2020 Election Rules – DOWNLOAD HERE
Posted: August 18, 2020
CANDIDACY
There are specific requirements to become a Candidate for Altadena Town Council.
- Candidates must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States of America and a registered voter in L.A County. Candidates must permanently reside within the census tract which he/she seeks to represent and must have been a permanent resident of Altadena two years prior to assuming office.
- Each Candidate must complete an Altadena Town Council Application for Candidacy, which must be physically returned. Application will be returned to the location listed on the application or a location arranged in advance by the Election Chair, no later than 5:00 pm on October 9, 2020. Applications received later than this deadline, or at any other locations not arranged in advance by the Election Chair, will not be accepted.
- Each application must be accompanied by a check or money order, made payable to the Altadena Town Council, for thirty-five dollars ($35.00). This is a nonrefundable application fee. No cash accepted.
- Each Candidate is required to submit a written statement of qualifications with their application. Failure to submit a written statement will result in disqualification. The application is not a statement of qualification. The statement will be limited to no more than one 8 1⁄2 x 11” sheet.
- A Candidate must permanently reside at the address listed on the Application and must provide proof of that residency. A copy one of the following must be submitted with application: a current State of California issued Driver’s License or a current State of California issued Identification Card.
- Candidates are to read and must agree to follow and abide by these Rules and the Altadena Town Council Bylaws and Ethical Standards, which are available at www.altadenatowncouncil.org and are included in the application packet.
Each individual requesting an application will be able to download a copy of the application, Welcome Letter with Instructions, and Candidate Information, ATC Bylaws, Ethical Standards, a map showing respective Census Tracts and a copy of these Rules from the web-site. These documents will be available at www.altadenatowncouncil.org. Each Candidate’s completed “Statement of Qualifications” will be posted on the web-site for public viewing.
On October 20, 2020 at the Altadena Town Council meeting Candidates will be given the opportunity to make an oral presentation. In the event that the candidate elects to not make an oral presentation, the Candidate’s statement will be presented or read. It is not required but recommended that each Candidate appear and make an oral presentation of their qualifications, explaining their motivations and goals for seeking office. Oral presentations will be limited to three minutes.
All Candidate Statements will be posted on the ATC website: HERE
Providing false information on the application will result in disqualification.
The election slate of Candidates shall be finalized by majority vote of the Altadena Town Council at the October 20, 2020 meeting.
CAMPAIGNING
1. The Altadena Town Council is a non-partisan advisory body. Candidates must run a non-partisan campaign without claims of affiliation with any organized political party. A political party or club may recommend a Candidate to its members but the Candidate may not use any party endorsements or party identification in their campaign communications or materials.
2. The Election Chair shall provide a booklet of Candidates’ Applications and Statements, or alternate Statements or campaign flyers at each polling place for public viewing. Each Candidate may provide an alternate statement or flyer stating the Candidate’s reason for running and goals. Submission of this information is not required. Any alternate statement or flyer must be provided to the Election Chair on a single 8 1⁄2” x11” sheet of plain paper by 4:30 pm October 30, 2020 if it is to be included in the polling place books. Material submitted as a PDF digital file is welcome. All conforming documents shall be included in each of the polling place books.
3. Candidates may engage in any commonly accepted non-partisan election activity.
4. No campaign signs may be placed or affixed to any utility poles, bus benches, or other objects in the public right of way. All campaign signs placed upon private property may only be so placed with the property owner’s permission.
5. No campaigning may take place within 100 feet of any polling place on Election Day. This includes signs, pamphlets, flyers, buttons, T shirts or speeches. All materials and communications at the poll location related to the election or the Candidates must be approved by the Election Committee. Candidates for office and their staff may only visit a polling place vote, to briefly inspect the polling place or review the election material at the various polling locations.
6. No items of value, including, food, drink, potential employment, clothing or money, other than buttons, fliers or bumper stickers, may be exchanged by any Candidate or Candidate’s Agent, to any other person in a way that could be considered an inducement to vote for any Candidate.
7. Negative campaigning is prohibited. This is to include personal attacks on an opponent, and making knowingly false statements about an opponent. Discussing the record of votes and positions taken by an opponent, factually stated, is not considered negative.
VOTING
1. Any Altadena resident who is at least 18 years of age and is a permanent resident of Altadena may cast one vote for one Candidate from their respective Census Tract, whose name is on the ballot.
2. Voters must show definite proof of name and residency relative to voting in their census tracts. Current California Driver’s licenses, California ID cards, checking accounts, or utility bills are examples of this type of proof.
3. No absentee ballots will be given or counted and no write in ballots will be counted.
4. All polling staff volunteers will be residents of Altadena.
5. A Candidate, a relative of a Candidate or a Candidate’s campaign staff may not work at any polling place.
VOTE COUNT
1. Vote count will be conducted by the Election Committee on the day of the election and Candidates will be notified of their respective tallies as soon as is practical. All ballot boxes will be counted twice, each by a different person. If tallies do not agree, the Election Chair will determine the final count.
2. Each segment of the ballot will be treated as if it were a separate ballot. If it is clear for whom the voter selected in their Census Tract, all other extraneous markings will be ignored and the vote will be counted.
Ballots without a highlighted Census Tract will be considered provisional, and added to the count only if the ballot does not alter the outcome.
3. Candidates may request up to two observers to witness the vote count. Candidates or relatives of Candidates may not count ballots and may not participate in or be present at the counting of ballots.
4. After the count, ballots will be kept at the Community Center office until the election is certified. Ballots may be recounted by the Altadena Town Council Election Committee upon a Candidate’s written request. There will be no recounting of ballots after the election is certified by Town Council.
CHALLENGES
1. Any violation of these Rules, Ethical Standards or By-Laws can result in the disqualification of a Candidate. The Altadena Town Council Election Committee will determine if a rules violation occurred during the election process and if it is significant enough to warrant a recommendation to disqualify a candidate.
2. All election challenges and charges of rules violations must be reported in writing to the Altadena Town Council Election Committee prior to the December 8, 2020 meeting of Executive Committee.
3. If a candidate’s citizenship is challenged, that candidate will be required to submit proof of citizenship to the Altadena Town Council prior to the December 15, 2020 Council meeting.
4. Any recommendation of disqualification by the Election Committee must be placed on the regular December 15, 2019 Altadena Town Council meeting agenda, and any evidence of violation must be provided to all Town Council Members by 5:00 on December 15, 2020.
CERTIFICATION
1. The election will be certified by the Altadena Town Council at the regular December 15, 2020 meeting. This meeting will include the following:
a. The Election Chair will present a comprehensive election report including the voting tallies.
b. Challenges to the election results and any disqualification recommendations will be heard by the Altadena Town Council and will be resolved by a two thirds majority of the Council Members voting.
c. After the disposal of any challenges and recommendations for disqualifications, the Altadena Town Council will certify the election results by a majority of the Council Members voting.
2. The decision to certify the election by the Altadena Town Council shall be final.
