Report/Agreement Outlining the Duties and Responsibilities for Conducting Elections in the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District for a four-year period expiring January 1, 2029

City Council Agenda Item Report FROM: Jamie Wolters MEETING DATE: January 13, 2025 SUBJECT: Election Coordinating Contract for Election Coordinating Committee Members and Jurisdictions Contained in Saugatuck School Districts DESCRIPTION: In accordance with Michigan law, every four years the School District Election Coordinating Agreements must be reviewed and retained or updated and signed by the County Clerk, local clerks, and the participating districts. Newly signed contracts must be sent to the Secretary of State or the Secretary of State must be informed the previous contracts will remain in place. The County Clerk has updated the previous agreements to be more thorough in delineating who is responsible for each task. BUDGET ACTION REQUIRED: N/A COMMITTEE/COMMISSION REVIEW: N/A LEGAL REVIEW: N/A SAMPLE MOTION: Motion to approve the City Clerk to sign the Election Coordinating Contract for Election Coordinating Committee Members and Jurisdictions Contained in Saugatuck School Districts.

Bob Genetski

Allegan County Clerk & Register of Deeds

Jackie Porter

Chief Deputy County Clerk

Linda Brower

Chief Deputy Register

Allegan County Building

113 Chestnut Street Allegan, MI 49010 (269) 673-0300 FAX: (269) 673-0298

January 6, 2025 Dear Clerks, In accordance with Michigan law, every four years the School District Election Coordinating Agreements must be reviewed and retained or updated and signed by the County Clerk, local clerks, and the participating districts. Newly signed contracts must be sent to the Secretary of State or the Secretary of State must be informed the previous contracts will remain in place. We have updated the previous agreements to be more thorough in delineating who is responsible for each task. Your specific Election Coordinating Contracts will be sent over in a separate email this week for you to review before signing. The contracts will be available to sign at the following dates/locations: • •

January 15, 2025, from noon-2pm at Happystance Dinette, 8 Center St, Douglas, MI. (signing will take place after the ACCA meeting) January 23, 2025, from noon-2pm at Allegan City Hall, 231 Trowbridge St, Allegan, MI

If you are unable to make it to either of the scheduled signing parties, please reach out to Daron Taylor at 269-673-0290 or dtaylor@allegancounty.org to make other arrangements.

Bob Genetski

ELECTION COORDINATING CONTRACT Effective Dates:_1/1/2025 thru 12/31/2028 Election Coordinating Committee Members and Jurisdictions Contained in the School District Michigan Election law (MCL 168.642c) stipulates that school board elections must be held in November of even years. All other federal, state, county, city, township, and school elections are restricted to the following three dates each year: The first Tuesday after the first Monday in May, August, and November. Date of Election Coordinating Committee Meeting: January 15, 2025 School District: SAUGATUCK School District Election Coordinator: Bob Genetski, Allegan County Clerk/Register Election Coordinating Committee: Saugatuck Public Schools Superintendent Laketown Township Clerk, Jim Delaney Saugatuck City Clerk, Jamie Wolters

City of the Village of Douglas Clerk, Laura Kasper Saugatuck Township Clerk, Cindy Osman

Board Positions: Seven Positions Terms: Four Years Board Position Expiration: Three terms expire in 2026 and four terms expire in 2028 At a meeting held January 15, 2025, the Election Coordinating Committee agreed to share the following duties and responsibilities for conducting elections in the Allegan County School District for a 4-year period expiring December 31, 2028 or until an altered report is filed.

Duties to be Performed for School Elections: Duty Notify Allegan County Clerk when a Board member term becomes vacant. Notify Allegan County Clerk of the number of Board positions to be elected and the length of term Notify County Clerk of the number of unexpired Board positions for partial terms to be elected and term expiration Transmit official ballot question and proposal language in unprotected Microsoft WORD format to the County Clerk not later than 4pm on the twelfth Tuesday before the election (MCL 168.646a(2)) Within 3 days after the appointment to fill a vacancy, provide written notice of appointment to the Election Coordinator (Allegan County Clerk). Notice shall include name, address and office of person who vacated the office and of the person filling such vacancy (MCL 168.311) Page 1 of 4

Election Coordinator

Local Clerk

School Secretary X

X X X

Duty

Receive Filing fees or nominating petitions and affidavits of identity from school board candidates (MCL 168.301) Receive requests from the school board to hold special elections (MCL 168.301, MCL 168.646a) Receive notices of withdrawal of candidate for school board (MCL 168.303) Receive ballot proposal language by resolution of the school board (MCL 168.301, MCL 168.646a) Receive petitions for special elections called pursuant to MCL 168.641(4) (see also: MCL 168.302a & MCL 168.646a) Schedule any special election called pursuant to MCL 168.641(4) Provide notice via email to all coordinating members within 5 business days of filing deadline Set up, proof, and print ballots for all jurisdictions within Allegan County Provide proof of each ballot example, to be used within Allegan County, to school district administration

Election Coordinator

Local Clerk

X X X X X X X X X

Order precinct supplies for all jurisdictions within Allegan County

Program and code voting equipment for all jurisdictions within Allegan County

Provide voting equipment (MCL 168.301)

Issue, distribute, receive and process absent voter ballots (AV ballots) (MCL 168.301

Be available on the weekend preceding Election Day for 8 hours (MCL 168.761b)

Be available on Monday preceding the election for in person election business

Coordinate the hiring and scheduling of election inspectors for each precinct through the city/township election commission.

Perform the Public Accuracy Test on voting equipment and publish the appropriate "notice" for such test

Publication of Notice of Registration and Notice of Election for all jurisdictions within Allegan County in the Allegan News QVF responsibilities: Setting up election parameters in QVF, Printing precinct lists, Updating voter history. [Local clerk shall notify county if assistance with QVF precinct list printing & voter history updating is needed.] Provide and prepare precincts for election day Provide election day "support"/"troubleshooting" for all jurisdictions within Allegan County Present election results to the Allegan County Board of Canvassers for the Official Canvass of the school election (MCL 168.307) Page 2 of 4

School Secretary

Shared w/local

X Shared w/Co.

Duty Store voted ballots after the election. Provide notice to individuals declared elected within 5 days of certification of election (MCL 168.309) and deliver "Certificate of Election" (MCL 168.308) Within 10 days after notification by the Election Coordinator of election or appointment to the school board, each member-elect must file an "Acceptance of Office" with the Secretary of the School Board who shall forward a copy to the Election Coordinator (Allegan County Clerk) MCL 168.309. Before assuming the duties of the Board, the elected member shall be administered the oath of office by an individual authorized under law. Prepare a verified account of the actual costs of conducting a special election and present those costs to the school President not later than 84 days after the date of that election

Election Coordinator

Local Clerk X

School Secretary

Pay or disapprove all or a portion of the verified account of actual costs of conducting the election within 84 days after receiving the verified account (MCL 168.315)

Early Voting There will be no Early Voting for Special School Elections or Elections that are not Statewide or Federal. Reimbursement Reimbursement of Costs Associated with School Elections: School districts, intermediate school districts and community college districts are required to reimburse any expenses incurred by a county, city or township when conducting a regular or special election on behalf of the district. If a regular or special school election is held in conjunction with another election conducted by the county or local jurisdictions involved, the school district, intermediate school district or community college district is responsible for any added costs attributable to the conduct of the district's regular or special election. If a regular or special school election is not held in conjunction with another election conducted by the county or local jurisdictions involved, the district is responsible for 100% of the costs attributable to the conduct of the district's regular or special election (MCL 168.315). To initiate the reimbursement process, itemized invoices for the reimbursement of election-related expenses shall be sent to the Allegan County Clerk by the local clerks within fourteen (14) days of the election. The County Clerk shall send a consolidated statement of those itemized expenses to the School District that will show the amounts owed to the county and each local jurisdiction, no later than the 84th day after the date of the election. The School District shall pay directly to the Allegan County Clerk any reimbursable expenses incurred in relation to the school election according to the reimbursement guidelines. Upon receipt of said payment, the County Clerk shall reimburse the local jurisdictions. Upon the receipt of a reimbursement request, the school board must "pay or disapprove all or a portion of the verified account" within 84 days. Upon the request of a county, city or township, the school board is required to review any disapproved costs with the county, city or township. If an agreement on the disapproved costs cannot be reached, the Secretary of State is responsible for resolving the matter. County and local jurisdictions must use the cost factors and standards established by the Department of State for the administration of the presidential primary reimbursement program when preparing reimbursement requests for school elections. Precinct Boundaries & Polling Places Precinct boundaries and polling places shall be the same as all city and township boundaries used for federal elections.

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Signed and dated on __________, 2025 by the members of the Election Coordinating Committee or their designee.

Allegan County ClerkBob Genetski Election Coordinator

City of the Village of Douglas Clerk

Laketown Township Clerk

Saugatuck Township Clerk

City of Saugatuck Clerk

Saugatuck Public Schools Superintendent

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