Ad Hoc Committee on Elections

AGENDA OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020, 5:00 PM Virtual Meeting A. Zoom Meeting Information. 1. This item contains information and instructions for the Zoom (virtual) meeting. B. Roll Call. 1. Alder Barbara Dorff; Alder Chris Wery; Clerk Teske; Chief of Staff Jeffreys; Terri Racine; Karen Schley, Susan Smith; H. Smet; Prof. Alison Staudinger. C. Approval of the Agenda. 1. Approval of the agenda for August 27, 2020. D. Approval of Minutes. 1. Approval of the Minutes from August 13, 2020. E. Regular Business. 1. To receive and place on file the update from the August 11, 2020 election. (Referred from the Common Council Meeting on 8/18/20) F. Informational. 1. Update on the "Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan" grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life. 2. Update on polling locations for the November 3, 2020 election. G. Adjournment. Agenda of the Ad Hoc Committee on Elections August 27, 2020 Page 1  1) THIS MEETING IS RECORDED: THE VIDEO OF THIS MEETING AND MINUTES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT www.greenbaywi.gov 2) ACCESSIBILITY: Any person wishing to attend who requires special accommodation because of a disability, should contact the City Safety Manager at 920-448-3125 at least 48 hours before the scheduled meeting time so that arrangements can be made. 3) QUORUM: Please take notice that a majority or quorum of the Common Council will attend this Ad Hoc Committee meeting and will constitute a meeting of the Common Council for purposes of discussion and information gathering relative to this agenda. 4) REPRESENTATION: The party requesting the communication, or their representative, should be present at this meeting. Agenda of the Ad Hoc Committee on Elections August 27, 2020 Page 2 Virtual Meeting Instructions Ad Hoc Committee on Elections 2020-08-27 Zoom Meeting Information Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83012780023 Meeting ID: 830 1278 0023 Passcode: 349523 One tap mobile +19292056099,,83012780023#,,,,,,0#,,349523# US (New York) +13017158592,,83012780023#,,,,,,0#,,349523# US (Germantown) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 830 1278 0023 Passcode: 349523 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdh19s0EHJ 1 Zoom Meeting Instructions for Members and Persons Attending Meetings—City of Green Bay Additional Information 1. Wisconsin Open Meetings Law still applies a. Persons interested in speaking to an item must give their name and address b. Committee/Commission/Board members will still follow Roberts Rules of Order 2. All zoom meetings will have a password in the instructions. Please enter when prompted. 3. Please log into the Zoom meeting 10 minutes before the meeting starts to ensure proper technology is working. a. If you are a Board Member, please log into CivicClerk with a computer, laptop, or tablet device. 4. Once you are in the meeting please mute yourselves. a. You may unmute yourself when you are called upon to speak. 5. Waiting room a. When you call in, all callers/participants will be placed in a “waiting room.” b. Persons on the agenda will be admitted to the meeting, and then once the item is concluded, the host will permanently mute you from the meeting (you can still hear the meeting). 6. Using Zoom with a tablet or computer a. Tablet—you will be asked to sign in. Download the app either with the Apple Store or the Play Store b. Computer—you will be asked to sign in. You may download the app or click on the link to open Zoom in your browser. 7. Registering a. The host may ask you to register for the meeting. A registration link will be sent to you along with the invite. You’ll receive another email confirming that you’re registered for the meeting. b. If you’re using a phone, your registration will still be tied to an email. 8. Raising your hand a. Committee members—you can either use CivicClerk and request to speak or you can “raise your hand” in the zoom meeting (you’d need to use a computer or tablet) to let the host know you’d like to speak. You can also un-mute yourselves and start speaking. b. Persons on the agenda—you can “raise your hand” but you’d need to use a computer. You will be allowed to speak, per Wisconsin Open Meetings Rules, once the committee has “opened the floor for interested parties to speak.” Once the committee is finished with your agenda item, the host will mute you permanently, unless the committee opens the floor again. 9. What devices should I use? a. Smart phone (please see more detailed instructions on page 3) b. Land line c. Tablet—well in advance of the meeting, please download the Zoom Meeting app before you join a meeting by using either the Apple Store or the Play Store. You will be asked to input your name, thus identifying you for the meeting. You’ll also be asked to verify your email. d. Computer—well in advance of the meeting, please download the Zoom Meeting app, but you can also click on a link to open the Zoom Meeting in your browser. You will be asked to input your name, thus identifying you for the meeting. e. For tablet and computer users--if you download the app you will be asked to verify your email. 10. Zoom etiquette a. Muting yourselves when you’re not talking will prevent your background noise from interfering with others’ ability to listen to and participate in the meeting. b. If you’re using a telephone, please identify yourself with your phone number and name before you speak. Zoom meeting hosts can see only your telephone number and will ask you to identify yourselves. 11. Closed session a. Persons in the Zoom meeting will be put into a waiting room while the committee meets in Closed Session. Participants will be admitted back into the Zoom meeting once the committee reconvenes in Open Session. b. Persons watching live on YouTube will see a gray screen with the City logo during closed session. 12. Persons interested in attending anonymously or listening to the meeting may call in by dialing *67 followed by the phone number above. 2 Zoom Meeting Instructions for Members and Persons Attending Meetings—City of Green Bay Calling into the Zoom meeting using a smartphone 1. Dial the phone number listed at the beginning of this document. 2. When prompted, enter the Meeting ID number followed by # a. If you’re using a smartphone, you can access the keypad by clicking “Keypad” on your screen 3. Once you are in the meeting, notify the meeting host that you are in and state your name. 4. If you do not need to talk, please make sure your phone is on Mute a. If you’re using a smartphone, look at your screen and click the Mute button b. If you’re using a computer, you should see a Mute button in the Zoom application 3 Zoom Meeting Instructions for Members and Persons Attending Meetings—City of Green Bay  Election Day Report O8/11/2020 Alder Barbara Dorff-Elections Committee On Tuesday, 8/11/2020, as an Alder and a representative of the Ad Hoc Elections Committee, I visited a total of 9 polling locations and interviewed poll workers, including inspectors and chief inspectors regarding what suggestions they might have to improve the election process for November 3rd, 2020. Overall, this election experience appeared to be a very positive on for both voters and poll workers. The purpose of the observations I will make in this report is to focus on what can be done even better. I am a firm believer in always looking for opportunities to improve and I also believe that interviewing front line workers gives us insights we may not otherwise get as a planning team. I will begin with suggestions heard at multiple polling places by multiple poll workers. These suggestions may be able to be implemented at every polling location in November. I will then report individual observations made at each of the 9 polling locations I was able to visit in another document by the next meeting. Common Suggestions  Purchase vinyl or plastic privacy sleeves for the ballots. The cardboard ones are not able to be effectively cleaned and may present a health hazard.  Use three ring binders for the voting lists. This was a suggestion that I was told has been made for years. Several Chief Inspectors and their teams actually transferred the lists into binders and three hole punched them. The binders were much easier to fit through the slots in the plastic shields and much easier for the voters to sign. If we have the money to make this transition, I would make this a priority.  Using single serve coffee machines have coffee available for poll workers and well as water if not already available. We don’t need to buy the coffee makers; we can ask people with a Keurig to bring from home. We should supply the pods and creamer and sugar. It is so important to treat our poll workers with respect and kindness. They work an extraordinarily long day and should have a few creature comforts.  Supply brightly colored vinyl tape to be used to make arrows and mark off social distancing locations. Some locations had this tape others did not. It is very helpful for the voters to get those types of cues to know where to go and where to stand.  Make 1, 2, 3 signs that can be put up on the plastic shields so the voters know where to start. Super simple thing to supply. Can be laminated for re-use or just a piece of paper with the numbers on. Page 1 of 2  Election Day Report O8/11/2020 Alder Barbara Dorff-Elections Committee  Offer people with no masks curbside voting. Sure some voters are making a statement by not wearing a mask because they do not have to wear a mask to vote. Do not argue with anyone who does not wish to curbside vote. Others have a legitimate medical condition and may be very willing to vote curbside to make it safer for other voters and the poll workers. Make big signs. CURBSIDE VOTING AVAILABLE IF YOU CANNOT WEAR A MASK. Many poll workers mentioned that people were voting without masks and they did not feel comfortable with this. Let’s do what we can to reduce this concern.  MORE TRAINING REQUESTED: Multiple first time workers including chief inspectors asked for another training session before November and would prefer a socially distanced in person session.  Either provide a hotline for questions and/or visually designate experienced people at each site to answer questions. This was a particular problem at the larger sites Knowing who to ask, quickly, is important. The Sears’ site in particular needs this support. Examples were given to me of the same question being asked and different answers being given each time.  Better, bigger signage to designate entrances and exits and provide directions within buildings.  Provide a receptacle for clean pens and used pens that need to be sanitized. Provide a large sign saying please return your pen to this bin.  Make the option for two shifts more available if possible. Tell workers if they find a reliable partner that they can split the shift. Not everyone, but make this available for some. Page 2 of 2