Staff received the attached communication from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office (PBCSOE) requesting the qualifying period for Uniformed Municipal Elections to end on or prior to the 95th day prior to Election Day. An inquiry was submitted to the Palm Beach County Supervisor asking whether the submittal included the required translation of Spanish and the provided translation of Creole – the response was in the affirmative.
It is desirous of the City to accommodate the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections’ request as a participant in Uniform Municipal Elections. This is advantageous as expenditures, outside of payroll and polling locations, are shared with multiple municipalities participating in Uniform Municipal Election Day. Shared expenditures include but are not limited to any service provided by the PBCSOE.
The next election date is March 8, 2022. According to the current legislation, qualifying period for the 2022 Municipal Election will open at noon on the fourth Tuesday in November and will close at noon on the second Tuesday in December. The last day for qualifying, as a candidate for the 2022 Municipal Election, according to current legislation, is 12 noon, December 14, 2021 which is 84 days (including weekends) or 55 workdays (do not include weekends) prior to March 8, 2022.
The proposed qualifying period, contained in the ordinance, is 112 days (including weekends) or 72 workdays (not including the weekends) prior to the 2022 Municipal Election. Please note, the proposed qualifying period covers future election dates to include Presidential Preference Primaries unless revisions are made by the state, which can be addressed by ordinance.
It was stated during the August 4, 2021 City Council Meeting, there was confusion concerning the information provided by the Office of the City Clerk and what was contained in the communication from PBCSOE Link.
The date contained in the communication, is exactly 95 days prior to March 8, 2022. This does not provide enough time for this office to have ballot language translated into Spanish and Creole prior to timely submission to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office. Translation of ballot language is the responsibility of the municipality not the PBCSOE Office.
Although it is not required for the city to accommodate this request, staff is recommending approval in an effort to reduce any reason for the entity’s inability to assist this organization with its electoral process.