Approved: June 20, 2024, Updated for actual election dates and locations August 7, 2024 and August 27, 2024

The following procedures fall within the guidelines established in the UCPG Operating Procedures V1.0 and provide operational details for a hybrid election.

The initial board election for the Uptown Community Planning Group will commence upon a vote of the San Diego City Council accepting the Vibrant Uptown application to be the successor CPG for Uptown. City Policy 600-24 (amended) will require an election be held within 90 days. This requires some deviation from the regular election schedule as described in the UCPG Operating Procedures.

All seats will be considered as vacancies. As seats are filled in the initial election, the regular election cycle starts, so some seats may be for partial terms based on the cycle schedule for each seat. Open seats are filled in order based on the highest number of votes to the lowest.

Individual seats are set to be up for election in a specific election cycle, each cycle covering ⅓ of the seats on the board. (It is assumed that seats come up for election in 3 year cycles, with the following distribution. The numbers 1-3 represent an election cycle, such that 6 seats are up for election in each cycle, each seat has a 3 year term (after initial cycles), and only one seat from each neighborhood is up in any one election cycle. Any vacancies may be added to the next regular election.

Business seats are managed on a different distribution, although still aligned to the normal election cycles:

Five (5) are designated as open seats with a maximum distribution of 2 to a single neighborhood. All voters can cast votes for these seats.
One is elected from eligible non-profit organizations based in Uptown. All voters can cast votes for this seat
Two are appointed (A) by the board based on nominations from large employers

Election Scope

This election is for All cycles assuming 18 Vacancies.

The election will allow both in-person and online voting All voting will be electronic, the process managed using Election Buddy software.

Election Timing

Elections will be held in multiple locations and at times convenient to as many residents as possible and spread across our neighborhoods, including online options for those who can attend in person voting.

In person voting will be held prior to the close of the election and seating of the new board:

On election night (August 20, 2024) from 6-9 PM at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego. This event was suspended early.
A second in person voting event held from 6:00-8:00 PM on Friday, August 30 at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego

Online voting will open August 8, 2024, 2 weeks prior to closing of the election with information sent to registered voters upon opening of the election (or within 24 hours of validated registration after that date) Online registration closes 1 hour prior to closing of the election. In person registration will be offered up until the close of in person voting

Election Registration

Per the UpCPG operating procedures, prospective voters will provide identification to qualify them as an owner, renter or business/non-profit representative. Once validated, each voter will be assigned a unique identifier by entry into the voter roll.

The only information retained about a voter will be basic contact information (Name, Address, Phone, email) to prevent multiple ballots being provided to the same individual or business. No other information is to be retained and it will not be tied to their voting identifier after the election is complete. This contact information will be destroyed once the election results are finalized and any challenges are completed.

Contact information may be retained if authorized by the voter to receive future mailings, but in no case will this remain associated with a vote cast. A choice to be added to the mailing list will be included on the registration form.

Voter registration opened June 15. The association between voter contact information and voter ID is managed through the election system. The person assigned to retain this list (registrar) may not be involved in tabulation of the votes. This list is destroyed once voting closes.

Ballots

Multiple ballots are to be created, one for each neighborhood. A voter is assigned to a ballot as their registration is confirmed as they are entitled to vote for all seats open in their neighborhood and all at-large seats.

Each ballot will contain each of the candidates listed by seat category (owner, renter, business) in random order.

The ballot will be unique to each voter. Virtual voting IDs are managed by the software. In person voting will involve registration and then sending the ballot to a shared device by the poll worker. Once the election is complete these voter ID numbers will not be able to be tied back to an individual.

Each ballot format will be approved by the election committee prior to opening of the election. Normally this would be approved by the board

At the Poll (Election Process)

When a voter approaches the poll to cast their vote there are potentially two tables set up at in-person locations.

Registration

The registration table is set up to register voters or to replace spoiled ballots.

Unregistered voters have their qualifications checked per the UpCPG operating procedures and a voter is registered in the system, which assigns a unique ID. The ballot may be sent to the user to vote on site using their personal device, or transferred to a shared kiosk device.

Registered voters who have lost their voter link may have their ballot marked as “spoiled” and a new ballot issued

Registered voters who have their voting link and ballot type info previously provided may proceed to Voting

Voting

Online voters will be emailed or texted the link and voter ID necessary to cast their ballot.

In-Person voters will be given the appropriate kiosk with their ballot loaded with candidates appropriate for their neighborhood or can elect to have the ballot delivered to them by email or SMS.

Voters cast votes for up to one candidate for each seat. If a ballot is spoiled they can notify the poll workers where it will be “spoiled” and a new ballot issued. Online ballots are open for change until the closing of the election prior to the March regular board meeting.

The election closes promptly at 8 PM and online voting access is no longer available. Any in-person voters in line at that time will be given the opportunity to cast their votes.

Tabulation of Votes

Once the election has closed and all votes are cast, the vote is closed in the electronic system. The full list of registered voters is retained until the election is final and any challenges are complete.

Once the election is closed and the results verified by the election committee, it is published.

The election is by plurality. The candidate with the highest number of votes for an individual seat is to be declared the winner. In the case of a tie, the candidates or a representative assigned for them if they are not present will flip a coin to determine the winner.

The tabulated results consisting of votes cast for each seat are presented to the newly elected board, who will announce the winners at the board meeting following the closing of the election. New members will be seated immediately after the close of the election as this will be the initial board. The Election Committee chair will notify the Planning department representative, city councilperson, and Uptown Planners chair that the requirements for recognition have been met and the newly elected board will be the recognized CPG for uptown from that point forward. Large Employer seats are appointed by the new board at a future meeting.

Challenges

Any challenges to the results of the election must be provided, in writing, within 24 hours following the announcement of the results to the chair of the UpCPG to contact@uptowncommunityplanning.org. All challenges will be provided to the new board for action.

Challenges will be read publicly and discussed at the next board meeting. Any candidates directly involved in the challenge will be granted up to 10 minutes to make their case. A simple majority of the board may choose to uphold or deny the challenge. This decision is final

Once all challenges are exhausted, the election committee will transfer the contact information to the mailing list excluding any voter contact information where the voter has not granted permission to retain such.

Closing

As the initial board, the new board will be seated following close of voting and details provided to the designated planning department contacts, city council person and former CPG chair by the election committee chair.

Once the election and any challenges are closed, the results will be published on the UpCPG web site and social media.

UCPG Initial Election Procedures