HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Supervisor of Elections FR/SR2
January 30, 2015
Todd B. Hannon
City Clerk
City of Miami
3300 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
Dear Mr. Hannon:
CITY ob"L
Miami -Dade County Elections Department
2700 NW 87th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33172
T 305-499-VOTE F 305-499-8547
TTY: 305-499-8480
miamidade.gov
The Miami General Municipal Election is scheduled on November 3, 2015, with a Run -Off Election
scheduled one week later, on November 10, 2015, Given the short turnaround, I strongly urge your
municipality to consider providing our office an additional week, at a minimum, to properly conduct your
Run -Off Election.
A Run -Off Election on November 17, 2015 would coincide with the Run -Off Election for the City of
Hialeah and Miami Beach. It would also afford the Elections Department the time required to properly
prepare for your election, including:
• Updating voter registration records
• Coding, proofing and testing two different voting systems (optical scan and electronic)
• Ordering, printing, processing and mailing absentee ballots
• Giving adequate time to voters to receive and return their absentee ballots
• Preparing for the state -mandated Logic and Accuracy Test (L&A) and Post Election Audit
• Resetting, reprogramming, and retesting all election equipment
• Hiring and training personnel for Early Voting (if applicable) and Election Day voting locations
• Delivering paper ballots and supplies to all voting locations
It is a tremendous challenge for this Department to perform all of these activities within the one -week
timeframe that currently exists between your General and Run -Off Elections.
It is my understanding that you will be presenting this information to your council to consider extending
the timeframe between elections to two weeks. I must reiterate that this is the minimum amount of time
that is acceptable to carry out our mission and serve the voters of your municipality. My greatest
concern is in regards to absentee voting. The short time period between elections may prevent voters
from taking advantage of absentee voting and/or being able to successfully return the ballot to our office
by the deadline.
Letter to Mr. Todd B. Hannon
Page 2
I know we share a common goal to ensure that your elections are thorough, complete, and accurate.
With this in mind, I hope you and your council takes this recommendation into consideration and
schedule a minimum of two weeks between your General and Run -Off Elections. I would like to remind
you that F.S. 100.3605 stipulates that municipalities have the authority to change the date of their
elections, a right that many municipalities have exercised in the past.
Should you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact Carolina
Lopez, Deputy Supervisor of Elections over Government Affairs, at 305-499-8409.
ly,
Pv els e Townsley
• pervisor of Elections
iami-Dade Elections Department
4