(1115) Elections Division

The Division of Elections maintains the voter registration database, accepts candidate and campaign filings, initiative referendums, and recall petitions. The Division also administers and conducts all federal, state, county, school district and special district elections and administers and conducts municipal elections under agreement with each city. The Division also conducts Landowner elections for Landowner Voting Districts under the Uniform District Election Law of California.

Administered the 2020 Presidential Primary Election and some key accomplishments include:

• Reviewed, verified, and processed 17,346 ballots.
• Implemented Same Day Registration at the polling places with the Tenex e-Poll Books/Tablets. Reducing office voting by 30%.
• Mailed over 80 Military and Oversees Ballots.
• Mailed over 32,407 party confirmation and crossover notices.
• Contacted 500 voters with missing or significantly different signatures to insure that the voter’s ballots are counted.
• Under New Motor Voter Act, the Department of Motor Vehicles will electronically transmit information about DMV customers who are eligible to vote. FY 2019/20 the Elections Division processed 100,000+ transactions.

• Election Officials are being asked to operate with volunteers and extra help (turnover rate exceeds 70%). It is clear that this model is unsustainable, the cost associated with loosing employees and recruiting, selecting and training new employees often exceed cost of the position.
• Governor Newsom singed an executive order requiring Elections Officials to mail a ballot to every registered voter for the May 12, 2020 Special General Election. It is expected that the Governor will make a similar order to all counties for the November 3, 2020 General Presidential Election.
• Pursuant to Assembly Bill 693, permits a voter who is otherwise qualified to register to vote to complete a Conditional Voter Registration, and to cast a provisional ballot during the 14 days immediately preceding an election or on Election Day.
• Pursuant to Senate Bill 29 and Assembly Bill 477, extends the voter ability to resolve incomplete mail ballots and imposes additional duties on Election Officials.

SB-450 California Voter’s Choice Act and other proposed legislation is potentially mandating the implementation , key elements include:

• Vote-by-mail ballots to all voters
• Multiple Vote Centers for extended days to accommodating all voters, instead of specific Polling Place Locations just on Election Day
• Additional staffing of trained and experience election personnel
• Ballot on demand
• Multiple Ballot Drop-off Locations
• Voter Education and Public Process for adopting Vote Center Plans
• Secretary of State approval with implementation potentially in 2020-21
• 2021 Statewide and Local Countywide Redistricting Project commencing after the 2020 US Census with completion prior to the 2022 Statewide Primary Election.