County preps for voting changes

An extensive outreach campaign will ramp up as the June 2018 primaries mark the county’s early implementation of the Voter’s Choice Act. This new election model includes replacing traditional polling places with vote centers open to anyone looking to cast their San Mateo County ballot, regardless of precinct. It also includes every registered voter in San Mateo County being automatically sent a mail-in ballot 28 days prior to Election Day. The county has been progressive in expanding all-mail elections as a means to increase voter turnout, and was the first in 2015 to pilot the system.

“We were certainly honored to have the secretary of state visit us,” said Mark Church, San Mateo County’s chief elections officer. “It was appropriate that he was here on National Voter Registration Day. It’s important that we raise awareness of the significance of voting. The right to vote is a sacred and precious right which is the foundation of our democracy.”

Padilla, an elected official whose diverse duties include acting as California’s Chief Elections officer, spoke to San Mateo County supervisors in Redwood City Tuesday morning.

“I want to begin by thanking you for being a leader in how we’re modernizing our election, for making it more convenient, keeping it secure, but making it more convenient for voters who are registered to actually cast their ballots,” Padilla said, according to a live video of the meeting. 

He commended the county for piloting the all vote-by-mail election, information from which bolstered the Legislature’s support for last year’s passage of Senate Bill 450. That new statewide law, the Voter’s Choice Act, will enable jurisdictions to host all vote-by-mail elections under certain conditions.  

Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, authored legislation allowing San Mateo County to premiere the countywide all-mail ballot two years ago.

“I think it’s indicative of the county’s leadership on the issue that we have the secretary of state visiting us on National Voter Registration Day and San Mateo County has been a leader all along on the trend toward voting by mail,” Mullin said after the meeting.

Mullin joined Padilla Tuesday to visit local high school students and discuss the importance of voting.  

Outreach leading up to the highly-anticipated 2018 gubernatorial elections will be critical to educating all voters about changes on how San Mateo County residents participate in the democratic process.

Voting options

Registered voters will automatically be sent a ballot with a postage-paid envelope that can be returned by mail or dropped off. Instead of traditional polling places where people must vote within their precinct, the county will set up centers where San Mateo County voters, regardless of address, can cast their ballots.

While officials are hopeful this will help capture trends toward voting by mail while also making voting in person more accessible, people should know what to expect.

“We have to inform them on the additional options they have — vote by mail, vote in person anywhere in the county,” Padilla said. “These are great tools but voters will only [use] these options when they’re made aware.”

Church agreed, noting avoiding voter-confusion is critical and the county has budgeted $221,000 toward initial outreach efforts. His office may ask the Board of Supervisors for additional funding down the road, he said after the meeting.

The June 2018 primary will mark the next election when the new system is enacted and made permanent going forward. It includes more advanced technology with real-time data enabling registered participants to cast ballots at any San Mateo County voting center regardless of where they live. The number of vote centers will increase as the election nears — starting with three open 29 days before the official election. Ten days before the election, there will be one center per 50,000 registered voters or about eight in the county. Starting three days before the election, the law mandates one center per 10,000 voters which equates to about 39 centers. At a minimum, there will be at least one center in every city and there will also be polling boxes where ballots can be dropped off, Church explained.

As the number of voting centers is based on population, it could ultimately mean there are fewer places where people can vote in person. But officials have noted the increasing trend for locals to avoid the in-person polls as 67 percent of San Mateo County’s registered voters have signed up to permanently vote by mail.

Outreach

But some members of the public have expressed concerns about traditional polling places closing, particularly in disadvantaged communities. Acknowledging the issue, Mullin said it’s imperative outreach over the coming months be conducted to inform voters of the changes — especially as the gubernatorial race is expected to have Democrats showing up in full force next year as they seek to reclaim a majority in Congress.

“People are very engaged and concerned about the direction of the country,” Mullin said. “I have never seen a more active electorate than you see right now.”

In looking toward the future, Padilla and Mullin are hoping to invigorate new generations of voters. They hosted an event at Sequoia High School to promote pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds and acknowledge school officials who imbue students with the democratic spirit, Mullin said.

While the event’s focus was on young people who traditionally vote at lower rates, Mullin said he hopes the sea change in the state’s electoral system will help keep people engaged in one of the most important aspects of democracy.

“If you’re not voting, you simply have opted out of participating in the process,” Mullin said. “It’s about self determination and self governance. And you simply can’t overstate the importance of voting, not only as an individual but being part of a collective that charts a course for a community, or a state or a country.”

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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