HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda: Study Session C: Report Regarding All Mail Ballot Elections OF ARC
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4'°°ity of t" STAFF REPORT
Office of the City Clerk
DATE: January 18, 2011
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: James Barrows, City Clerk
Prepared by: Lisa Mussenden, Chief Deputy City Clerk/Records Manager
SUBJECT: REPORT REGARDING ALL MAIL BALLOT ELECTIONS
Recommended Action: Provide Direction
SUMMARY
At the request of the City Council at their meeting of June 15, 2010, this report will
provide information regarding All Mail Ballot elections. Currently only charter cities have
the power to conduct city elections by mail. No charter amendment would be required
since Arcadia is a charter city. It would only require the adoption of an ordinance by the
City Council providing for an all mail ballot election. The Charter only states that
general municipal elections shall be held on the second Tuesday in April in each even-
numbered year and unless otherwise provided by ordinance all elections shall be held in
accordance with the provisions of the California Elections Code.
The cities of Burbank, Modesto, and Seal Beach conduct all mail ballot elections on a
regular basis; however, there are other cities that have and are currently in the process
of conducting all mail ballot elections at their upcoming elections.
DISCUSSION
During the last four elections, the majority of voters cast their ballots by mail so staff
was asked to research the all mail ballot election process. The process utilized for an
all mail ballot election is just like the permanent vote by mail (PVBM) process. A voter
receives a Sample Ballot, Voter Information Pamphlet and a ballot (along with
instructions and a return envelope) in one packet delivered to their home, without
submitting an application (VBM —vote by mail). The voted ballot would then either be
mailed back or personally delivered to the City Clerk's office or to one of the designated
drop-off sites.
1
The most significant difference between polling places and all mail ballot elections is the
fact that every registered voter would receive a ballot in the mail. Voters at polling place
are not required to show identification, nor are their signatures checked against original
registration affidavits. In an all mail ballot election, signatures are required on all
returned ballots, and voter registration and signatures are verified before the ballots are
counted (this process is conducted as ballots come in daily).
A major challenge facing elections today, at the State and local level, is low voter
turnout. In an effort to increase voter turnout in California, the Secretary of State
established a Voter Participation Unit Prior to the 1998 State Election, whose mission
was to reach out to all eligible citizens in California. All mail ballot elections eliminate
barriers that can keep people from getting to the polls. More than ever, convenience is
becoming a major factor hindering voters from voting at polling sites. Despite the
publicity and provision of early voting offered by the City Clerk's office prior to Election
Day, many voters are still unable to make it to the polls. The all mail ballot option would
therefore provide the ultimate convenience for the voter to vote in the privacy of their
own home and have plenty of time to return the ballot.
For returning ballots, there can be 2 choices:
1. The voter pays for the postage, as they currently do for PVBM ballots.
2. The City can pay Business Reply postage, which means the City pays for all
returned voted ballots at 3 cents more than standard first class ($0.42) mail
which would be 45 cents per mailing or $12,978 (based on 28,840 registered
voters).
The statistics for the City's voter turnout over the past four elections are summarized
below.
Election Registered Votes Voter Turnout
Year Voters Cast Percentage
2007 27,671 5,850 21%
2008 27,646 4,452 16%
2009 29,138 2,933 10%
2010 28,840 7,964 28%
Summarized below is the vote by mail and permanent vote by mail history over the past
four elections.
Vote by Mail
Election Total Votes Votes Cast Vote by Mail
Year Cast (includes VBM and PVBM Percentage
2007 5,850 3,485 60%
2008 4,452 3,125 70%
2009 2,933 2,229 76%
2010 7,964 4,660 59%
2
9,000
Vote by Mail Analysis
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000 ENE
2,000
1,000 1111111 „ wow
2007 2008 2009 2010
Election Year
- Votes Cast lJ Vote by Mad Votes Cast
The City of Santa Barbara conducted its first all -mail ballot election in 2009 after
studying Burbank's success and as a means of cutting costs. After the County of Santa
Barbara estimated that it would have to charge the City of Santa Barbara between
$550,000 and $600,000 to run their election in 2007, the City of Santa Barbara chose to
run its own stand alone election for the first time at a cost of $280,000, which proved to
be much cheaper. The City of Santa Barbara was able to save another $40,000 by
switching to an all mail election in 2009.
In summary, the information received regarding the effects on vote by mail elections, did
not reveal a negative impact in voter participation. In every instance, the information
revealed an increase.
In the last four elections, the City has spent on average $100,000 to $120,000 on stand
alone elections.
Election Costs 2007 -2010
$180,000 •
$160,000
$140,000
$120,000 $114,057
$93.004 $103,947.76
$100,000
$80,000 No Costs
$60,000
$40,000
$20,000
2007 2008 2009 2010
3
A vote by mail election officially begins when ballots are mailed to all registered voters
approximately three weeks prior to Election Day. Ballots cannot be sent to a forwarding
address. The voter would mark their ballot, put it in the "secrecy" envelope, insert in the
envelope inside the mailing envelope and sign on the outside and mail it or drop it off at
a designated site.
Anytime prior to the 60 day before the date of any mailed ballot election, the City
Council by resolution or ordinance would establish the appropriate number, location and
hours of operation of official ballot drop off locations.
Since voting by mail would be new to voters, we would need to publicize the process as
much as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT
According to the City's election consultant Martin & Chapman, the City would definitely
save between 10% and 15% in overall costs for an all mail ballot election; however, the
actual savings cannot be predicted until an accounting of all costs at the end of an all
mail ballot election is conducted. The more significant cost savings to the City would be
in polling places, precinct kits, poll workers and poll worker training which would be
eliminated.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council provide direction regarding the conduction of a
traditional stand alone poll election or proceed with an all mail ballot election for the
April 2012 general municipal election.
CONCUR:
Donald Penman
City Manager
Attachments: June 2010 Western Cities article regarding All Mail Ballot Elections
State of Oregon's Vote by Mail Electoral Process (Five Years Later)
Excerpt from City of Burbank re Jurisdictions and Agencies they contacted
4
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Will California Future Br All -Ma
Ballot Elections?
BY EVA SPIEGEL
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Eva Spiege is communications director for the League and can be reached at espiegel @cacities.org.
In the ongoing struggle f limited resources, cities are examining the costs
associated with holding elections. While to make the most efficient use o
elections are an integral part of city government, running them isn't
cheap. That's why the City Clerks ballot. Association of California and the League's City Clerks Department
strongly support an all -mail
The number of Californians registered as permanent absentee voters who vote by mail
are leading increasingly busy lives, and for many it's more convenient to read the ballot and is on cast the their rise. People
vote at
their own kitchen table instead of at a polling place after work.
California began allowing voters to register as permanent absentee voters in 2001. The secretary of state's
office reports that 16.9 million of California's 23 million eligible voters were registered to vote as of Jan. 5,
2010. In the May 2009 statewide election, more than 5.8 million Californians voted by mail.
Election Costs Spur Support for Voting by Mail
It's expensive to run an election. When the cost of training poll workers and operating polling sites is
compared to historically low turnout, the cost p er voter is astronomical. Fred Smoller, Ph.D directs the
master's of public administration program at Bran University in Orange County and has been studying
vote -by -mail elections. He advocates for widespread implementation.
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For Smoller, the key issues are the integrity of the democratic process and the expense of running elections.
He says that concerns about potential voter fraud are unfounded: Unlike voting at a polling place, when you
vote by mail your signature is compared and verified against your signature on file with the county registrar.
Smoller points out that the economics of elections have great implications for a state struggling with massive
deficits year after year. "With a $20 billion budget deficit, every stamp is a savings," he says. "Think about
what elections cost." Neal Kelly, Orange County's registrar of voters, prepared a report in April 2009 on
voting by mail. According to Kelly, all -mail ballot elections would save the county upward of $200,000 per
election.
This has California's city clerks clamoring for an ail -mail ballot system. Currently only charter cities have the
power to conduct city elections by mail; general -law cities are governed by the state's election laws.
Four California cities — Burbank, Modesto, Santa Barbara and Seal Beach — conduct elections using all -
mail ballots. Burbank was the first to implement the system in a 2005 city election. Burbank City Clerk
Margarita Campos became interested in all -mail ballots after the city tried it in 2001 for a special election that
garnered one of the highest turnouts ever. "What interested me is that it provided a real safeguard against
voter fraud," she observes.
Campos sees huge benefits to her city's decision to implement an all -mail ballot system of elections. "I'm
happy that our city council had the foresight to do this," she says. "It was a wise decision — one that will
continue to pay off. Other cities will realize this is the way of the future."
Santa Barbara conducted its first all -mail ballot election in 2009 after studying Burbank's success. The city
decided to pursue this type of election as a means of cutting costs. After Santa Barbara County estimated
that it would have to charge the City of Santa Barbara between $550,000 and $600,000 to run a stand -alone
city election in 2007, the city opted to run its own election for the first time. At a cost of $280,000, the election
proved much cheaper for the city than if it had contracted with the county.
The city was able to save another $40,000 by switching to an all -mail election two years later. Each
registered voter received the election materials by mail, along with a stamped envelope to return the ballot.
The city offered seven drop -off locations for voters who wanted to go to the polls and plans to continue this
hybrid system. In the end, approximately 23,000 voters participated in the election — two- thirds of them
voted by mail. With voter turnout at nearly 50 percent, the highest in 30 years of Santa Barbara stand -alone
city elections, Assistant City Manager Marcelo Lopez considers the 2009 effort a great success.
Along with concerns about fraud, some people who oppose an all -mail ballot system in California cite the
loss of the shared community experience of casting your ballot at a polling site in your neighborhood.
Smoller compares this belief to other cultural changes. "I like my vinyl albums but I get everything through
my iPod now," he says. "Nostalgia is nice but this is where we are."
Shalice Tilton, Buena Park city clerk, serves as the legislative director for the City Clerks Association of
California and doesn't think all -mail ballot elections threaten democracy. "Some of the arguments are that it
will disenfranchise people, it's a community experience, an American tradition," she remarks. "But communal
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experiences still happen, because during the drop -off period there are all types of election activities,
including promotion and public education."
Oregon and Washington Are Vote -by -Mail Trendsetters
Vote -by -mail elections are nothing new in two Western states. Thirty -eight of Washington's 39 counties
conduct their elections using all -mail ballots. Pierce County, where Tacoma is located, is the only county that
still maintains polling sites in the state.
Oregon first tested voting by mail in 1981. An overwhelming majority of voters — 70 percent — approved a
November 1998 measure requiring all -mail ballots for primary and general elections. As a result, Oregon
reduced election costs from $3.4 million to $2.8 million between 1998 and 2000.
Former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury wrote in The Washington Post on Jan. 1, 2005, about the
benefits of all -mail ballot elections, including protecting against voter fraud. Bradbury cited the fact that not
only does the process cost 30 percent less than a traditional election that uses polling sites, but it also
increases voter participation. Smoller agrees, asserting that all -mail ballots increase voter participation on
average by 4 percent with each election.
Only one case of voter fraud has been reported in Oregon, according to Orange County Registrar Neal
Kelly's study. None have been reported in Washington.
Assembly Member Yamada Pushes Vote -by -Mail Pilot in Yolo County
Assembly Member Mariko Yamada (D- Davis) wants her county, Yolo, to become the testing site for all -mail
ballot elections. She has introduced AB 1681, a bill that would allow Yolo County to conduct up to three all -
mail local elections and conduct a study to gather information on voter participation, voter demographics and
election costs. Upon completion of the study, the Yolo County registrar of voters would send a data report to
the Legislature and California secretary of state to help determine if all -mail ballot voting is a successful
format for local elections and whether it is worth expanding to future elections. "The fact that it has worked in
other states for decades and has increased participation over time means to me that it's valid as a point of
study in California," says Yamada.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 1228 in 2009, another bill authored by Yamada that would have
implemented a similar pilot study in Yolo and Santa Clara counties. However, Yamada is encouraged about
AB 1681's future and says her office is working with the governor's office to mitigate any concerns. The
League supports AB 1681; so do the City Clerks Association of California, Disability Rights California,
Orange County Taxpayers Association and Regional Council of Rural Counties.
Yamada predicts that the legislation will help increase voter participation because it can be difficult for the
elderly and people with disabilities or other challenges to get to the polls. She's also curious to discover
whether there are partisan implications to vote -by -mail elections. Permanent absentee voters tend to be
more conservative. However, a 1998 University of Michigan study found that mail ballots did not directly
impact mobilization or retention of Democrats or Republicans.
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Yamada thinks that Yolo County, with its mix of urban and rural communities, is an ideal area for studying all
-mail ballots. Half of the county's 200,000 residents are registered to vote. "Exercising the right to vote is the
basic building block of our democracy," she says. "Many people fought for and died for the right to vote. We
should support any effort to protect and strengthen the privilege."
All -Mail Ballots Are Inevitable
The issue of whether California will join Oregon as a state with all -mail ballot elections may not be settled in
the immediate future, but it's not going away. As communities continue looking for ways to cut costs and
maintain vital services, this election format offers an easy option for significant savings. It also
accommodates the preferences of voters who are increasingly opting to vote by mail.
"It's working in Oregon, it's working in Washington," says Smoller. "We know it works. This is coming. It's just
a question of how high the number of people who permanently vote by mail has to go before it's switched."
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EXHIBIT C
FIVE YEARS LATER: A RE- ASSESSMENT OF
OREGON'S VOTE BY MAIL ELECTORAL PROCESS
Priscilla L. Southwell
Department of Political Science
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
(541) 346 -3277
psouth@oreeon.uoregon.edu
FIVE YEARS LATER: A RE- ASSESSMENT OF
OREGON'S VOTE BY MAIL ELECTORAL PROCESS
Abstract
Five years ago the state of Oregon adopted vote by mail as the method for
conducting all of its elections. This survey was conducted in 2003 to determine if public
opinion on vote by avail has remained the same, and also to assess the effect of vote by
mail on levels of participation among Oregon voters. The results suggest that Oregonians,
across all demographic and partisan categories, continue to favor this type of election. A
majority of respondents indicated that their turnout has not changed since the adoption of
vote by mail. However, almost one -third of the respondents reported that they voted more
often with vote by mail -- particularly women, the disabled, homemakers, and those aged
26-38 years. These results also suggest that no partisan advantage is likely to result as a
consequence of elevated turnout under vote by mail.
1
FIVE YEARS LATER: A RE- ASSESSMENT OF
OREGON'S VOTE BY MAIL ELECTORAL PROCESS
In 1981, the Oregon State Legislature approved a test of all -mail elections in
certain local contests, and, by 1987, a majority of counties began conducting all -mail
elections for local races or ballot measures, primarily because of reduced costs.'
The circumstances of Senator Bob Packwood's resignation, effective October 1,
1995, led to a primary and general election for his replacement. The "special" nature of
both this primary in December 1995 and the general election in January 1996 allowed the
Secretary of State to adopt an all -mail format for these two elections. These were the first
federal elections in the nation to be conducted entirely by mail. The League of Women
voters led a successful petition drive to put vote by mail on the 1998 general election
ballot, and this ballot measure passed with a 67% margin. Since that time, all elections in
Oregon have been conducted by mail .
In general, the cost of conducting all -mail elections is 1/3 to 1/2 of the amount
required for polling place elections. For example, the May 1994 polling place election in
Oregon cost $4.33 per ballot while the May 1995 vote by mail election cost $1.24 per
ballot. See State of Oregon (1995), p. 4.
2 A vote by mail election officially begins when ballots were mailed to all
registered voters approximately three weeks prior to Election Day. Ballots cannot be sent
to a forwarding address. The voter marks his ballot, puts it in a "secrecy" envelope,
inserts this envelope inside a mailing envelope, which must be signed on the outside. He
then has three weeks to mail in (or drop off at a designated site) this signed envelope.
2
Public opinion surveys conducted immediately after this 1996 special election
indicated widespread support among Oregonians for this new type of electoral format
(Southwell and Burchett 1997; Traugott, 1996). However, certain observers of vote by
mail have suggested that the popularity of vote by mail and its effect on turnout may have
been influenced by the novelty of this reform (Jeffe and Jeffe, 1990; Magelby, 1987).
Others have noted that a crucial question about vote by mail is its effect on voting
behavior over time (Berinsky et al., 2001). Since it has been nearly five years since vote
by mail was adopted for all elections in Oregon, this 2003 survey can now provide
additional public opinion data on vote by mail, as well as an updated analysis of its effect
on turnout.
Data and Methods
This research uses data from the Oregon Annual Social Indicators Survey,
conducted by the Oregon Survey Research Laboratory at the University of Oregon. A
random- digit - dialing (RDD) survey of 1037 individuals in the state of Oregon was
conducted between December, 2002 and January 2003. For the purposes of this study,
only registered voters (n =695) were analyzed.
•
Four days before Election Day, voters are advised to deliver their ballots in person to the
county courthouse if they have not already mailed in their ballots. The voter's signature
on the outside envelope is then compared with the signature on record when the voter
initially registered to vote.
3 The response rate was 62.28%.
4 Vote -by -mail is an electoral reform that can only have an effect on registered voters.
See Berinsky et al (2001, p. 6) and Southwell and Burchett (2000, p. 78).
3
Preference for Type of Election
Table I provides a bivariate analysis of the respondents' preferences for either
vote by mail or the polling place as a method of conducting elections. The overwhelming
support for vote -by -mail is apparent (80.9 %), and this preference is consistent across all
demographic and attitudinal subcategories. While certain groups had an even more
positive view of vote by mail — specifically, women, Democrats, moderates,
homemakers, retirees, and the disabled — these differences show only weak statistical
significance.
{Insert Table 1 about here]
These findings are consistent with the public support for vote by mail, as reported
in the surveys conducted in 1996 (Traugott, 1996; Southwell and Burchett, 1997).
Although this 2003 survey did not ask the reasons for this preference for vote by mail, we
can safely assume that a majority of them favored the ease and convenience of vote by
mail, as was mentioned by 78.5% of those who preferred vote by mail in the 1996 survey
conducted by Southwell and Burchett (1997, p. 54). It appears that a majority of
Oregonian voters have remained attached to this newly - adopted reform.
4
Table 1. Preference for Election Type
Prefer Prefer
Vote by mail Polling Place
Entire Sample 809% 19.1%
Gender*
Male 775% 22.5%
Female 83.0% 17.0%
Party Identification*
Democrat 85.0% 15.0%
Independent 80.8% 19.2%
Republican 76.7% 23.3%
Employment Status*
Working 78.5% 21.5%
Retired 85.596 145%
Unemployed 71.4% 28.6%
Homemaker 93.3% 6.7%
Student 80.0% 20.0%
Disabled/Unable to Work 893% 10.7%
Ideology*
Liberal 75.0% 25.0%
Moderate 86.6% 13.4%
Conservative 77.9% 22.1%
Age"
18-25 years 86.7% 13.3%
26-38 years 79.1% 20.9%
39-52 years 76.1% 23.9%
53-65 years 83.1% 16.9%
65+ years 86.0% 14.0%
Race °'"
Whlte 81.5% 18.5%
Nonwhite 79.3% 20.7%
Note: N= 696; Cell entries are row percentages.
* * *p<.01; * *p <.05; *p<.10. °' Not significant at conventional levels
Source: 2003 Oregon Annual Social Indicators Survey.
5
Table 1. (continued)
Prefer Prefer
Vote by Mail Polling Place
Level of Education
Less than High School 88.6% 11.4%
H.S. Diploma 84.8% 15.2%
Some College 80.1% 19.9%
College Degree 79.5% 20.5%
Advanced Degree 75.6% 24.4%
Locale"
Urban 80.2% 19.8%
Suburban 81.3% 18.7%
Rural 81.3% 18.7%
Income"'
Lees than $18,000 81.1% 18.9%
$18,000 - $25,000 84.4% 15.6%
$26,000- $40,000 83.7% 16.3%
$41,000 - $70,000 80.8% 19.2%
$71,000 - $100,000 78.0% 22.0%
Over $100,000 77.0% 23.0%
Note: N= 696; Cell entries are row percentages.
* * *p<.01; * *p<.05; *pc.10. " Not significant at conventional levels
Source: 2003 Oregon Annual Social Indicators Survey.
6
Effect of Vote by Mail on Turnout
This survey question, of course, only deals with preference, and it is equally
important to determine if these preferences have any effect on subsequent voting
behavior. Table 2 provides a bivariate analysis of the respondents' view on whether they
had voted "more often," "less often," or "about the same" since Oregon started
conducting vote by mail elections. A clear majority of the respondents indicated that their
level of participation stayed at the same level under vote by mail as it had been when
elections were held at the polling place. Only a small percentage, 4.1%, said they voted
less often. For women, their preference for vote by mail was also reflected in their
perception that they voted more often as a result. Younger voters, in the 26 -38 year range,
as well as moderates and those who were either disabled, retired, or a homemaker, also
indicated that they voted more often under vote by mail. In this analysis, we also included
measures of reported vote in various races at the national and state level, but there was no
discernible difference with regard to partisan identification or candidate preferences.
[Insert Table 2 about here]
7
Table 2. Self - Reported Effects of Vote by Mail on Frequency of
Voting
Vote More Vote About the Vote Less Often
Often Same
Entire Sample 29.3% 66.6% 4.1%
Gender**
Male 23.3% 72.8% 3.9%
Female 32.9% 62.7% 4.3%
Age***
18-25 years 34.1% 56.1% 9.8%
26-38 years 44.4% 51.9% 3.7%
39-52 years 30.1% 63.3% 6.6%
53-65 years 21.3% 75.5% 3.2%
65+ years 21.3% 78.7% 0.0%
Employment Status * **
Working 33.2% 61.6% 5.2%
Retired 14.1% 85.3% .6%
Unemployed 15.8% 73.7% 105%
Homemaker 51.6% 45.2% 3.2%
Student 36.8% 63.2% 0.0%
Disabled/Unable to Work 48.3% 483% 3.4%
Ideology'
Liberal 23.1% 723% 4.6%
Moderate 28.2% 68.1% 3.7%
Conservative 26.7% 64.4% 8.996
Party Identification °d '
Democrat 32.2% 63.1% 4.7%
Independent 24.9% 73.1% 2.1%
Republican 28.8% 67.3% 3.9%
Note: N= 673; Cell entries are row percentages.
* * *p<.01; * *p<.05; *p<.10. °' Not significant at conventional levels
Source: 2003 Oregon Annual Social Indicators Survey.
8
Table 3. (continued)
Vote More Vote About Vote Less
Often the Same Often
Presidential Vote (2000)'"
Bush 26.4% 69.9% 3.8%
Gore 30.9% 66.1% 3.0%
Nader 32.0% 60.0% 8.0%
Gubernatorial Vote(2002) °'
Republican Candidate 30.5% 66.1% 3.4%
Democratic Candidate 25.9% 72.4% 1.7%
Senatorial Vote (2002)
Republican Candidate 303% 67.6% 2.1%
Democratic Candidate 26.2% 70.3% 3.4%
Race'
White 29.6% 66.8% 3.6%
Nonwhite 27.1% 66.1% 6.8%
Level of Education'
Less than High School 34.9% 60.5% 4.7%
H.S. Diploma 31.4% 65.0% 3.6%
Some College 31.0% 64.3% 4.7%
College Degree 28.9% 66.4% 4.6%
Advanced Degree 19.5% 79.2% 13%
Locale'
Urban 26.9% 691% 3.8%
Suburban 34.5% 63.2% 2.2%
Rural 26.8% 67.5% 5.7%
Income n '''
Less than $18,000 35.1% 58.1% 6.8%
$18,000- $25,000 35.4% 63.1% 1.5%
$26,000- $40,000 28.6% 68.6% 2.9%
$41,000- $70,000 28.3% 69.4% 2.3%
$71,000- $100,000 28.0% 63.0% 9.0%
Over $100,000 30.6% 66.1% 3.2%
Source: Oregon Annual Social Indicators Survey 2002 - 2003.
Note: Cell entries are row percentages.
* * *p<.01; * *p<.05; *p<.10. n' Not significant at conventional levels
9
Conclusions
It appears that voters in Oregon have retained their initial attachment to vote by
mail, and this support varies only slightly across demographic and partisan groups with
the electorate. A majority of all subcategories favor vote by mail over the more
traditional polling place. The consequences of vote by mail on the nature of the electorate
is one of the most hotly debated aspects of this electoral reform, but this survey suggests
that neither of the two major parties have much to lose or gain from vote by mail. Instead,
the groups that reported that they vote more often under vote by mail are simply a set of
individuals -- women, young people, and the disabled and retirees — who have found it
more convenient to vote under a system that does not require them to be physically
present on "the first Tuesday after the first Monday."
10
Appendix. Coding of Variables for Analysis
Variable Coding
Voting since Vote by Mall "The State of Oregon began using an all mail
format for some of its elections in 1981. Since
2000 Oregon has used vote by mail for all of its
elections. Since Oregon stated vote by mail, have
you voted more often, less often, or about the
same ?"
Dummy variable created for voted more often.
(1, otherwise 0)
Preference for Election Type "Which type of election do you prefer — vote by
mail or polling place?
Dummy variable created for vote by mail.
1, otherwise 0)
Gender (Female) 1 if female; 0 if male
Age Actual age (18 -96 or older)
Partisanship "Do you consider yourself to be a Democrat,
Republican, Independent, or some other party?
Dummy variables created for each category.
Employment Status "Are you currently working for pay, either full
or part time ?" If no, "Are you retired, looking
for work, keeping house, taking classes, disabled,
or something else ?"
Dummy variables created for each category.
Locale "Do you live in an urban area, a suburban area,
or a rural area?
Dummy variables created for each category.
Race (Nonwhite) 1 if nonwhitelnon Caucasian; 0 if white or
Caucasian
Education 1= Less than high school
2 = High school diploma
3 = Some college or A.A. or A.S.
4 = B.A. or B.S.
5 = Advanced degree
11
Appendix. (continued)
Variable Coding
Income 1= Less that $18,000
2 = $18,000 - $25,000
3 = $25,001 - $40,000
4 = $40,001 - $70,000
5 = $70,001 - $100,000
6 = Over $100,000
Ideology "When it comes to politics, do you think of
yourself as conservative, moderate or middle of
the road, or liberal ?"
Dummy variables created for each category.
Vote for Governor 2002 "chinking back to the November election, for
whom did you vote in the governor's race?
Dummy variables created for each category.
Vote for Senate 2002 For whom did you vote in the U.S. Senate race?
Vote for President 2001 For whom did you vote in the 2000 presidential
race?
12
IN rte
References
Berinsky, Adam, Nancy Burns, and Michael W. Traugott. 2001. "Who Votes by Mail? A
Dynamic Model of the Individual -Level Consequences of Voting -by -Mail
Systems." Public Opinion Quarterly 65: 178 -197.
Jeffe, Douglas and Sherry B. Jeffe. 1990. "Absence Counts: Voting by Mail" The
American Enterprise 1: 19 -21.
Magleby, David. 1987. "Participation in Mail Ballot Elections." Western Political
Quarterly 40: 79 -82.
Oregon Annual Social Indicators Survey. 2003. Oregon Survey Research Laboratory,
University of Oregon.
Secretary of State, State of Oregon. 1995. "Oregon's Special Senate Election," November
11.
Southwell, Priscilla L. and Justin Burchett. 1997. "Survey of Vote -by -Mail Senate
Election in the State of Oregon," PS: Political Science and Politics 91: 53 -57.
Traugott, Michael. W. 1996. Report on the Characteristics of the Oregon Electorate
Participating in the Special General Election for the U.S. Senate on January 30,
1996. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.
13
Attachment 2
Jurisdictions and Agencies Contacted
Regarding Vote by Mail Elections
City of Burbank:
The City Clerk's Office compiled the election results obtained from Burbank for
the 2003, 2005 and 2006 elections into a graph (Exhibit A) and spreadsheet
(Exhibit B) for comparison purposes. It should be noted that the City of
Burbank's 2003 elections were conducted by poll, and the 2005 and 2006
elections were conducted wholly by mail as noted in the following chart:
• February 25, 2003 Poll Election Primary Nominating Election
• April 8, 2003 Poll Election General Municipal Election
• February 22, 2005 Vote by Mail Election Primary Nominating Election
• April 12, 2005 Vote by Mail Election General Municipal Election
• January 24, 2006 Vote by Mail Election Special Municipal Election
(City Council vacancy due to
resignation)
As noted in Exhibits A and B, the election turnout has steadily increased since
moving from a poll to a vote by mail election process, and in some cases the
voter turnout doubled in precincts. It should be noted that the precinct numbers
received for the January 24, 2006, special municipal election are slightly different
than previous years' elections, due to action by the County of Los Angeles to
either consolidate precincts in areas where voter turnout was low or add
additional precincts in high- turnout areas.
At this time, the City of Burbank is the only charter city in California using a vote
by mail system for general municipal elections.
State of Washington:
The City Clerk's Office contacted several counties in the State of Washington
(Whatcom County, Yakima County and Franklin County) regarding their vote by
mail process, and impacts on minorities and working class populations. All
respondents reported that they have no statistical information showing impacts
on minorities or working class populations. However, all three counties reported
an increase in voter participation in a vote by mail election versus a traditional
poll election.
1
State of Oregon:
Staff also contacted the State of Oregon's Secretary of State's Office regarding
effects on voter turnout since voters approved the vote by mail election system in
1998. The Secretary of State's Office referred staff to a study that was
conducted by the University of Oregon's Department of Political Science in 2003
entitled, "Five Years Later: A Reassessment of Oregon's Vote by Mail Electoral
Process ". The study shows that 81 % of the respondents to the survey conducted
on "Preference for Election Type" preferred the vote by mail system.
The study suggests that voters across all demographic and partisan categories
continue to favor this type of election. A majority of respondents indicated that
their turnout has not changed since the adoption of vote by mail. However, the
study shows that almost one -third of the respondents reported that they voted
more often with a vote by mail system, particularly women, the disabled,
homemakers and those aged 26 -38 years. These results also suggest that no
partisan advantage is likely to result as a consequence of elevated turnout under
a vote by mail process. The study is attached to this report for reference (Exhibit
C), and pages 5 and 6 specifically outline the survey results by category.
Center for Governmental Studies:
Staff contacted Derek Westen, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the
Center for Governmental Studies, related to the effects on voter turnout for
minorities and low- income populations when using a vote by mail election
process. Mr. Westen informed staff that the Center does not have information
relating to this subject, and suggested that we contact jurisdictions that conduct
vote by mail elections.
Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley:
Staff attempted to obtain information from the Institute of Governmental Studies
at UC Berkeley related to the effects on voter turnout for minorities and low -
income populations when using a vote by mail election process. Several
attempts were made to contact Professor Bruce Cain regarding this subject by
both email and phone, with no success.
2