Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
(Redwood City, CA) The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved and authorized yesterday a new elections model proposed under Senate Bill 450, also known as the California Voter’s Choice Act.
Under the California Voter’s Choice Act model, traditional polling places will be replaced by Vote Centers, which will be open for voting for a greater period, and which will offer expanded voter services including voter registration, multilingual assistance, and disabled access voting options. Every registered voter will also receive a Vote-by-Mail Ballot, which can be returned in any mailbox or special ballot drop boxes located throughout the county, with no postage required. The June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary Election will be the first election conducted under the Vote Center model.
“I commend the Board of Supervisors for their consistently forward-looking approach to elections,” said Chief Elections Officer Mark Church, who presented the new model to the Board. “This bill was developed, in part, based on the successes of our County’s 2015 All-Mailed Ballot Election, the first of its kind in California. That election increased turnout, voter access, and efficiency, and we expect similar results under the Vote Center model.”
The Elections Division will conduct extensive outreach to educate and inform the public, and to hear feedback and recommendations on Vote Center placement and other issues.
The law requires a comprehensive Election Administration Plan (EAP) for elections conducted under the Act. The plan will be prepared in consultation with the Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC), comprised of voters with disabilities, the Language Accessibility Advisory Committee (LAAC), comprised of representatives of language minority communities, and members of the general public.
California Voter’s Choice Act Public Hearings will be held on the following dates:
Public Hearing with Language Community
Thursday, October 12, 2017, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
County Clerk-Recorder’s Office, 555 County Center, Redwood City
Public Hearing with Disability Community
Monday, October 16, 2017, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Board of Supervisors Chamber, Hall of Justice, 400 County Center, Redwood City
Public Hearing of Election Administration Plan
Thursday, January 18, 2018, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Board of Supervisors Chamber, Hall of Justice, 400 County Center, Redwood City
All members of the public are invited to attend.
For more information on the California Voter’s Choice Act and the vote center model, please call 650.312.5222, visit www.shapethefuture.org or follow @smcvote on Twitter.
The press release is displayed in its original format. San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections website now resides at www.smcacre.org