanuarymeeting(notrecommended).Aa#4;:;;z:ShannaD.Kuhlemier,CMCMichaelD.HolleyDistrictClerkGeneralManager