FINAL CPC FY18 Recommendation Election Records — File 205509

COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE FY18 FUNDING RECOMMENDATION FOR PRESERVATION AND ACCESS OF ELECTION RECORDS, CITY OF SOMERVILLE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT, ARCHIVES, AND SOMERSTAT PROJECT DESCRIPTION This project will preserve and provide access to the City of Somerville’s Election Department records (1884-1967) by digitally scanning them and making them available free of charge online. These records include voter lists used at polls, index of registered votes, general register, voter annual registers by ward and precinct, preliminary and general election results, poll taxes, and list of women voters. ELIGIBILITY Historic resources: This project would preserve records that have been determined to be historically significant by the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission. RECOMMENDED FUNDING- PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION On March 28, 2018 by a vote of 5-1 the Community Preservation Committee recommended appropriating $85,100 for this project from the historic resources reserve budget to the control of the City of Somerville Elections Department for the overall purposes summarized in this document. Project Budget Expenses Amount Study $0 Soft costs $111,664.56 Construction $0 Total $111,664.56 Sources CPA historic resources funds- requested $85,100 Other sources- in-kind contributions $26,564.56 Total $111,664.56 JOSEPH A. CURTATONE MAYOR CITY OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE

ALIGNMENT WITH FY18 COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PLAN The Community Preservation Plan prioritizes funding the preservation of historic resources that are at the greatest risk for being lost or irreparably damaged. Some of the election records show evidence of mold. This project would remediate existing mold and stabilize the collection. MEASURES OF SUCCESS Access: Increase ability of users to access historical elections results data and scans of the original records via Preservica’s Universal Access Feature. Preservation: Create digital surrogates of the original election records that will allow for reduced use of the original records Success will be measured through the presence of a complete set of election records accessible through the Preservica Universal Access Feature as well as through the Elections database. The full proposal is available at: https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/community- preservation-act/2018-cpa-projects