FY2017-2019 STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN, North Carolina
OUR To provide the best possible election services for the voters and candidates of. OUR To provide United States citizens, residing in, the opportunity to exercise their right to vote in appropriate jurisdictions by establishing convenient and efficient voter registration, voting sites and services, and by operating the election process in an open, fair and efficient manner as set forth in the Constitutions and General Statutes of North Carolina and the United States of America. Board of Elections team members assist candidates in the filing process (2015) Board of Elections public educational event, in partnership with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
OUR ENVIRONMENT The population of continues to grow rapidly. In the past ten years, the number of registered voters in has increased from 511,472 to 646,417, a change of more than 26 percent. The Board of Elections (BOE) takes customer service seriously and is preparing for increased volumes (voter registrations/changes, requests for public information, voting both in person and absentee, candidate filings, etc.) in the coming years through the use of technology and streamlining of services. Meanwhile, the N.C. General Assembly has recently passed new legislation related to voting, which is currently being debated in the courts. The BOE will be required to respond accordingly within the guidance of the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Our efforts to improve customer service will be affected by the outcomes of current and future legal changes and court rulings. 3
OUR GOALS The Board of Election s goals are all related to our primary purpose, which is to provide excellent service to the voters of. The BOE takes customer service seriously, and results of a recent voter experience survey indicate success in this endeavor. Ninety-eight percent of respondents rated the service they received from poll workers as excellent or good. Overall customer service was rated at 92% positive (excellent or good). Customer service is the basis of all the goals included in this plan. Training is integral to providing great service, and this is reflected in our strategic plan. Full-time team members will benefit from an increased focus on professional development, supported by the Board of Elections. The temporary staff who work with the Board of Elections during early voting and on election day will also benefit from enhanced training as well. Our strategic focus on training will allow Board employees to transfer their skills to continually improving the service provided to the public through the application of best practices and creative problem-solving. Finally, the Board of Elections will be required by the State of North Carolina to replace the current voting equipment by 2019. This is a mandated change, and the BOE will be focused on providing great service to the voters throughout the process of selection and implementation. We continue to seek enhanced methods to better serve the citizens of. Customer service is the basis of all the goals we have included in this plan. DIRECTOR S MESSAGE The Board of Elections administers all scheduled elections. The Board currently operates 195 precincts on Election Day and operates Early Voting locations for voters prior to Election Day. The office serves the voters of throughout each year, providing customer service, responding to questions, and maintaining accurate data related to voters addresses, party affiliation, and related changes. We provide support to candidates when filing for office, as well as processing campaign finance materials. We train poll workers to staff each of the precincts and the early voting sites, extending our focus on customer service into every neighborhood of the County. The Board of Elections website provides public access to voter and candidate information, precinct locations, sample ballots, and election night results and other data, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The office is currently in the midst of implementing changes consistent with legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, S.L. 2013-381, the Voter Information Verification Act (VIVA). Some of those changes are already in place. Additionally, voters will be required to show photo ID prior to voting on Election Day or at one-stop voting locations, starting with the first election in 2016. Educational programs for the general public as well as training poll workers about the new requirements are important components of ensuring an educated public. We continue to seek enhanced methods to better serve the citizens of, including public information requests, voter registration applications and changes, poll worker training and support, and candidate support. This strategic plan illustrates the Board of Election s goals, and the steps it plans to take in order to reach those goals. 4
GOAL 1: Continue Providing Excellent Customer Service to the Voters of Mecklenburg County Objective 1: Expand Early Voting Sites Work with community organizations, including libraries and Park & Rec facilities, to identify the locations most suited to serving the voting public; Work with Information Technology to accommodate technology needs Actions Identify additional sites Prepare and train staff for sites Publicize sites, hours, etc. Measure(s) Comments The BOE is required to make early voting hours available at the same level as the comparable election four years prior. The BOE policy is to expand beyond that level. State legislation reduced the number of days of Early Voting but requires the same number of Early Voting hours as was in the last 4-year similar election. The expansion for the November 2016 General Election may be as many as 37 total Early Voting sites (an increase of 14 over 2012 General election). The increase in sites will allow our office to reasonably comply with the NC General Statutes which will also serve as our performance evaluation target for this program. Objective 2: Use survey data to identify current state and opportunities for improvement Develop and implement customer satisfaction survey; utilize data to make improvements to customer service. Actions Develop Survey and continue to refine and adapt as needed/appropriate Administer survey using communication at voting sites and through website Analyze data and report to BOE leadership Identify areas for improvement based on survey responses (both quantitative and qualitative) Measure(s) Comment The BOE is required to follow state and federal laws regarding voting, as well as SBOE policies, and do not always have the latitude to make changes at will based on data collected. 5
GOAL 2: Maintain Accurate Data Objective 1: Respond effectively to voter contact/changes Continue to follow state requirements for updating voter registration data, verification mailings, NCOA and confirmation cards; look for additional opportunities to ensure accuracy and continuously improve customer service. Actions Stay current on evolving state requirements for data maintenance Explore methodologies for identifying potential duplicates and other data anomalies Continue working to influence the State s adoption of 21 st Century technology to enhance the voter experience (such as online voter registration) Measure(s) Comments BOE is dependent upon voters to update their addresses and other relevant changes in order to maintain current data; the State BOE owns the Statewide Elections Information Management (SEIMS) system and the data it contains; N.C. General Statutes dictate the requirements for making voterrequested changes. The additional amount will accommodate the surge in voter registration and public inquiries that come with a presidential general election year. 6
GOAL 3: Elevate Training Provided to Poll Workers to Accommodate Increased Volume (early voting and election day) Objective 1: Recruit and train poll workers adequately to provide excellent customer service to voters. Strategies Incorporate technology in the training of poll workers Greater use of technology in the recruitment of poll workers Actions Establish recruitment process that crosses precinct boundaries in order to better serve voters Provide training tutorials to supplement in-class trainings Incorporate smaller classroom setting and continuous availability of facility for small-group instruction Measure(s) Comment The increasing population of the County necessitate efficient poll workers who are effectively trained to handle all voter needs at early voting and at precincts on election day. Objective 2: SURVEY of Poll workers to identify additional training needs Develop and implement poll worker experience survey; utilize data to make improvements to poll worker training. Actions Develop Survey and continue to refine and adapt as needed/appropriate Administer survey using poll worker email and related methods Analyze data and report to BOE leadership Identify areas for training improvement based on survey responses (both quantitative and qualitative) Measure(s) 7
GOAL 4: Develop Staff Objective 1: Increase the percentage of employees with IDP Provide enhanced professional development in order to transfer new skills to providing excellent customer service Actions Encourage team members to develop IDPs in partnership with their managers Explore and support participation in professional development activities (workshops, classes, etc.) Tailor training to balance department needs with individual interests and skills Measure Comment Percentage of employees with IDP (Employee Climate Survey) Ongoing training is essential to maintaining compliance with changing state laws as well as continuing to improve the quality of customer service provided to the voters. 8
GOAL 5: Adopt New Voting Equipment Objective 1: Compliance with State Law Conduct research and attend state conferences to stay current on evolving state requirements and vendors that will help us adhere to those requirements. Actions Identify voting equipment Adopt and incorporate new equipment into BOE workflow Measure Comments Successful adoption in accordance with State General Statute, September 2019 Barriers to achieving goals include limited information, certification of voting machines in a timely manner, manufacturing concerns, warehousing of voting equipment and de-commission of outdated voting equipment. The true cost for the voting equipment will be determined by the BOCC. The date the new equipment is mandated is by September, 2019. When asked the department to determine if the City can be charged for their part (40%), the BOE is not in a position to respond unless there is guidance from OMB. The request was brought to the attention of the OMB in the last two budget transmittal letters. 9
GOAL 6: Maintain Environmental Sustainability of Operations Objective 1: Adhere to environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) guidelines Actions Monitor department practices to ensure adherence to environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) guidelines FY 2017 Identify a department representative to work with the County s Sustainability Manager to track and meet the department s environmental goals FY 2017 FY 2019 Educate department employees on the importance of adhering to the County s environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) guidelines Enforce the department s adherence to the County s EPP guidelines by monitoring purchasing habits Embrace new and innovative opportunities for improving the environmental-friendliness of the department s purchasing habits When making purchasing decisions, consider the full cost of the products environmental, social, and economic Measures Dollars spent on recycled paper / Dollars spent on all paper purchases Dollars spent on environmentally preferable office supplies / Dollars spent on all office supplies Dollars spent on remanufactured printer cartridges / Dollars spent on all printer cartridges 10
GOAL 6: Maintain Environmental Sustainability of Operations (cont d) Objective 2: Provide employees with opportunities to learn about and practice environmentallyfriendly activities (via the County s Work Green program) Actions Support employee involvement in environmentally-friendly activities (via the County s Work Green program) FY 2017 Identify a department representative to work with the County s Sustainability Manager to track and meet the department s environmental goals FY 2017 FY 2019 Measure Educate department employees on the importance of participating in the County s Work Green program Educate department employees on opportunities to participate in the County s Work Green program via educational opportunities (i.e. Lunch & Learns), volunteer opportunities, alternative commuting (i.e. carpooling, mass-transit, walking, or cycling), and other unique employee engagement campaigns Enforce the department s participation to the County s Work Green program by consistently monitoring performance Total number of Work Green credits earned by the department s employees 11