Newsletter - Volume 11, Issue 1

MARIN VOTES

The Marin County Elections Department Newsletter for Poll Workers

August 2017

COLLEEN’S COLUMN

By Colleen Ksanda / Precinct Coordinator

Last year, 1452 Election Day workers successfully conducted 2 federal elections at Marin County’s polling places: the June 7th Presidential Primary Election, and the November 8th Presidential General Election.

In June, 704 Election Day workers were assigned, including 89 new persons, and 20 high school students. This number rose to 748 in November’s election, with 102 new persons, and 60 high school students.

In June, 93 polling places were open for voting and 92 polling places in November. The busiest precinct in June was at the Fairfax Women’s Club, processing 394 voters. November’s busiest precinct was at United Methodist Church, in Novato, with 492 voters.

Voter turnout was 67.75% in June, and even higher in November, at 88.96% – the highest turnout in California! Marin County has now led the state’s 58 counties in voter turnout for the last 2 presidential elections. (Voter turnout in Marin for the 2012 presidential election was 87.4 %.)

If you participated in last year’s elections – THANK YOU! We appreciate your time and hard work, and for following polling place procedures as instructed. Your understanding of election procedures and their importance in making the voting experience go smoothly on Election Day is how we protect the public’s trust and integrity of the elections process.

Thank you to all our poll workers, past and present, for providing voters with a high level of service on Election Day to make each election in Marin County a success!

UNIFORM DISTRICT ELECTIONS GONE BY 11/8/2022

The Uniform District Election (UDEL) is the November odd-year election in which cities, schools, and special districts regularly schedule their elections.

However, on 9/1/15, the Governor signed Senate Bill 415 that prohibits local jurisdictions (e.g., cities, school districts, and special districts) from holding elections on dates other than statewide election dates if a regularly scheduled election for that jurisdiction on any other date has previously resulted in turnout that is at least 25% less than the average turnout within that jurisdiction for the last four statewide general elections.

Because voter turnout in the UDEL has been 25% below the average turnout within each jurisdiction for the previous four statewide general elections, elections for city council and district board members will have changed from November odd-year elections to a statewide even-year election date by the November 8, 2022 general election (the deadline set by SB 415). After that, the November odd-year election date will be for special elections only.

Most school and special districts have already moved their elections to November 6, 2018. The remaining districts and the cities will be phasing out gradually from November odd-year elections, and will be in this November’s election, provided they have enough candidates to go to ballot.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE ELECTIONS IN 2017/2018

Local jurisdictions may call an election for an established election date no later than 88 days before Election Day. We mail poll worker recruitment letters 3 to 4 months prior to each scheduled election.

• November 7, 2017 Local District Election
• March 7, 2018 Special Election (No election is scheduled at this time)
• June 5, 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election
• November 6, 2018 Gubernatorial General Election

NEW ELECTION LAWS

These new election laws will change procedures at the polls beginning November:

CONDITIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION (CVR) ~ County residents can now register and vote a CVR provisional ballot on Election Day at the Elections Office. Once voter eligibility is verified, their votes will count.

Poll workers should direct voters who are not registered to the Elections Office to register and vote a CVR provisional ballot.

BALLOT SELFIES ~ Voters can now take a photo of their ballot (a “ballot selfie”) to post on social media. Except for “ballot selfies” and credentialed media, picture taking or filming is not allowed in or outside the polling place.

Poll workers need to use discretion to make sure that “ballot selfies” do not cause a disruption at the polls.

SECRETARY OF STATE’S REVIEW OF POLLING PLACES

During the November 2016 election, a poll monitor from the California Secretary of State’s Office visited eight Marin County polling places to observe voting, and opening and closing procedures.

The follow-up report stated that overall Marin County did a very good job. Poll workers were helpful and informative, and one poll site received a positive review for its curbside voting station.

According to the report, Marin County’s greatest room for improvement comes in the area of provisional voting. At one location, poll workers didn’t seem sure if college students, who were confused about their registration, could vote a provisional ballot. The report concluded with a recommendation to review this scenario with poll workers in 2017, and how Conditional Voter Registration should help with this type of situation.

We’ll go over both the provisional ballot and the new CVR provisional ballot in the poll worker training classes for November’s election. Training handouts and exercises will emphasize the difference between these two provisional voting methods, and the changes to the procedures for issuing provisional ballots at the polls now that conditional voter registration is available.

MARIN COUNTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS REPORT
FOR ELECTIONS IN 2016

GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK

If you have any suggestions or ideas of what should be covered in our next newsletter, submit them to Colleen Ksanda or call (415) 473-6439.

Follow the Elections Department on Facebook for updates and more.