DATE: April 7, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: James A. Kus, County Clerk/Registrar of Voters
SUBJECT: County Clerk-Elections Budget Transfer No. 59
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Clerk of the Board to execute Budget Transfer No. 59 transferring FY 2025-26 appropriations in the amount of $6,504 from Account 7295 (Professional & Specialized Services) to Account 8300 (Equipment), Program No. 92109 within County Clerk-Elections Org 28500600, for the purchase of a paper folder.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will transfer $6,504 in existing FY 2025-26 appropriations from Org 28500600, Account 7295 to Org 28500600, Account 8300, Program No. 92109, which will allow for the purchase of a paper folding machine to reduce the processing time and expense of preparing required election mailers. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended action is not approved, the Department would continue folding letters by hand and forego an opportunity to reduce processing time and expenses.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Approval of the recommended action will transfer $6,504 in existing FY 2025-26 appropriations from Org 28500600, Account 7295 to Org 28500600, Account 8300, Program No. 92109.
DISCUSSION:
The County Clerk/Registrar of Voters is required to issue time-sensitive voter notifications pursuant to California Elections Code. These include vote-by-mail cure notices to be mailed within 24 hours of a ballot being challenged and death-related pre-cancellation notices.
The volume of cure notices fluctuates daily and can increase significantly as ballots are processed during an election period. During the November 2025 election, the Department mailed more than 4,900 vote-by-mail cure notices over a multi-week period, with individual daily volumes ranging from fewer than 100 notices to more than 1,100 notices. These notices must be printed, folded, and prepared for mailing the same day to comply with statutory deadlines.
Folding and preparation of these notices is performed manually, creating workflow bottlenecks between printing, folding, and delivering to the Information Technology Services Department - Graphics Division for metering. These bottlenecks place significant strain on staff and increase the risk of delayed mailings during peak election periods.
Staff evaluated available folding equipment and determined that the MBM 408A paper folding machine meets the operational needs of the department. The MBM 408A is a stand-alone unit requiring only electrical power and supports the standard folds used for cure letters and voter file maintenance notices. Approval of the recommended action will help the Department improve efficiency, reduce staff workload, and help ensure compliance with statutory mailing requirements.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Budget Transfer No. 59
CAO ANALYST:
Amy Ryals