Travis County Commssioners Court
April 13, 2004
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Items 27 & 28
27 to consider and take appropriate action on rishz eliminated to the conduct of early voting and election day. 28 is to consider and take appropriate action on request to approve the order designating main and temporarily early voting polling places a as well as election day polling places for the may 15, 2004 joint general and special election.
>> good afternoon, thank you. Let's take the first one that you mentioned first, the general item. I do not have any general items today, but I will be bringing another university of Texas parking bill to you, if it's all right with you, under this item for next week. It's being submitted to you today so that we can then get it paid for-- your vote to get it paid for next week under that item. Is that all right?
>> I did have a question about the way this was funding last time. We were asked to approve the rate and parking for -- (indiscernible).
>> yes, sir, that's the way it is right now. There has been some talk in the past, and mr. Hilly may want to comment on it, about the county establishing policy about when we're dealing with the university, we just know we have to do this. Because typically we don't do parking in Travis County. Unfortunately, I知 in the position -- there isn't anything I can do about the university? If you do not set up policy, then I have to bring it back to you every time I have an invoice.
>> [inaudible - no mic].
>> there's not been -- they've not been real open to that. They just want to handle it the regular way.
>> is it just a one page policy that we basically acknowledge the need to pay for parking for election workers during elections at u.t. There's one way for regular -- one rate for regular parking and another rate for handicapped parking. The invoice could still come back to us as a routine item instead of being like a special item, we just put it on routine invoice approval and get it done that way.
>> we can work with pbo, whatever they feel comfortable with there.
>> sounds great. Until we have that written policy, though, I知 required to bring it to you individually. If it's all right with you, i'll bring it back to you under this item. Is that 27, judge?
>> that's 27.
>> all right. If we are ready --
>> do we need additional wording next week or the same?
>> I believe you can have the same wording.
>> they'll continue to come. And you will also see little emergency changes to election judge appointments and that sort of thing.
>> we'll have it back on.
>> thank you.
now, item 28, you have before you the list of permanent and mobile early voting locations for the may 15th election, which is a.c.c., Aisd, northwest mud number 1, manor, a whole bunch of folks. It's a joint election. I have been asked the question relating to the mobile schedule, and let me address that question and provide the answer to you. The first question that had been asked of me was what if we decided we wanted to add five more days to the brackenridge hospital mobile site. In other words, have them return to brackenridge five more times. They're currently booked for one day. The cost for having five days at brackenridge -- six days at brackenridge, five plus the original one, is an additional 7500 to -- I would say it's just under $800,000 to do that program. Then I was asked another question. What if we added one extra day to the six hospitals that we are already scheduled to visit for Monday. Six days. I would earmark it at more like 8500. So for the first one, just brackenridge, approximately 8,000. For the second one, six days and one day extra, each of the hospitals about 8500. And as a practical matter just to let you know, the way we would do this is I would set up another mobile team. And equip it and train it and just designate them to go out and do that. Since all the other teams are trained and in place and assigned, the way I would address this issue is to do it that way. It does cut into some of my equipment that I was planning for emergency replacements and all that sort of thing, so just to let you know that it cuts it a little short. What ever the will of the court is we would do it. I would ask for one thing. The question is whatever you want to do, plus counting today, because my turnaround time for today's election, completing the canvass, polling the results, reprogramming equipment and deploying it into the field, not to mention hiring and equipping an extra team, I only have a two-week lead time. So I kind of need to know today which way you want to go for this.
>> have we decided what the source of revenue would be?
>> not that I know of. It would be your --
>> if we decide the source of revenue --
>> correct. I don't know -- the other jurisdictions have indicated that they have consensus on the existing plan and are happy with it the way it is. So I知 not anticipating that you would find partners for that. And I don't know of any other source of revenue for you other than your general fund. It is not currently funded in my budget.
>> I need some help with this. Tell me exactly, dana, what is being asked additional locations, additional -- what is it?
>> it's actually both. Two different questions were asked of me. The first question was to take brackenridge hospital, which is a central location, and add additional days to that location. In other words, take six total days at brackenridge hospital, instead of just the one that we have in the agreed schedule. And to come up with a cost for that and what it would take to do that. What it would take to do that would be a team, another team equipped, and the personnel hours and the support for that would run just under $8,000. The second question that was asked of me was okay, what if we did one extra day at all of the hospitals, and we have planned to visit six of them for one day each. What if we added -- so at the six hospitals, we'll be there for six days total. Okay. That's six extra days. That's still one team equipped and supported, and the price tag for doing the six days was -- one additional day at each of the six hospitals is a little less than $8,500.
>> dana, I guess my question would be -- and I知 not trying to shoot the messenger, you're just asking. This gets back a little bit to what I heard so much on the street about the a.c.c. Election. Hey, guys, you're having an a.c.c. Election, you've got early voting, you've got all these plaitions at a.c.c. -- places at a.c.c., You have people working for a.c.c., You've got people promoting the package of these things. As opposed to getting in and giving a political speech about how I feel about the health care district, something doesn't smell right here. This is one of these deals where you kind of go, why would you be asking for this? I mean, am I off base by thinking, well -- why would you do this? My first response would be when somebody says hey, do you want to do that? From what I understand, the supporters of this thing say hey, here's where you pay for it, but that would even look worse. Everybody would say i'd like to vote for two more weeks and I would like for it to be --
>> yeah. Commissioner, no, your point is very well taken. As your elections administrator, it's my job to refer these kinds of requests to you for your consideration. So let me just make the distinction that this is not my recommendation. I have been asked to bring this to you for your consideration and feel like that is part of my role to do that. And I believe your comparison is fair. I believe it's accurate. The only difference is one of -- is an historical argument. This is where it becomes difficult for me as an impartial, professional elections administrator. We do have to deal with history. And one of the things that the department of justice looks at is the history of how elections are conducted. What they care about is radical changes, when you shift and do something completely different. Those are the kinds of red flags that they look at. If a jurisdiction such as a.c.c. Has been conducting their elections, however you may want to categorize or even criticize them, if they've been conducting them the same way all along, that raises less of a red flag for doj. So the distinction between the two is purely historical.
>> and that is my response. [papers shuffling - audio interference]
>> come the November commuter rail vote, I would like to have -- that I get to work at memorial stadium the weekend of the tech game or whatever. [ laughter ]
>> this is an issue I have to deal with almost every election. We really try. That's why I present you with -- not to be using a conservative nomenclature, but a fair and balanced early voting and local voting program.
>> let me rephrase it in a slightly different way. I think what you're presenting in terms of a recommendation from the fair and impartial county clerk's office is a good program. It is an expensive program. And anybody that doesn't think that this is extraordinarily generous to begin with, obviously is not voting in any of the other 253 counties around the state of Texas. We make through our mobile program extraordinary efforts to try and make those outreaches. And it doesn't mean that there will not be voting taking place at hospitals, which consistently has occurred on a mobile basis. It just means that folks need to make a bit more special effort to say this is our day, and if this is what works for you, great. But if you look at what's on the permanent list, dana has our retail approach, which really is one that we'll probably be spending a lot of our time in h.e.b.'s and randall's and albertson's and it is quite regionally balanced so that there is an opportunity over a very long period. You're going to trip over early voting locations. And I appreciate the fact that people are always going to give us suggestions as to where else to go. But you mentioned a reason -- that's precisely why I don't want to get into the boutique business because while they're making a proposition that I agree with this time is like without, that would be cool -- wow, that would be cool, I can tell you there was one last September that I didn't agree with and I would have liked to have seen half as many locations there. We can't make this boutique for any of our political beliefs. I think that we've got here is an excellent program, and that's not enough, there are budgetary reasons here and everyone else has signed off on this and we would be going into an area where the amount of money to be spent is something that should give us all pause.
>> I think central was included in the list of hospitals.
>> they will be there on Thursday, April 29th at seton central.
>> that is located where?
>> 1201 west with 38th street.
>> okay. What precinct is that in?
>> it's going to be two.
>> I知 not sure that brackenridge --
>> they will be at brackenridge on may seventh. It's definitely in there.
>> is this a one-day -- we have significant impact on turnout or do you think the impact will be negative negligible?
>> that is a question that's very chicken and egg. I don't know. I don't think you can put any -- if the idea was build it and they will come, and we had statistical evidence of that, then I would say yes. There is no statistical evidence that that is really the case. The driving factors behind people coming out to vote have more to do with the issues on the ballot and how they are out in the community than extra locations. Now, there is some evidence that we've got at least a five percent indicator for having a retail approach. Outside of that there's no other statistical evidence that more locations means more turnout. And the only other thing I would add is that this community owes this Commissioners court a big thank you note. You do well far and beyond what is the minimum required by law for early voting. And are a model throughout the united states. We are commended often for the approach we take. And had we not worked so hard and lobbied so hard together to keep our merchants with us and happy and in this cooperative relationship, we would not have been able to offer that convenient -- the grocery store model that we have here.
>> if only we could get randall's back.
>> if only. One of these days maybe. [ laughter ] [overlapping speakers].
>> the one thing I might mention is that the retail, early voting program is entirely at the generosity of our merchants. They are not required by law to open their doors to us. We are a guest in their home.
>> is there a motion?
>> i'd move approval of the main and temporary locations as suggested by the county clerk.
>> any more discussion?
>> one more question.
>> this does not include the boutique request. It is the original list that came out of the county clerk's office.
>> let me ask one additional question about this budget. If it comes out of the general fund, how does the general fund look? Is it getting a little unhealthy?
>> if it comes out of unallocated, there's plenty of money there, especially after the ear marks are covered looking at five or six hundred thousand dollars. It turns on whether we can reasonably predict the probability of greater turnout by adding an additional day. And I hear you saying in the retail outlets' we're a lot more optimistic.
>> I would say that is statistically an accurate prediction.
>> in terms of the diverse types of people that go through.
>> specialized group in specialized areas. If you want me to do it, i'll do it. The plan that I have before you today is already funded in my budget, so you don't have to do anything additional.
>> it almost sound like the issue that we were talking about previous. It's so much better if we look at it from the point of view of balance and being available to large, diverse groups of people that get a little political maybe.
>> it's hard for me to -- part of my job requires me to be responsive to the community. And the other part of me has to be completely fair. So I sometimes -- sometimes it's a difficult argument.
>> any more discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
>> thank you.
>> I was trying to get the attention of Commissioner Davis. I wasn't sure whether you were for or against.
>> no problem.
>> thank you.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 13, 2004 12:32 PM