HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2018.11.14 - 23864REPORT (MISC. #18353) November 14, 2018
BY: Commissioner Christine Long, Chairperson, General Government Committee
IN RE MR #18353 — BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — REQUEST THE MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE
REINSTATE POLITICAL PARTY LOGO/VIGNETTES ON ELECTION BALLOTS
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The General Government Committee, having reviewed the above referenced resolution on October 29,
2018, reports with the recommendation that the resolution be adopted.
Chairperson, on behalf of the General Government Committee, I move the acceptance of the foregoing
report.
L, a
Commissioner Christine Long, Distric 7)
Chairperson, General Government Committee
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE VOTE:
Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Long and Quarles absent.
MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #18353
BY: Commissioners Tom Berman, District #5; Nancy Quarles, District #17; Adam Kochenderfer, District
#15; Marcia Gershenson, District #13
IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — REQUEST THE MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE REINSTATE
POLITICAL PARTY LOGONIGNETTES ON ELECTION BALLOTS
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS party vignettes began appearing on Michigan ballots back in the 1890s and were a tool for
helping voters identify candidates by their party affiliation; and
WHEREAS a change in Michigan law in 2017 required the removal of political party logos/vignettes from
ballots in conjunction with the repeal of straight party voting; and
WHEREAS in adopting this change in the law, lawmakers cited that these logos can cause confusion for
the voter, that their elimination would shorten Michigan's often lengthy ballot, and that logos would no
longer be necessary with the elimination of straight party voting; and
WHEREAS opponents to the removal of party logos/vignettes raised concerns regarding the
disproportionate impact this change could have on voters, particularly those with limited literacy or various
disabilities; and
WHEREAS the Oakland County Board of Commissioners created a bi-partisan committee to conduct an
in-depth assessment of the elections system infrastructure, processes and procedures relative to Oakland
County's ability to manage historically high levels of voter turnout experienced during the August 7, 2018
Primary Election; and
WHEREAS the Ad Hoc Committee on Election Infrastructure sought and received input from election
administrators, voters and other interested parties to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues
and consider recommendations for improvements to the Oakland County election system; and
WHEREAS the Committee received surveys from 48 local municipal clerks, 166 precinct election workers
and 33 voters impacted by the events on Election Day. The Committee also received feedback from
county election officials, additional local election administrators and the public during two public forums;
and
WHEREAS the Ad Hoc Committee utilized these valuable insights combined with data from the election
to provide the Board of Commissioners with a series of recommendations to improve the functionality of
our elections system and the availability of ballots for all voters; and
WHEREAS the Committee identified the unusually high number of spoiled ballots cast in the August 7,
2018 Primary Election as a significant problem in need of appropriate solutions; and
WHEREAS while the typical number of spoiled ballots cast in a primary election is reported to be
approximately 2%, some precincts had spoilage rates as high as 22% in the August election; and
WHEREAS in some precincts individual voters spoiled multiple ballots prior to casting a final vote; and
WHEREAS the Committee sought input during the process of conducting their review regarding the
cause of this surge in spoiled ballots; and
WHEREAS local election administrators identified the removal of party logo/vignettes as a significant
barrier for low literacy voters in their communities; and
WHEREAS additional local election administrators identified the change in ballot design as source of
confusion for many voters that have become accustomed to the long-standing tradition of voting within
the party column by logo; and
WHEREAS the Board of Commissioners supports meaningful measures that ensure all voters will have
access to a ballot and their votes will be counted. We urge the Michigan Legislature to take action prior to
the next federal primary election to reinstate political party logos/vignettes to the ballot.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners calls upon the
Michigan Legislature to amend the Michigan Election Law to reinstate the inclusion of political party logos/
vignettes on election ballots.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds is requested to forward
copies of this adopted resolution to the Governor of the State of Michigan, the Lieutenant Governor of the
State of Michigan, the Speaker of the House for the Michigan House of Representatives, the Michigan
Senate Majority Leader, the Michigan Secretary of State, the members of the Oakland County delegation
to the Michigan Legislature, the members of the Michigan House Elections and Ethics Committee, the
members of the Michigan Senate Elections and Government Reform Committee, the members of the
Oakland County Board of County Election Commissioners, the Oakland County Director of Elections and
the President of the Oakland County Clerks Association,
Chairperson, we move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution.
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Resolution #18353 October 10, 2018
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.
Resolution #18353 November 14, 2018
Moved by Crawford supported by Quarles the resolutions (with fiscal notes attached) on the Consent
Agenda be adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted).
AYES: Crawford, Fleming, Gershenson, Gingell, Hoffman, Jackson, Kochenderfer, KowaII, Long,
McGillivray, Middleton, Quarles, Taub, Tietz, Weipert, Woodward, Zack, Berman, Bowman. (19)
NAYS: None. (0)
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the resolutions (with fiscal notes attached) on the Consent
Agenda were adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted).
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HEREBY APPI40Ve THIS RESOLUTION
CHIEF DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE
ACTING PURSUANT TO MCL 45.559A (7)
STATE OF MICHIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Lisa Brown, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a true and
accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on November 14,
2018, with the original record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the County of Oakland at
Pontiac, Michigan this 14th day of November, 2018.
Lisa Brown, Oakland County