ORIGINAL
AN ACT IN THE COUNCIL
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To amend on
an emergency basis, the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 to
authorize 16 and 17 year old District residents to serve as pollworkers
under regulations promulgated by the District of Columbia Board of
Elections and Ethics.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act
may be cited as the "Youth Pollworker Emergency Amendment Act of
2002".
Sec. 2. Section 5(e)
of the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, approved August 12,
1955 (69 Stat. 700; D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.05(e)), is amended by
adding a new paragraph (4) to read as follows:
"(4) The Board
shall select, appoint and fix the compensation of temporary election
workers to operate the polling places, including precinct captains, who
shall oversee the operations of polling places, and polling place
workers who shall assist the precinct captains, in accordance with rules
and regulations prescribed by the Board. Precinct captains shall be
qualified registered electors in the District of Columbia. Polling place
workers shall be qualified registered electors in the District of
Columbia; provided, that the Board may also appoint as polling place
workers, District residents who are 16 or 17 years of age on the day
that they are working in this capacity, who are enrolled in or have
graduated from a public or private secondary school or an institution of
higher education.".
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact
statement. This legislation will not have a fiscal impact. This
legislation helps the Board fill pollworker positions that are funded but
have gone unfilled in prior election cycles. The legislation does not
create any mandate for the Board to hire additional pollworkers or spend
additional funds. This measure clarifies the existing statutory language
regarding pollworkers and allows District youth between the ages of 16 and
18 to serve as pollworkers.
For example, the
Board recruited 1,622 pollworkers for the November 7, 2000, General
Election. These positions were funded in its budget, however, only 1,402
persons reported to work on election day. The legislation provides the
Board with another source of pollworkers so that the Board can fill more
or all of its funded positions. As a result, the legislation will not have
any adverse fiscal impact on the Board or on the District of Columbia
government.
In addition, the
legislation positions the District for a potentially positive fiscal
impact. H.R. 3295, was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on
December 12, 2001. This measure is now being considered by the U.S. Senate
and would authorize $55 million in FY 2002, and such sums as may be
necessary in subsequent years, to fund a new Help America Vote Foundation
that would provide grants to election agencies for secondary school
students to serve as non-partisan poll workers or assistants. Enactment of
this legislation would enable the Board to apply for grant funds from the
Help America Vote Foundation if the federal legislation is also enacted.
Sec. 4. Effective
date
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the
event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto),
and shall remain in effect for no longer than 90 days, as provided for
emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section
412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24,
1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)).
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
Mayor
District of Columbia