Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
(Redwood City, CA) Today, Mark Church, San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder submitted the County’s California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) Election Administration Plan (EAP) to the Office of the California Secretary of State for review and approval for the conduct of elections under the VCA.
In accordance with the law, San Mateo County is required to amend its present EAP within two years after its initial adoption (March 30, 2018) and every four years thereafter. The new EAP will govern the administration of elections under the VCA for the period January 2020 through January 2024.
“San Mateo County is proud to have been one of the first counties in the state to conduct June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary and November 6, 2018 Statewide General Elections under the VCA,” stated Church. “The implementation of the Voter’s Choice Act in San Mateo County successfully resulted in historic increases in voter participation and accessibility to the electoral process amongst all voting groups.”
The updated EAP is the result of broad community input through public hearings and recommendations received from members of the County’s Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee, Language Accessibility Advisory Committee, and Voter Education and Outreach Advisory Committee. “One of the key components of the EAP is the County’s Voter Education and Outreach Plan,” said Church. “The Voter Education and Outreach Plan describes in detail the County’s efforts to serve all segments of the County’s voting population with particular emphasis on increasing accessibility to persons with disabilities, seniors and language minorities,” added Church.
In accordance with Elections Code Section 4005 (a)(IO)(I)(i), the Office of the California Secretary of State has 14 days from the date of submittal to review and approve the Voter Education and Outreach Plan of our EAP. Once approved by the Secretary of State, San Mateo County’s EAP becomes the official plan for the administration of elections under the VCA.
All-Mailed Ballot – Vote Center Election Model for the March 3, 2020 Election
The March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election will be the fourth election San Mateo County conducts under the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) model. It is the first Presidential Primary Election to be held under the VCA.
Traditional polling places have been replaced by Vote Centers, which will be open for voting for an extended 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 voters can return with no postage required in any mailbox or into secure county ballot drop boxes located throughout the county.
For more information, call 650.312.5222, visit www.smcacre.org or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @smcvote.