HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-17-2016-13-2 - Information Item - Memorandum Regarding Expansion of Election Information on the Orange County Website INFORMATION ITEM
Memorandum
To: Board of Orange County Commissioners
From: David Hunt, Deputy Clerk/ Information Specialist
Tracy Reams, Director of Elections
Subject: Response to BOCC on a petition from a member of the public on suggestions to
expand election information on the Orange County website
Date: May 17, 2016
At the 4/19/16 BOCC regular meeting, Andrew Dykers came before the Board to request
election resource enhancements to "make it easier for citizens to be informed about basic
election information."
(Mr. Dykers previously presented the concept to the Orange County Board of Commissioners on
March 6, 2014 and also to the Orange County Board of Elections on March 4, 2014.)
During the April 19, 2016 BOCC meeting Mr. Dykers presented five items for consideration;
memorable URL, signage, candidate links, discussion and user friendliness. Below are
discussion points for each of the five items.
Memorable URL—create a short URL such as "VoteOrange.gov" or"OrangeVotes.gov"
Neither of the URLs mentioned are available. There are multiple Orange governments
in the United States.
Currently the URL below can be used to find Orange County election information.
Orangecountync.gov/elect
Signage—installing physical signs in public areas promoting the URL
This can be considered based on potential effectiveness of the resource.
Candidate Links—provide links to candidate created information
As a government entity funded by tax payers, Orange County is not legally allowed to
influence voters in support of a candidate. Providing links to candidate campaign
material may be considered a form of endorsement.
Not all candidates may have equal online/electronic resources. The request is for the
Board of Elections to link to the candidate's promotional materials. There would be
challenges identifying complete resources for each candidate. If some resources are
missed, it could be interpreted as preferential treatment of a candidate.
(The Board of Elections website currently provides a listing of candidates who file in
Orange County. Information includes name, affiliation, address, phone number, age and
email address.)
Discussion—the request is for an online discussion board for candidates
This is an excellent suggestion for a non-government organization such as the League of
Women Voters or Orange Politics.
A County hosted blog or discussion group for candidates might also be viewed as
preferential if not all of the candidates chose to use the resource.
There would be additional challenges if the general public would also have the
opportunity to pose questions and comments?
User Friendliness— modify terms, wording and descriptors on the current Board of Elections
website
Mr. Dykers' suggestions have been shared with Tracy Reams and the Board of Elections
webmaster for consideration.