To: Board of Supervisors
From: Kristin Connelly, Clerk-Recorder
Report Title: Grant Contracts with California Secretary of State, and Associated Budget Amendment to Appropriate Grant Revenue
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Clerk-Recorder, or designee, to execute two (2) contracts with the California Secretary of State to provide the County with HAVA (Help America Vote Act) reimbursement funds up to the following amounts for the following purposes: 1) HAVA Polling Place Accessibility Training Program in an amount not to exceed $85,077 for accessibility improvements with voter services; and 2) HAVA Election Security Improvements in an amount not to exceed $198,000 to enhance election technology pertaining to physical and cyber security.
2. APPROVE Budget Amendment No. BDA-24-00228 authorizing new revenue in the total amount of $4,290,478 from the following four (4) Grants: 1) Center for Tech and Civic Life, in the amount of $2,000,000 to the Clerk-Recorder Department for support planning and operationalizing safe and secure election administration infrastructure; 2) California Secretary of State in the amount of $198,000 to the Clerk-Recorder Department, under the HAVA Election Security Improvements Program, to fund election security improvements; 3) California Secretary of State in the amount of $85,076 to the Clerk-Recorder Department, under the HAVA Polling Place Accessibility Training Program, to fund election accessibility improvements; 4) California Secretary of State in the amount of $2,007,402 to the Clerk-Recorder Department, under the Voting Systems Replacement Contract 2018, to fund replacement voting systems equipment.
FISCAL IMPACT:
These actions will increase anticipated Fiscal Year 2023-24 revenue by a total of $4,290,478: $2,000,000 revenue from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, no County match; $198,000 revenue from California Secretary of State, under the HAVA Poling Place Accessibility Training Program, no County match; $85,076 of revenue from California Secretary of State, under HAVA Election Security Improvement Program, no County match; $2,007,402 revenue from California Secretary of State, under the Voting Systems Replacement Contract 2018, with a 3:1 match of the County’s spending (75% grant funding). The County’s matching funds for the Voting Systems Replacement grant are within the Department’s operating budget. These actions will also increase expenditure appropriations by $3,666,793 for services and supplies and $623,685 for fixed assets. The HAVA grants are a combination of federal and state monies.
BACKGROUND:
The Clerk-Recorder Department received Board approval and authorization on December 13, 2022, to accept grant funding from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit and apolitical organization, in an amount of $2,000,000 for support planning and operationalizing safe and secure election administration infrastructure. This grant agreement terminates on December 31, 2024.
The Clerk-Recorder Department received Board approval and authorization on February 26, 2019, to accept grant funding from the California Secretary of State, under the Voting Systems Replacement Contract 2018, in the amount not to $3,647,000, for the reimbursement of past and future costs of voting and elections management systems. This was amended to increase the total reimbursable amount to $6,038,436 on January 21, 2020, and extended the term of the grant to December 31, 2024. The remaining balance of this grant is $2,007,402.
The California Secretary of State offers grant opportunities for counties related to accessibility and security costs for conducting elections. The HAVA Polling Place Accessibility Program grant agreement is effective from January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. The HAVA Election Security Improvement Program grant agreement is effective from February 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
All aforementioned grant monies are available to reimburse the County’s costs associated with updating and replacing elections equipment to increase operational efficiencies, hardening Clerk-Recorder security systems, and/or conducting public outreach for election integrity across the 2024 election cycle.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Clerk-Recorder will lose potential funding without approval and authorization to enter into these grant agreements with the California Secretary of State and would not be able to appropriate revenues and expenditures consistent with acceptance of the grants previously approved by the Board.