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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

BOARD OF ELECTIONS
WASHINGTON, DC 20003-4733

VIA EMAIL 
 

Monday, July 27, 2020


 
The Honorable Muriel Bowser
Mayor of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW   
Suite #406
Washington, DC  20004
 
The Honorable Charles Allen
Ward Six Member of the Council
Chair
Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite #110
Washington, DC 20004 

RE: OPEN POLLING PLACES EMERGENCY AMENDMENT ACT OF 2020


 
Dear Mayor Bowser and Councilmember Allen:
 
We received the proposed bill titled the “Open Polling Places Emergency Amendment Act of
2020.” After reviewing the legislative language, we would like to take this opportunity to ensure
that we understand the proposed requirements, and share our preliminary plan to
operationalize them. I will also share our support needs accordingly. I feel compelled to state
that, but for the current COVID-19 Health Emergency declared for the District of
Columbia, the nation, and the entire world, the DCBOE would be conducting the November
2020 election as it has successfully for many election cycles. We would
have approximately one week of early in-person voting and open 144 precinct-based polling
places for Election Day voting. These are far from normal times. Many often fail to note this
fact. 
 
The DCBOE will operate no less than 80 polling places on November 3, 2020 Election Day. In
order to maximize voter convenience, these polling places will serve every registered voter,
regardless of residence. Thus, an eligible voter in DC can cast their vote at any of the 80 polling
places. Our experience in the primary was that in-person voting is heaviest in Wards 7 and 8,
and next heaviest in Wards 4 and 5. Thus, we would like to skew the in-person polling places to
those Wards. Input regarding polling place locations from Council Members from those Wards is
critical. We need the input of the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM) and the Council by July
31. We will finalize the locations of these polling places based upon such input, as well as our

1015 Half St SE Suite 750 ● www.dcboe.org ● Telephone (202) 727-2525 ● TTY 711 ● Fax (202) 347-2648
analysis of the availability of facilities we have traditionally utilized. We request that the
Department of General Services (DGS) be assigned the task of cleaning the polling places before,
during, and after early and election day voting. This will be critical for all polling places, but
exceptionally so for polling locations that are DC Public Schools (DCPS). To that end, the DGS
cleaning plan for DCPS should maximize safety for all students, instructors, and staff.

We will operate two Early Voting Centers in each Ward. We are also planning to operate voting
locations that we are classifying as Super Vote Centers. Most notably, the Capital One Arena has
been offered for our use as a voting location. These Super Vote Centers will allow us to achieve
our pre-pandemic efficiency of processing thousands of voters per location. We are currently
seeking locations in Wards 7 and 8 for use as Super Vote Centers. The Super Vote Centers will
operate both as Early Vote Centers and as Election Day polling places.  
 
Once the Early Vote Centers and Election Day polling places are finalized, the Board will begin an
aggressive campaign designed to provide voters with comprehensive information regarding
when, where, and how they may cast their ballots for the General Election. We recognize that
effective and timely communication regarding the Election is critical to its success, and that such
communication is not inexpensive. We anticipate that we will require public relations services in
excess of a million dollars for an effective public information campaign. I request your support
for an expedited contract approval process. 
 
The number of voting locations that will be in operation for the General Election will require
a workforce of approximately 4,000 workers and reserve who will serve in a wide range
of Election Week jobs. We are very interested in hiring young people at least 16 years of
age. We suggest DCPS students be allowed to receive enhanced community service hours for
working the polls. We request that the EOM and the Council join the DCBOE in the recruitment
of this workforce. Election worker training is scheduled to begin on August 4, and will run
through the first week in October. 
 
Finally, in order to maximize voter and election worker safety during this pandemic, we will mail
a ballot to every DC registered voter without their having to request one. Voters will be able to
mail these ballots back to the Board or deposit them in 40-50 secure drop boxes that will be
located in strategic places throughout the District. Drop boxes are very popular with
voters in states that have successfully administered full-scale vote-by-mail for many years. We
need suggestions from the EOM and Council regarding the location of these drop boxes. We
specifically need the Department of Transportation’s support regarding traffic patterns, etc. In
advance of mailing ballots to every voter, we will message heavily, including through email and
postcards, that voters should confirm or update their residence and mailing addresses. Voters
may also visit the DCBOE website to confirm or update their registration information. As we
have stated many times, the safest way to vote is by mail. 
 
The truth is that unless 85% of DC voters cast their ballots by mail or take full advantage
of early voting, there will be long lines at every Election Day polling place on November 3rd. This
will be due in part to the limited capacity of the typical polling place (and the responsibility to
respect social distancing and other recommended health emergency guidelines) and the
inventory of election equipment that is available for deployment to process voters at the polling
places on Election Day. The DCBOE’s remit is to comply with the statutes governing

1015 Half St SE Suite 750 ● www.dcboe.org ● Telephone (202) 727-2525 ● TTY 711 ● Fax (202) 347-2648
the agency, and we will. I request all voices in DC support and encourage voting by mail or
voting early in-person. 
 
I will end my letter as I began: but for the COVID-19 Health Emergency, a deadly environment
none of us have ever experienced, we would be opening all 144 Election Day polling places and
conducting this process as we have successfully for multiple election cycles.
Thank you in advance for your support to ensure a safe and successful General Election. If
you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

D. Michael Bennett
Chair

cc: Hon. Phil Mendelson, Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia

1015 Half St SE Suite 750 ● www.dcboe.org ● Telephone (202) 727-2525 ● TTY 711 ● Fax (202) 347-2648

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