Date: 01/23/2006
Final
Secratary of State
SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS & MILITARY AFFAIRS
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01:33 PM -- Call to Order
Senator Tupa called the meeting to order. He distributed and explained the Senate bill routing sheet to the committee (Attachment A).
0:134 PM -- Briefing by the Secretary of State
Secretary of State Gigi Dennis distributed a handout (Attachment B), and introduced employees of the Secretary of State's office who were in attendance: Billy Compton, Keith Whitlaw, Brian Bellay, Patti Fredrick, Mike Shay, and Dana Williams. Secretary of State Dennis provided an overview of what was included in the handout. She said she and her employees are continually working on how to make the office run more efficiently. She highlighted the webpage and the high number of hits it receives each day. She said that 99 percent of business is done through on-line filing. The office is working on a statewide voter registration data base. Secretary of State Dennis spoke about the reasons Colorado was not able to meet the federal deadline for getting the statewide voter registration data base on-line. One of the major setbacks was that the prior vendor was not meeting expectations. She indicated that although they had to sever their contract with the vendor, they were able to recoup almost all the funds spent, and the office will not require another appropriation.
01:40 PM
Secretary of State Dennis responded to questions about the new voter registration system. She said that she cannot guarantee that all 64 counties will be on-line before this upcoming election, and that there is not a specific date they can set for when the system will be fully operational. However, Secretary of State Dennis said the counties are doing a good job integrating the system into their local offices. Senator Fitz-Gerald said she has heard conflicting responses from the counties, and in fact, some of the counties feel as though they are in no better place now than where they were. Senator Fitz-Gerald expressed concerns about the system not being ready for the primaries, citing possible errors that could occur if the Department of Corrections data is not integrated into the system. Secretary of State Dennis reminded the committee that the 2005 elections went very well, and that the office is constantly working with various departments to enure a successful transition. Senator May pointed out that Colorado is not the only state experiencing difficulties with the system. He said there are 21 other states with the same issues, mainly serviced by the same vendor. Further, Senator May indicated that a federal waiver has been granted. Senator Tupa asked Secretary of State Dennis to elaborate on the Department of Corrections issue.
01:50 PM
Secretary of State Dennis stated that the federal government has been sensitive to their issues with the system, and that they do not foresee sanctions for Colorado. She provided an example of California which has until 2009 to be in full compliance with the federal law. Senator Fitz-Gerald voiced concern that Colorado is not up to full compliance, and expressed dismay about Colorado signing a nondisclosure agreement. She said that by signing such an agreement that they are not giving full notice to other entities contracting with this vendor. Secretary of State Dennis continued briefing the committee. She said there are a limited number of vendors that distribute voting equipment, and they are often looking for the larger contracts. Supply and demand are driving the equipment cost up. Secretary Dennis indicated that the office is confident that they will secure a good vendor who will be responsive to their budgetary constraints. The committee discussed federal funding for the project, and Secretary of State Dennis explained the process for federal reimbursement.
01:58 PM
Patti Frederick, Office of the Secretary of State, responded to questions from Senator Fitz-Gerald about the voter registration system and the certification of machinery. She said that some county orders have been too small to attract vendors, and that the deadline to get the machinery running is August 8th, 2006. She conceded that this is an optimistic deadline, but is hopeful that it is one they will be able to meet. She also said that different clerks' offices are creating consortiums in order to increase their purchasing power. Mrs. Frederick explained the certification process to the committee. Senator May suggested different methods by which the county clerks might secure vendors.
02:06 PM
Secretary of State Dennis overviewed the disaster recovery initiative in her office, and indicated that the zinc-whiskers system has a vendor, manager, and has made a very smooth transition. They have named the project "EFORT." Secretary of State Dennis discussed potential legislation concerning the regulation of bingo. She warned that the cost of elections is increasing. Last year the cost for the election was $4.52 per voter. Secretary of State Dennis said she hopes the legislature will talk about making a dollar allocation for elections. Currently, the department receives $0.30 from each county per voter. Senator Fitz-Gerald asked what the Secretary of State's office is doing for outreach. Secretary of State Dennis said they have initiated various websites and links, ads, signage, and staff training.
02:16 PM
The committee discussed the elections outreach, and specifically discussed ads at the University of Colorado and Colorado State University games. Senator Fitz-Gerald asked what type of assurance an elector receives that their registration has reached the Secretary of State's Office. Secretary of State Dennis responded that there is now a tear-off on the bottom of each registration form allowing an elector to track their registration. Senator May asked Secretary of State Dennis if there was any way to streamline the rule-making process. William Hobbs, Deputy Secretary of State, said it is the role of the office to publish the rules and notices, but that each department establishes its own rules. He stated that the office is in the process of developing an electronic system for the rules, but that the entire rule process is extremely cumbersome. There are a number of steps and deadlines involved in the rule-making process; every agency faces this problem. Senator May asked if the electronic system would allow for public comment. Mr. Hobbs said that there would be no place for public comment; however, departments allow for public comment on their specific pages. The committee discussed recommendations for streamlining the system.