REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion of Impacts of COVID-19 on Administrative Issues for the November 3, 2020 Regular Municipal Election, and Consideration of Adoption of a Resolution Waiving the Signature Gathering Requirement in Sunnyvale Municipal Code Section 2.28.030 and Providing for the City to Cover Publication Costs of City Council Candidate Statements for the November 2020 General Municipal Election due to the COVID-19 Emergency
Report
BACKGROUND
At the March 3, 2020 election, Sunnyvale voters approved Measure B, changing the Sunnyvale electoral system from seven at-large Councilmembers to a system with six district-based Councilmembers and a Mayor elected at-large. The November 3, 2020 Election will be the first election held under the new system, with voters registered in Districts 2, 4 and 6 eligible to vote for a candidate from their respective district and all Sunnyvale voters eligible to vote for Mayor.
The State of California has been operating under a state of emergency since March 4, 2020, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The City of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara County also declared states of emergency, which are anticipated to continue into the Summer months as the state and local jurisdictions continue implementing measures to address the COVID-19 Pandemic. Staff has received questions about how "social distancing" requirements and recommendations may impact the local elections process, including signature requirements, appointments to submit nomination paperwork, and other similar candidacy issues.
This report provides an overview of how the Office of City Clerk will be addressing some of these issues for November 2020 City Council candidates and provides an option for the Council to suspend signature requirements set forth in Sunnyvale Municipal Code (SMC) section 2.28.030 that allow candidates for City Council to receive either a partial or full subsidy from the City for the cost to publish a Candidate Statement of Qualifications.
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