ALMOST. ALRIGHT THE GOOD GOOD
AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. SENATE
COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS AND
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS WILL
COME TO ORDER UM, SENATE
CONTINUES TO WELCOME THE PUBLIC
AND HAS PROVIDED ACCESS TO BOTH
IN PERSON AND TELECONFERENCE
PARTICIPATION FOR PUBLIC
COMMENT. FOR INDIVIDUALS WISHING
TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT VIA
THE TELECONFERENCE SERVICE.
PARTICIPANT, TOLL FREE NUMBER.
IS 877. 2668216 IT'S ON YOUR
SCREEN AND THE ACCESS CODE IS
57000. WE ALSO HAVE
REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE
PARTICIPATING REMOTELY. FOR OUR
REMOTE PARTICIPANTS. PLEASE MOVE
MUTE YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTERS
SELECT MUTE BEFORE YOU BEGIN
SPEAKING WHEN YOUR PANEL IS
CALLED ALRIGHTY PERSONNEL WILL
PUT YOU BACK ON MUTE WHEN YOU
ARE DONE ONCE RECOGNIZED TO
SPEAK. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CAN
BE SEEN ON THE SCREEN. STATE
YOUR NAME AND THEN YOU ARE READY
TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE.
TODAY'S HEARING WILL BE HEARING
ALL OF THE PANEL OF WITNESSES ON
THE AGENDA PRIOR TO TAKING
PUBLIC COMMENT. ONCE WE'VE HEARD
FROM ALL THE WITNESSES WHO WILL
HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO COMMENT ON
THE TOPICS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
THIS AFTERNOON, WE WILL BE
PROVIDING OVERSIGHT TO ONE OF
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN
CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS OVER THE
PAST DECADE. CALIFORNIA VOTER
CHOICE ACT AUTHORED BY SENATOR
ALLEN. CHANGED HOW COUNTIES
CONDUCT ELECTIONS AND PROVIDED
VOTERS WITH ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
BEFORE VOTING. EXCUSE ME WHEN
VOTING. UNDER THE VOTER CHOICE
ACT, VOTERS ARE SENT TO VOTE BY
MAIL BALLOT AND ABLE TO VISIT
ANY VOTE CENTER IN THE COUNTY IN
THE BOAT IN THE VOTERS COUNTY
PRIOR TO AND ON ELECTION DAY.
BOTH TO RETURN A BALLOT. FIX AN
ISSUE AND, UH, AND A VOTE. THE
VOTER CHOICE ACT STATED STARTED
WITH FIVE COUNTIES. AND IS NOW
BEING USED IN 27 COUNTIES. TWO
ADDITIONAL COUNTIES, PLASTER AND
HUMBLE WILL BE USING THIS
ELECTION MODEL IN 2024. WE'VE
ALSO SEEN A LOT HAPPENED SINCE
THAT SENATE BILL 450 BY SENATOR
ALLEN WAS SIGNED INTO LAW. THE
COVID 19 PANDEMIC REQUIRED
ELECTIONS TO BE CONDUCTED
DIFFERENTLY. FOR EXAMPLE, PRIOR
TO THE PANDEMIC, ALL ACTIVE
VOTERS AND VOTE CENTER COUNTIES.
AND IN ALL MAIL BALLOT COUNTIES
AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVED A VOTE BY
MAIL BALLOT. VOTERS IN
TRADITIONAL POLLING PLACE
COUNTIES RECEIVED A VOTE BY MAIL
BALLOT ONLY IF THEY REQUESTED
ONE. LEGISLATION PASSED BY
SENATOR AMBERG. AND SENATOR AND
EXCUSE ME ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
BERMAN DURING THE PANDEMIC.
REQUIRED A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT
TO BE SENT TO ALL ALL ACTIVE
REGISTERED VOTERS IN CALIFORNIA,
REGARDLESS OF THE COUNTY
ELECTIONS. UH SELECTION THEIR
MODEL. THIS PRACTICE WAS MADE
PERMANENT IN 2021. COUNTIES ALSO
NEED TO FIND VENUES FOR POLLING
LOCATIONS IN POLLING WORKERS TO
STAFF THEM. THE PANDEMIC CREATED
A SITUATION WHERE ELECTION
OFFICIALS NEEDED TO BALANCE THE
SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND
ELECTION WORKERS WITH VOTER
ACCESS. IN THE END, IT REQUIRED
EVERYBODY TO ADAPT TO A CHANGING
ENVIRONMENT AND CALIFORNIA'S
ELECTIONS OFFICIALS TOOK ON THE
TASK AND CONDUCTED THESE
ELECTIONS VERY, VERY WELL. NOW
THIS CHANGING ENVIRONMENT IS
WHAT BRINGS US HERE TODAY. ARE
HEARING WILL PROVIDE THE SENATE
WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE
VOTER'S CHOICE ACT FROM THOSE
WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS
PROCESS. WE'LL HEAR FROM THE
SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE FROM
DR MINDY ROMERO, WHO HAS BEEN
STUDYING THE VOTER CHOICE ACT.
ALONG WITH COUNTY ELECTION
OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS. ALL OF WHOM I
KNOW HAVE SPENT A CONSIDERABLE
AMOUNT OF TIME DEDICATED TO
HELPING THE VOTER CHOICE ACT
SUCCEED. NOW THIS HEARING IS NOT
SIMPLY A CHECKING OF THE BOX.
AH, WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT'S
WORKING. AND WHAT'S NOT WORKING.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,
RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE
VOTER CHOICE ACT. THIS IS OUR
OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON WHAT
WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AS A STATE.
AND FOR US TO EVALUATE THE
CURRENT STATE OF THE VOTER
CHOICE ACT AND CONSIDER WHAT
CHANGES IF ANY, NEED TO BE MADE.
WITH THAT. I WANT TO INVITE
ANYBODY TO COLLEAGUES ON THE
DAIS YEAR IF THEY HAVE ANY
COMMENTS TO MAKE, I WANT TO GIVE
THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY. SENATOR
ALLEN. WELL THANK YOU. THANK YOU
, MR CHAIR. FIRST OF ALL, LET ME
THANK YOU AND THE COMMITTEE
STAFF FOR ORGANIZING THIS
HEARING. UH HUH. AND THE AUTHORS
OF THIS REPORT FOR THE VERY, UM,
REALLY EXCELLENT WORK DIVING
INTO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
VOTERS TWICE ACT. OVER THE LAST
FEW ELECTION CYCLES. THIS THIS
BILL WAS VERY MUCH A PRODUCT OF
THIS COMMITTEE AND YOU KNOW YOUR
PREDECESSOR SCOTT, DEREK, DEREK
CHESSON, AND WE WORK REALLY
CLOSELY TOGETHER, TRAVELED TO
COLORADO. LEARNED ABOUT THE
MODEL THERE. UM YOU KNOW, WE DID
THIS BILL BACK IN 2016. AND IT
WAS IN RESPONSE TO RECORD LOW
TURNOUT NUMBERS THAT WE SAW IN
THE 2014 ELECTION. UM WE'RE DOWN
AT 31% OF ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS.
CAST A BALLOT IN THE GENERAL
ELECTION, WHICH, UM AND IT'S
TRUE THAT THAT WAS A LOW TURNOUT
ELECTION IN GENERAL, BUT
CALIFORNIA WAS 43RD IN THE
NATION. UH, EVEN IN THAT CYCLE.
SO IT WAS A LOW INTEREST
ELECTION NIGHT NATIONWIDE. BUT
WE WERE WAY ON THE LOW END
NATIONALLY. AND SO WE WENT TO.
WE LEARNED WE LEARNED ABOUT
WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO THE PRO
TIME KIND OF TASKED. ME AS THE
CHAIR AND THE COMMITTEE WAS
REALLY DOING A DEEP DIVE INTO
THIS ISSUE. WE LEARNED ABOUT
HYBRID MODELS. WE LEARNED ABOUT
MODELS FROM ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY. AS I SAID TRAVEL TO
DENVER WENT AND SAW. THE
ELECTION PROCESS IN PLAY THERE.
AND YOU KNOW, AS HAS BEEN
MENTIONED, AS WE ALL KNOW, WE
JUST TRIED TO CREATE A MORE
FLEXIBLE SYSTEM. THE WAY THAT
WAS REFLECTIVE OF THE REALITIES
OF LIFE TODAY WHERE PEOPLE
AREN'T NECESSARILY AVAILABLE AT
ONE PLACE ON ONE DAY AND ONE
LOCATION AND YOU KNOW, TO VOTE
UNDER ONE TYPE OF CIRCUMSTANCE.
BUT BUT WE NOW CREATED ALL THIS
FLEXIBILITY ALLOWING FOR VOTE BY
MAIL, OF COURSE, REQUIRING THE
CIA COUNTIES TO SEND THESE VOTE
VOTE BY MAIL BALLOTS TO ALL
VOTERS AND THEN SWITCHING FROM
THE TRADITIONAL POLLING. PLACES
TO BETTER EQUIP VOTE CENTERS.
WITH 10 DAYS OF EARLY VOTING.
MAXIMIZING CONVENIENCE SO YOU
COULD PARTICIPATE IN PERSON IF
YOU WANTED TO, OR IF YOU WANTED
TO DROP OFF A BALLOT TO VOTE
CENTER AND ALLOWING FOR ALSO
SAME DAY VOTER REGISTRATION TO
REDUCE RELIANCE ON PROVISIONAL
BALLOTS, WHICH HAS BECOME A
MAJOR PROBLEM AS WELL. AND I'M
JUST I'M REALLY I GO. I WILL SAY
REVIEWING THE REPORT. I'M I'M
I'M PLEASED THAT IN THE END OF
THE DAY, IT SEEMS PRETTY CLEAR
THAT THE ACTORS HAS LARGELY BEEN
SUCCESSFUL IN PROVIDING THE
INTENDED FLEXIBILITY TO VOTERS.
IN SPITE OF ALL THE CHALLENGES
OF THE PANDEMIC AND ALL OF THAT
I THE REPORT TALKS ABOUT
INCREASED TRANSPARENCY. IT TALKS
ABOUT INCREASED ACCOUNTABILITY
AND THE VC ELECTION PROCESS
ALLOWING FOR COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT WITH COUNTIES ON
VOTER OUTREACH IN VOTE CENTER
PLANNING. UH MORE ACCESSIBILITY
TO VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES AND
LANGUAGE BARRIERS, FEWER ISSUES
THAT WERE BEING REPORTED BY
VOTERS THAT PARTICIPATE IN
PERSON AT THE VOTE CENTER IS ONE
OF THE PROBLEMS WE ALWAYS HAD IN
THE OLD DAYS WAS THAT YOU KNOW
THERE'D BE THESE TERRIBLE
PROBLEMS THAT WOULD POP UP ON
ELECTION DAY IN ALL THESE
DIFFERENT SITES, AND THERE WAS
SO LITTLE TIME TO FIX THE
PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU'RE LITERALLY
ON ELECTION DAY. AND YOU KNOW,
THERE'D BE A PROBLEM AT A SITE
ALL OF A SUDDEN I COULD, YOU
KNOW, LEAD TO A HANG UP, AND
THAT WAS THAT. OFTENTIMES THAT
ONE THAT PERSON'S ONE
OPPORTUNITY TO GO VOTE THAT YOU
KNOW THEY MADE THE PLAN TO GO
VOTE ON THAT ONE DAY AND THAT
PROBLEM COULDN'T GET FIXED.
WHEREAS NOW YOU CAN GET THE BUGS
TAKING CARE OF REALLY EARLY. YOU
ALSO HAVE FAR FEWER CENTERS SO
YOU'RE NOT RELIANT ON SUCH A
MASSIVE WORKFORCE. YOU HAVE
PEOPLE WHO CAN REALLY GET
TRAINED AND CAN REALLY BE
FOCUSED AND REALLY HELPED TO
MAKE THE SITUATION WORK BETTER
AT THOSE SITES. AND YOU GET
THOSE ISSUES ADDRESSED EARLY. SO
THE BY ELECTION THAT YOU DON'T
HAVE AS MANY PROBLEMS UM, WE'VE
ALSO YOU KNOW, NOW SEE THAT, UH,
PROVISIONAL VOTING, WHICH, OF
COURSE REALLY DELAYS. A LOT OF
THINGS IS NEARLY VANISHED IN
COUNTIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED THE V
C. A. NOW THERE CERTAINLY ARE
SOME AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT THAT
THE REPORTS MENTIONED. UM ABOUT
RESOURCES. UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING
, SPENDING SOME TIME LOOKING AT
HOW MORE AND MORE EFFICIENTLY
AND EFFECTIVELY REACH, UH
HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED
VOTERS. UM. YOU KNOW, I THINK I
THINK INCREASED INVOLVEMENT FROM
THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.
IT COULD BE BENEFICIAL AND
MAINTAINING STATEWIDE
COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION
BETWEEN COUNTIES AND SOME OF THE
VOTER ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS
THAT I KNOW WILL BE HEARING FROM
TODAY, SO I'M REALLY LOOKING
FORWARD TO THE PERSPECTIVES. UM
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OTHER THING
THAT CAME UP IN THE REPORT I
KNOW IS THAT YOU SEE A MASSIVE
UPTICK IN PARTICIPATION AS WE
GET CLOSER TO ELECTION DAY. AND
ONE OF THE THINGS I DO REMEMBER
A LOT OF THE COUNTY OFFICIALS
WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE VOTER
CENTERS BEING OPEN AS LONG AS WE
PROVIDED THEM TO BE OPEN. AND
YOU KNOW, THE REPORT DOES. THERE
ARE SOME DATA THAT SUGGESTS, IS
IT? HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT WE
HAVE? ALL THESE CENTERS OPENED
10 DAYS IN ADVANCE. YOU KNOW,
I'M OPEN TO THAT CONVERSATION. I
MEAN, IN THE END OF THE DAY, UM
THIS IS REALLY ABOUT MAKING IT
EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE. YOU
KNOW, IN A SAFE SECURE AND
EFFECTIVE MANNER. AND THAT'S WHY
I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE
COMMITTEE'S ATTENTION TO THIS
AND THIS REALLY IMPORTANT
HEARING TODAY, AND I'M LOOKING
FORWARD TO IT. THANK YOU,
SENATOR ALLEN. SENATOR AMBERG.
THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. JUST SOME,
UH, THANK YOU'S AND KUDOS FIRST.
LET ME START WITH MR MATSUMOTO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
ANALYSIS BOTH TODAY AND
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF YOUR
TIME WITH ELECTIONS COMMITTEE. I
KNOW FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
HEALTH, THOUGHTFUL AND ANALYTIC
AND PASSIONATE. YOU ARE ABOUT
THIS SUBJECT. SO THANK YOU, MR
CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP IN THIS SPACE. UM
CALIFORNIA TAKES PRIDE IN NOW
TAKES PRIDE IN BEING, UM, IN THE
FOREFRONT OF MAKING SURE THAT
THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE AND
I APPRECIATE THAT, AND CENTER
ISLAND, OF COURSE. UM WITH YOUR
ORIGINAL VOTE CENTER.
LEGISLATION WAS VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT AND WE SAW IMPORTANT
WAS IN DURING THE TIME OF COVID
WHEN WE EXPANDED IT, AND WE
PROVIDE EVERYONE FOR MILLION
BALLOTS AND FROM THE TIME IN
2016 WHEN WE WERE INCREDIBLY LOW
UNTIL 2020 WERE THE HIGHEST
TURNOUT, SAYS HARRY TRUMAN WAS
ON THE BALLOT. UM WE? WE? WE, UM
UM, ARE ENGAGED IN CONTINUING TO
MAKE SURE THAT CALIFORNIA'S WHO
ARE ELIGIBLE VOTE HAVE ACCESS TO
THE TO THE VOTE THAT WE
ENFRANCHISE THEM. SADLY SOME
OTHER STATES ARE GOING IN THE
OPPOSITE DIRECTION. WE'RE PROUD
HERE IN CALIFORNIA THAT WE ARE
NOT MOVING IN THE OPPOSITE
DIRECTION IN MY OWN LIFETIME.
I'VE SEEN CALIFORNIA MOVE FROM A
POINT IN TIME WHEN PEOPLE WITH
SIGNS THAT SAID NONCITIZENS MAY
NOT VOTE DRESSED AS POLICE
OFFICERS COULD STAND OUT IN
FRONT OF POINT PLACES AND EVEN
QUESTIONED VOTERS AS THEY
APPROACH THE POLLING PLACE. NOT
ILLEGAL AT THE TIME, WHICH WAS
THE CATALYST FOR ME, ACTUALLY
GETTING INTO ELECTORAL POLITICS.
UH, UNTIL TODAY. SO I ALSO WANT
TO THANK ALL THE REGISTRARS OF
VOTERS. WE HAVE GOOD IDEAS, AND
THEN WE LAUNCHED THESE GOOD
IDEAS AND ARE GOOD IDEAS, THEN
HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY
SOMEONE. AND SOMETIMES THAT'S A
LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING, AND I'M
GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE REGISTRARS
WHO HAVE STEPPED UP OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE WHAT WE THINK ARE GOOD IDEAS
ARE IMPLEMENTED AND EXECUTED IN
A WAY THAT ENFRANCHISED AS MANY
PEOPLE AS ARE ELIGIBLE. SO WITH
THAT THEMES CHAIR. THANK YOU,
SENATOR AMBERG AND I CERTAINLY
WOULD ONLY WANT TO REINFORCE
YOUR PRAISE FOR OUR COUNTY
CLERKS OUT THERE. SOME OF THEM
ARE HERE AND I'M GOING TO
PARTICIPATE, BUT, UH THAT THEY
REALLY ARE AT THE HEART AND SOUL
OF OUR DEMOCRACY, PROTECTING OUR
DEMOCRACY AND EVERYONE'S RIGHT
TO VOTE. AND, UH AND JOINING US
IN AND ENCOURAGING AS MUCH
PARTICIPATION AS POSSIBLE. SO
LET US BEGIN WITH OUR FIRST
PRESENTER. LET ME INVITE THAT
KENYA. JORDAN'S TO COME ON UP,
MR JORDAN'S DEPUTY SECRETARY OF
STATE FOR THE OFFICE OF POLICY
PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION.
MISS JORDAN'S OVERSEES THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VOTER
CHOICE ACT. AND MISS JORDAN. WE
WELCOME YOU TO OUR COMMITTEE.
YOU CAN BEGIN WHENEVER YOU'RE
READY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OH
MY CAR. IT IS. OKAY GOOD
AFTERNOON. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR
CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE. UM MY NAME IS LOOKING
AT JORDAN'S. AND, YES, I SERVED
AS DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR
POLICY AND PLANNING, BUT ALSO
THE VOTER'S CHOICE ACT. AND I'M
HERE TO DELIVER REMARKS ON
BEHALF OF SECRETARY SHIRLEY IN
WEBER, CALIFORNIA'S FIRST
AFRICAN AMERICAN. SECRETARY OF
STATE TO BE NOMINATED AND IT'S
170 YEAR HISTORY, WHICH AGAIN
SPEAKS TO THE GREATNESS OF OUR
STATE AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY. SO
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D
LIKE TO PUT A FEW REMARKS FOR
YOU. AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
FIRST OUR VISION AROUND
STRENGTHEN CALIFORNIA'S VOTING
ENVIRONMENT. SO AS CALIFORNIA IS
THE FOURTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN
THE WORLD, THE MOST DIVERSE
STATE IN THE NATION, WE ALSO
HAVE THE LARGEST VOTING SYSTEM
IN THE NATION. UNDER THE
LEADERSHIP DOCTOR CIGARETTE
SECRETARY JULIAN WEBER, PART OF
ME LEADER THAT HAS ALWAYS STOOD
FOR EQUALITY AND EVERYONE HAVING
A VOICE. CALIFORNIA IS UNIQUELY
POSITIONED TO STRENGTHEN ITS
VOTING ENVIRONMENT. BUILDING
UPON THE HARD ONE PAST
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF FORMER
SECRETARY PADILLA ARE COUNTIES
THIS ESTEEMED COMMITTEE
ADVOCATES AND THOSE WHO HELPED
ESTABLISH THE VOTER'S CHOICE ACT
. SECRETARY WEBER HAS DEVELOPED
A STRATEGIC VISION THAT FOCUSES
NOW ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN
CALIFORNIA'S VOTING ENVIRONMENT.
OUR GOALS ARE TO INCREASE VOTER
PARTICIPATION. TO ENSURE SAFE
ELECTIONS. ACCESS TO ALL
ELIGIBLE VOTERS IN THE STATE,
WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE
INTENTIONAL ABOUT INCLUDING THE
CONSIDERATIONS OF OUR MOST HARSH
REACH POPULATIONS AND TO OUR
HISTORICALLY DISENFRANCHISED
COMMUNITIES. AS OF TODAY,
CALIFORNIA HAS REGISTERED NEARLY
83% OF ALL IS ELIGIBLE VOTERS.
WHICH IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST
REGISTRATION RATES IN THE
COUNTRY. SO WE ARE ALSO A FOCUS
ON ENSURING ACCESS TO THE
PROCESS TO VOTER EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH BY SUPPORTING OUR
COUNTIES IN OUR COMMUNITIES
AROUND THE STATE. THE VOTER'S
CHOICE ACT ENABLES COUNTY TO
DELIVER ELECTIONS IN A MANNER
THAT ALLOWS VOTERS TO HAVE
ACCESS TO VOTING AND VOTING
OPTIONS. IT ALSO REQUIRES
EXTENSIVE VOTER EDUCATION AND
ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.
WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PLANS
THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT LEADING
UP TO AN ELECTION. UNFORTUNATELY
DESPITE THE REQUIREMENT AND THE
CIA COUNTIES TO CONDUCT
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, THERE
WAS NO STATE LEVEL FUNDING IN
THE UPCOMING ELECTION FOR 2024.
WHEN FIRST ENACTED IN CALIFORNIA
, BCH ONLY ENCOMPASSED FIVE
COUNTIES. HOWEVER IT GREW TO 15
COUNTIES IN 2020. WHEN SECRETARY
WEBBER TOOK OFFICE IN 2021. WE
HAD 12 ADDITIONAL COUNTIES
JOINED THAT EFFORT. TODAY AS YOU
HEARD EARLIER AND AS YOU SAID
EARLIER, AND THE SECRETARY
WEAPONS ADMINISTRATION, THE VCA
NOW INCLUDES 29 COUNTIES, WHICH
ENCOMPASSES HALF OF ALL COUNTIES
IN THE STATE AND 76% OF THE
STATE'S REGISTERED VOTERS. THE
SHEER NUMBERS ALONE UNDERSCORES
THE IMPORTANCE AND URGENCY THAT
AS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT, WE
IDENTIFY VOTER EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH FUNDING TO SUPPORT OUR
COUNTIES AND OUR VOTERS. I WANT
TO TALK A MINUTE ABOUT THE
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH FUNDING
EFFORT SECRETARY HAS MADE SO FAR
. UM, WHEN SHE TOOK OFFICE IN
2021, WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN
WORKING WITH THE LEGISLATURE TO
AUTHORIZE FUNDING FOR BC
COUNTIES AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL
IN GETTING THE FUNDING. AND THEN
IN 2021 AND 2022 LEADING UP TO
THE PRIMARY IN GENERAL ELECTIONS
. SHE ALSO CAME OVER AND WAS
SUCCESSFUL TO NEGOTIATE FUNDING
FOR THOSE YEARS. SHE ALSO SAID
THAT THAT'S REALLY NOT
NEGOTIATED PART OF ME, UM, THE
FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING,
WHICH WAS NEEDED TO FOR
OVERSIGHT AND COMPLIANCE AND FOR
EDUCATION AND NOT REACH IN FOR
RESEARCH. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE
THAT THE CIA COUNTIES HAVE A
VERY HIGH LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND
REQUIREMENTS SO BEYOND PROVIDING
MORE DAYS IN MORE WAYS TO VOTE,
THERE IS OUR SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES
. EVERY COUNTY MUST TAKE ONE
SPECIFIC ACTIVITY IS DELIVERING
TO DIRECT CONTEXT TO ALL VOTERS
THAT TENDS TO BE 17 MILLION
PEOPLE AND THE BUDGET AND BURDEN
OF THAT PARTICULAR REQUIREMENT
IS HEAVY ON COUNTIES. I THINK
YOU'LL HEAR FROM THEM TODAY,
THEY'LL TELL YOU THEMSELVES THAT
THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE
MODIFICATIONS AND THAT
REQUIREMENT UM THE OTHER HIGH
COST IS IN THE 11 DAY VOTE
CENTERS, SECURING LOCATIONS FOR
11 DAYS AT A TIME HAS WE'VE
HEARD UM, COUNTIES HAVE BEEN A
BURDEN ON THEM AS WELL. BUT MOST
IMPORTANTLY, IS THE COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT PIECE, AND WE THINK
THAT PEACE CAN ONLY BE DONE WITH
THE PARTNERSHIP OF COMMUNITY
BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND THE
COUNTIES THEMSELVES. UM BECAUSE
YOU HAVE PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT
COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE DIFFERENT
NEEDS AND SO TRYING TO MEET
VOTERS WHERE THEY ARE IS OF, UM,
SUPER IMPORTANT. UM, SO I ALSO
WANT TO TALK ABOUT JUST THAT
PIECE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. OUR
OFFICE HAS ACTUALLY WORKED WITH,
UM, SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS OVER
THE PAST ELECTION SECRETARY
WEBER HAD A VISION TO ESTABLISH
GROUND LEVEL PARTNERSHIPS, AND
SHE BEGAN A PROGRAM CALLED THE
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. THROUGH THAT
PROGRAM. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO
PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH
AS NASA, LEO THE Y M C. A LEGAL
WOMEN VOTERS UNITED WAY AND
SEVERAL OTHER SORORITIES AND
FRATERNITIES AND UNIVERSITIES
AND COLLEGES THROUGHOUT THE
STATE. IT'S A GROWING PROGRAM
THAT ENCOURAGES VOTERS TO BE
AMPLIFIERS OF VOTER ENGAGEMENT
AND NONPARTISAN WAYS. AND
THROUGH THAT EFFORT AND OTHERS,
THE SECRETARY HAS INCLUDED
SEVERAL OUTREACH EFFORTS OVER
THE PAST TWO YEARS, ONE OUR
OFFICE ENGAGED IN 91 VOTER
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH EVENTS
DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS,
SECRETARY WEBER HERSELF
DELIVERED, UM AND PARTICIPATED
IN 37 EVENTS AROUND COMMUNITIES
THAT WERE HARD TO REACH IN
CALIFORNIA. OVER 9 MILLION
CALIFORNIANS HAVE RECEIVED
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH EMAILS
FROM OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AND
WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY
REGISTER 18,000 COLLEGE STUDENTS
THROUGH OUR BALLOT BOWL. AND
OVER 2000. NEW CITIZENS HAVEN'T
REGISTERED THROUGH OUR NEW
CITIZENS CEREMONY. SO AS
PREVIOUSLY STUDIED, MUCH FUNDING
IS STILL NEEDED FOR EDUCATION
AND OUTREACH, UM, IN TERMS OF
TRAVELING AT CALIFORNIA'S VOTING
ENVIRONMENT, WE WILL STILL NEED
TO INCLUDE OTHER EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH REPRESENT. INCLUDES
OTHER ASPECTS OF S. O S,
INCLUDING OUR BUSINESS FILINGS.
UM OUR ARCHIVES UNITS AND JUST
ENSURING THAT THERE'S ACCESS TO
BEYOND VOTING. UM THERE'S
INFORMATION THAT S O. S MANY
COMMUNITIES ACTUALLY NEED ON THE
NOTE OF RBC REPORTS. WE WANT TO
TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE WERE
ABLE TO MAKE SOME NEW STRIDES.
PREVIOUS DATA WHEN WE ARRIVED,
DID NOT INCLUDE ALL POPULATIONS.
IT WAS SO WE WERE REALLY DIDN'T
HAVE A FULL PICTURE OF HOW
COMMUNITIES AROUND THE STATE
WE'RE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING,
BUT THROUGH EXTRA EFFORTS TO
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, UCLA
VOTING RIGHTS PROJECT WE WERE
ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
ANALYSES THAT NOW GIVE
VISIBILITY TO AFRICAN AMERICAN
POPULATIONS, NATIVE AMERICAN
POPULATIONS AND THIS AGGREGATED
ÁP. AYE POPULATIONS WHERE BEFORE
THEY WERE, THEY WERE KIND OF
COME TOGETHER. THIS HELPS US TO
UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS IN
DIFFERENT COUNTIES IN DIFFERENT
COMMUNITIES. FINALLY I WANT TO
CLOSE WITH THE TASK FORCE. UM AS
YOU ALL HAVE HEARD THE BC. A
TASK FORCE WAS CREATED IN 2018,
AND IT CONSISTS OF SEVERAL
ADVOCATES AND COUNTY ELECTION
OFFICIALS AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF
THE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE IN BOTH
IN THE ASSEMBLY. AND THIS GROUP
WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO
LOOK AT THE V C AS IT WAS BEING
DEVELOPED. THE TASK FORCE SUNSET
ID, THOUGH IN JANUARY 2022. AND
THE SECRETARY'S OFFICE IS NOW
CURRENTLY WORKING TO
ADMINISTRATIVELY REESTABLISH A
VOTER'S TASK FORCE SLASH
COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
VOTING THAT WILL INCLUDE COUNTY
ELECTIONS. OFFICIALS LANGUAGE
ADVOCATES AND ADVOCATES FROM THE
DISABILITY COMMUNITY AS WELL AS
LANGUAGE ACCESS COMMUNITY AS
WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE SENATE
AND OTHER COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS. WE BELIEVE THE
TASK FORCE CAN ASSIST WITH KEY
AREAS FOR POLICY CONSIDERATIONS.
WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A NIVA
REGULATIONS. WE THINK THERE'S A
QUESTION ON TABLE ABOUT THAT AND
HOW TO BEST OVERCOME CHALLENGES,
SUCH AS HOW DO WE REACH
HISTORICALLY HARD TO REACH
POPULATIONS AND THIS IN
HISTORICALLY DISENFRANCHISED
POPULATIONS? WE EXPECTED
COMMUNITY TASK FORCE IN 2024. IN
THE OFFICE HAS MET WITH SEVERAL
MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE TO GET
THEIR INPUT ON CURRENT PROCESSES
AND COUNTIES, AND WE ARE
REQUIRED RECURRENTLY WORKING TO
COMPLETE AN APPLICATION TO START
THAT PROCESS FOR THE BC TASK
FORCE. UM THERE'S AN OPEN
OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH NON VC
COUNTIES TO DETERMINE WHICH
ASPECTS OF THE CIA SHOULD BE
IMPLEMENTED STATEWIDE OR NOT, UM
, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE
CONVERSATION TO INCLUDE THOSE
COUNTIES AS WELL. AND SOME OF
THE VCS. THINGS WORK BETTER FOR
SOME COUNTIES AND OTHERS, SUCH
AS 11 DAY VOTING MODEL, UM AND
THE STATE HAS ALREADY SEEN
ASPECT OF THE CIA ACTUALLY WORK
WELL. PARTICULARLY WITH BBM
LEVEL BY MAIL BALLOT VOTING. UM
AND THEN I WOULD SAY ALSO,
FINALLY AT THE DROP BOXES ARE
ARE INCREASING. IF I MAY SAY
ANYTHING ELSE I JUST WANT TO SAY
THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE FOR
CONVENING THIS, UM, COMMITTEE
HEARING. WE REALLY DO THINK THAT
THE V C A IS INVALUABLE PIECE OF
LEGISLATION THAT HAS IMPACTED
OUR STATE. UM IT DOES APPEAR TO
BE GIVING VOTERS MORE
PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES AND
WE LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU TO SEE
HOW WE CAN IMPROVE IT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU, MR WARDEN FOR
YOUR GOOD WORK IN THIS AREA. SO
YOU MENTIONED THAT HOPE THAT
THERE'S CONTINUOUS FUNDING GOING
FORWARD AND YOU MENTIONED THE
FORMULATING OF THE V. C A TASK
FORCE IS A KIND OF A PROJECT IN
THE YEAR AHEAD. SURE THERE ANY
SPECIFIC CHANGES THAT YOU WOULD
RECOMMEND IN THE IN THE V C. A
ACT? TO BE DONE DIFFERENTLY THAN
HOW THEY'RE BEING DONE TODAY.
WELL I MENTIONED SEVERAL
CHALLENGES WITH THE V C, A
INCLUDED THE DIRECT MAILERS
TALKED ALSO ABOUT THAT THAT WAS
A HIGH COST TO A LOT OF COUNTIES
TALKED ABOUT THE 11 DAYS OF
VOTING. UM THERE ARE SEVERAL
PIECES OF THAT. I THINK A
SWEEPING CHANGE WITH IMPACT
COUNTIES DIFFERENTLY, AND SO ARE
OUR THINKING IS THAT YOU DON'T
MAKE THOSE CHANGES UNILATERALLY.
YOU NEED TO REALLY CONVENED THE
FOLKS WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THESE
CHANGES. AND TALK THROUGH WHAT
THEY COULD LOOK LIKE, UM, BUT
THERE ARE NOTABLE CHANGES AND
NOTABLE CHALLENGES AND I DON'T
THINK ANYONE IS AGREEING YET ON
WHAT THEY SHOULD LOOK LIKE. SO
TODAY WE ARE NOT PREPARED TO SAY
IT SHOULD CHANGE ONE WAY OR THE
OTHER, AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO
HEARING US. PERHAPS SOME
SUGGESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES IN
THIS FIELD AS THIS HEARING
PROGRESSES, YOU MENTIONED THAT
IN THE 2022 ELECTION CYCLE THAT
THE LEGISLATURE PROVIDED YOUR
OFFICE WITH FIVE POINT I SEE IT
HERE ON THE NOTES. $5.8 MILLION
UM AND YOU REFERENCED 91 VOTER
OUTREACH EFFORTS. 9 MILLION
EMAILS 18,000 FOLKS REGISTERED.
CAN YOU GIVE ANY MORE DETAIL
ABOUT HOW THE MONEY WAS SPENT
THOSE SPECIFICALLY SURE. AND FOR
THAT IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE
TO CALL UP OUR BUDGET AND
FUNDING EXPERT TOMORROW. JOHNSON
WHO IS VERY DETAILED ON HOW WE
SPENT ALL THE MONEY THAT WE
RECEIVED FROM BOTH EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH AND GIVE YOU MORE
DETAIL. OKAY, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT
JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE
RECORD. YES SIR. TOMORROW
JOHNSON, UH, SECRETARY OF
STATE'S OFFICE. I'M THE CHIEF
FINANCIAL OFFICER JOHNSON.
WELCOME. THANK YOU. UM SO AS
INDICATED THE LEGISLATURE
PROVIDED UM 5,000,840. $42,000
OF THAT AMOUNT INCLUDED ABOUT 5
MILLION FOR LOCAL ASSISTANCE,
FUNDING AND 800,000 FOR STATE
OPERATIONS FOR THE LOCAL
ASSISTANCE FUNDING THAT
SUPPORTED COUNTIES, EDUCATION
AND OUTREACH REQUIREMENTS.
EFFORTS OUTLINED IN THE ELECTION
ELECTIONS CODE. ADDITIONALLY,
THESE FANS SUPPORTED, UM STATE
LEVEL MESSAGING ABOUT VOTING
OPTIONS. UH UM, BEING MADE
AVAILABLE TO VOTERS IN VC, A
COUNTY'S SOCIAL MEDIA TOOL KITS,
STAFFING RESOURCES WE DID WE
WERE ABLE TO BRING ON SOME
POSITIONS TO SUPPORT THE, UH,
THE STATE FUNDING SIDE OF THAT
AND THEN, UM, ALSO OTHER SOCIAL
MEETING, SEE SOCIAL MEDIA
MESSAGING ON VARIOUS PLATFORMS,
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION MATERIALS
AS WELL. DID YOU DO THAT WITH IN
HOUSE STAFF, OR DID YOU CONTRACT
OUT? WE CONTRACTED OUT FOR, UM
FOR A PORTION OF THOSE
ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS USING
INTERNAL STAFF AS WELL REQUEST
JUST THAT, IN A FOLLOW UP TO THE
HEARING WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE A
COPY OF THOSE CONTRACTS. YES
SIR. THAT'S GREAT. AND SO IS
THAT IN THE FORM OF A LOT OF
GRANTS TO THE COUNTY, DID THEY
PUT IN SPECIFIC REQUESTS? AND
THEN YOU DECIDED WHETHER TO FUND
THEM OR NOT, SO THE WAY THAT WE
WOULD ISSUE THE FUNDING OUT OF
THE WAY THAT WE DID IS THROUGH
CONTRACTS AND THROUGH GRANTS.
OKAY AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO
MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA. OKAY AND
THEN I HAD THANK YOU FOR THAT.
APPRECIATE THAT DETAIL AND THAT
FOLLOW UP, MR WARDEN. ONE OTHER
QUESTION THAT I HAD I DIDN'T
NOTICE IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT
THESE ARE THE REPORTS THAT ARE
SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDED WITHIN
SIX MONTHS OF EVERY ELECTION
HAVE NOT ALWAYS COME IN WITHIN
THAT TIME FRAME. COULD YOU SPEAK
TO THAT? SURE SO AS THE V C A
GREW AS WE SAID, FROM FIVE
COUNTIES TO 15 AND THEN TO 22
AND 29, THE WORKLOAD ASSOCIATED
WITH ACTUALLY ANALYZING DATA FOR
ALL THOSE COUNTIES ON THE BASIS
THAT IS OUTLINED IN SB 450,
WHICH INCLUDES RAISE GENDER. UM
OF COURSE, LANGUAGE, ACCESS AND
DISABILITY REQUIRED A GREATER
WORKLOAD THAN WAS ANTICIPATED.
AND SO, AS YOU HEARD ALSO, WE
WERE RAMPING UP STAFFING. ALSO
WE HAD TO PUT FUNDING IN PLACE
AND COUNTRY SOME PLACE THAT WAS
NOT IN PLACE WHEN WE GOT TO, UM
TO OFFICE, AND SO OUR TEAM SPENT
THE TIME WRAPPING UP TO GET
THOSE THINGS IN PLACE. TODAY WE
ACTUALLY HAVE, LIKE I SAID A
MORE ROBUST REPORT THAT INCLUDES
MORE POPULATIONS CAN GIVE YOU
MORE DATA WE'VE ALSO STREAMLINED
ARE REPORTING TO SEPARATE THE
RACE AND THE LANGUAGE AND
DISABILITY REPORTS TO COME AFTER
INITIALLY TRIED TO GET THEM ALL
OUT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT WE'VE
NOW DECIDED TO HAVE THE VOTE
COUNTING WITH THE AUTOMATIC DATA
BE ANALYZED AND PRODUCE YOUR
REPORT FIRST. AND THEN THE OTHER
REPORTS ARE SUPPLEMENTAL. I
THINK YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE ON
OUR WEBSITE. BUT INITIALLY IT
WAS A CHALLENGE AS THE PROGRAM
GOOD. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE
STAFFING HAD TO COME ALONG. UM
AND THEN WE WERE ALSO TRYING TO
MAKE SURE INCLUDING MORE
POPULATIONS, AND THAT PROCESS IT
DELAYED. SOMETHING'S GREAT AND I
CERTAINLY I'M SURE THE COMMITTEE
APPRECIATES THE WORK TO TRY TO
PROVIDE AS MUCH DATA AS
POSSIBLE. YES SIR. REPORTS DO
YOU FEEL LIKE GOING FORWARD THAT
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MEET THE
STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS OF SIX
MONTHS? YES, SECRETARY WEBER HAS
WORKED WITH OUR TEAM TO AGAIN
NOW HAVE THE REPORTS COME OUT
SEPARATELY. SO WITH US BEING
ABLE TO GENERATE THE GENERAL
DATA OFF OF JUST AGED AND, UM
LOCAL PARTY AFFILIATION. VERY
GENERAL ELECTRONIC INFORMATION
THAT CAN BE PRODUCED ON TIME.
IT'S THE ADDITIONAL REPORTS THAT
WILL BE A LITTLE MORE
CHALLENGING. SO IF WE HAVE WE
HAVE FUNDING TO DO RESEARCH WILL
BE ABLE TO PRODUCE. ADDITIONAL
REPORTS LIKE ON LANGUAGE ACCESS,
AND, UM, AND RACE AND DISABILITY
, BUT THOSE REPORTS ARE GOING TO
BE CONTINGENT UPON FUNDING FOR
ONE GETTING IT IN, UM, GETTING
THIS, UM IN PLACE AND OTHERWISE
YOU'LL GET THOSE. UM AFTERWARDS,
SENATOR ALLEN MENTIONED IN HIS
OPENING REMARKS THAT, UM IT'S
HIS BELIEF AND I CERTAINLY
WOULDN'T DISPUTE IT THAT THE
VOTING CHOICE ACT AS INCREASED
PARTICIPATION. BUT IT'S A
CHALLENGE TO ACTUALLY BE VERY
CLEAR ON EXACTLY WHAT YOU KNOW
AND WHY PEOPLE PARTICIPATE OR
DON'T YES. AND SO I YOU KNOW,
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STRIVE
FOR, AS POLICYMAKERS IS REALLY
HARD DATA. UM OBJECTIVE HARD
DATA SO THAT WE CAN MAKE GOOD
CHOICES. UM AND SOMETIMES JUST
LOOKING AT ELECTION CYCLE
THROUGH ELECTION CYCLE THAT
REALLY ISN'T ALWAYS SO CLEAR
WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT.
UM AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE
SECRETARY HAS EVER ENGAGED IN
MORE OBJECTIVE DATA COLLECTION
SURVEYS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND
BARRIERS MORE SPECIFICALLY THAT
WE SHOULD BE MORE AWARE OF AND
RESPONSIVE TO AND I'M NOT AWARE
OF ANY EFFORTS THAT THE
SECRETARY'S OFFICE IS REALLY
ENGAGED IN THAT SPACE. AND YEAH,
I'M HAPPY TO ACTUALLY PLEASED TO
TELL YOU THAT WE JUST ACTUALLY
FINISHING UP A STUDY WITH
SACRAMENTO STATE UNIVERSITY
WHERE WE DID JUST THAT WE
SURVEYED FOLKS AFTER THE
ELECTION OF THE GENERAL ELECTION
TO FIND OUT KNOWLEDGE THAT
PEOPLE WHO ARE AWARE OF THAT
THEY WERE IN THE VOTER'S CHOICE
ACTIVE. THEY KNOW THEY'RE VOTING
OPTIONS. HOW WAS IT WORKING? AND
THAT REPORT WE EXPECT TO
ACTUALLY HAVE OUT IN JANUARY. SO
WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL DATA COME
COMING FORTH AND WE ARE ACTUALLY
LOOKING AT DRAFTS OF IT NOW AND
WILL BE PLEASED TO SHARE IT WITH
YOU. FANTASTIC GREAT TO HEAR
THAT. THAT CERTAINLY WILL HELP
ALL OF OUR WORK IMPROVE. SENATOR
AMBERG, SENATOR ALLEN. ANY
QUESTIONS FOR OUR CENTER?
HAMBURG THANK YOU AND THANK THE
SECRETARY FOR ALL THE EFFORTS
THAT YOU HAVE MADE COLLECTIVELY
TO AGAIN IN FRANCHISE, MANY
CALIFORNIANS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO
VOTE THAT THEY DO VOTE, UM, ANY
COUNTIES THAT HAVE BEEN
RESISTANT TO THOSE EFFORTS, SO I
LAUGH BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE
VOTERS CHOICE ACT FIRST OF ALL
IS VOLUNTARY. YOU KNOW THAT. AND
SO I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF
FACTORS THAT GO INTO WHETHER A
COUNTY ACTUALLY CAN DO IT. UM
I'LL TELL YOU THIS, I'LL TELL
YOU THAT COUNTIES HAVE ATTEMPTED
TO DO IT. BUT GETTING THAT LOCAL
SUPPORT IS SUPER IMPORTANT
BECAUSE ONE YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE
BUDGET TO DO IT. SO YOU HAVE TO
HAVE YOUR COUNTY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS SUPPORTED BUT ALSO,
UM, CHALLENGING THE
MISINFORMATION OR DISINFORMATION
IS REALLY KEY AS A GROWING, I
THINK MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT
WHAT THE VOTERS TWICE ACTED,
MANY COUNTIES ARE FIGHTING. SO
UM, IS IT SAID THAT I THINK THAT
ACCOUNTING MAY WANT TO BECOME V
C A. BUT THE BARRIERS TO
BECOMING VC, MAYBE MORE THAN
JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVING PEOPLE
MORE ACCESS IT IS, IT TENDS TO
BE MORE OF A FUNDING RELATED
ISSUE, AND WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE
ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE
VOTING REALLY OPTIONS ARE WHICH
IS KIND OF IRONIC BECAUSE VC IS
THERE TO HELP CREATE THOSE
OPTIONS. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE
STATE OF THINGS YOU HAVE THE
MAJORITY THE HIGH UM YOU KNOW,
POPULATIONS, COUNTIES ACTUALLY
BECOMING V. C A. THE OTHER HALF
THAT ARE NOT YET. BC A, UM, I
THINK ARE SMALLER, UM, COUNTIES
OR MAYBE MORE REMOTE. AND UM,
JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T HAVEN'T
GOTTEN THERE YET. SO UM, I THINK
AS WE CONTINUE TO REFINE THE CIA
AND WORK OUT THE THINGS LIKE THE
11 DAYS OF VOTING UM, AND THE
REQUIREMENTS ON COUNTIES TO, UM,
YOU KNOW, DO SOME THINGS LIKE
DIRECT MAIL IT I THINK YOU'RE
GOING TO SEE PARTICIPATION
PROBABLY GO MORE TOWARDS V C. A.
BUT I THINK THOSE ARE CHALLENGES
FOR OUR CURRENT BC, A COUNTIES
AND SO ANYBODY TRYING TO BECOME
THE CIA IS THINKING ABOUT
THROUGH THOSE THINGS VERY
SERIOUSLY. SO IF WE CUT DOWN THE
PERIOD IN WHICH THE VCS NEED TO
BE OPEN, WE CUT IT DOWN IN
PERHAPS YOU CAN PROVIDE US WHAT
WHAT? WHAT KIND OF COST
DIFFERENTIAL THERE IS, IF WE
WENT, FOR EXAMPLE, DOWN TO SAY,
FOUR DAYS JUST, YOU KNOW, FROM
FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM UM I
RESPECTFULLY I THINK THAT OUR
COUNTIES WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER
IDEA THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE THE
ONES BEARING THE COST, SO THE
SECRETARY DOES NOT BEAR THE COST
OF THE 11 DAYS OR FOUR DAYS OR
HOWEVER MANY DAYS YOU HAVE OPEN
BUT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR
FROM YOUR PANEL NEXT THAT THAT
THE COST WILL BE DIFFERENT,
DEPENDING ON MY QUESTION, OKAY,
AND I APOLOGIZE. I WISH I COULD
ANSWER, BUT I THINK IT'S BETTER
SUITED FOR A COUNTY. THANK YOU.
OKAY ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM
PANEL MEMBERS? GOOD. OKAY MR
JORDAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PRESENTATION. THANK YOU TO THE
SECRETARY FOR ALL OF HER GOOD
WORK IN THIS AREA. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR HAVING US AND SHOULD I
STAY HERE? OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME
TO GO BACK? I THINK YOU ARE
WELCOME TO STAY HERE IN THE
HEARING ROOM. AND IF THERE'S
OTHER THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO
COMMENT UPON WHEN WE WELCOME YOU
BACK, OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU. LET ME NEXT. INVITE
UP, DR MINDY ROMERO. DR ROMERO
IS THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF
THE CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE
DEMOCRACY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. AND SHE HAS
DONE CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF
RESEARCH ON THE VOTER'S CHOICE
ACT. DR. ROMERO WAS THE
PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER AND ADVISOR
FOR A PROJECT THAT PROVIDED AN
ANALYSIS OF THE VOTERS VOTERS
CHOICE ACT AND PROVIDED
RECOMMENDATIONS. DR ROMERO'S
TEAM PUT TOGETHER A NUMBER OF
THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR US TO
CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD DR
ROMERO. WELCOME TO THE
COMMITTEE. YOU CAN BEGIN YOUR
TESTIMONY WHEN YOU'RE READY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NOT YET.
TRY THAT ONE MORE TIME. NO TRY
ONE MORE TIME. HELLO TESTING. 12
HIT THE BUTTON IN FRONT OF YOU.
OKAY? WE'LL GET THAT FIGURED OUT
IN JUST A MOMENT. JUST OKAY?
LIKE THAT. TERRIFIC ALRIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU
FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. CHAIR
COMMITTEE MEMBERS. SENATOR
ALLEN, SENATOR HAMBURG AND, OF
COURSE, UH, STAFF SCOTT AS WELL
FOR INVITING ME. I AM PLEASED TO
WALK YOU THROUGH. GIVE YOU A
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE REPORT
THAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED SENATOR
AND, UM, ALSO IN THE Q AND A
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT EXTEND
BEYOND THE REPORT, SINCE WE HAVE
DONE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF
RESEARCH ON THE A AND PRODUCED A
NUMBER OF RESEARCH REPORTS ON
THE VCR OVER THE YEARS, BUT I
WILL FOCUS ON THIS REPORT TODAY.
AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY AT THE
OUTSIDE IS I WAS THE PRINCIPAL
ADVISOR BUT NOT THE AUTHOR OF
THIS REPORT. THIS WAS VERY MUCH
A PRODUCTION, UM AND REFLECT THE
INTERPRETATION AND INTERESTS AND
FOCUS OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND SO THERE'LL BE A FEW TIMES
WHERE I MAY JUST KIND OF
DISTINCT MAKE A DISTINCTION
BETWEEN RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY
HAVE MADE. THAT MIGHT BE, UM,
NOT DIFFERENT, BUT JUST WE
WOULDN'T GO AS FAR IN TERMS OF
OUR DATA. SO UM, BUT OTHERWISE
VERY HAPPY TO REPRESENT THE
REPORT TODAY TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE POWERPOINT IS WORKING. AND
THERE WE GO. ALRIGHT UM ALRIGHT,
SO JUMPING IN BECAUSE I DO HAVE
A LIMITED TIME. EVENTUALLY IT'LL
WORK. THERE WE GO. OKAY ABLE TO
SEE THAT GREAT. ALRIGHT SO, AS
YOU SAID THE REPORT IS ON THE
IMPACT OF THE WE WANT TO BE
REALLY SPECIFIC THAT THIS IS
LOOKING AT THE VOTER
PARTICIPATION. GAPS THAT ARE
PRESENT IN CALIFORNIA HAS A VCA
IMPACTED THOSE VOTER
PARTICIPATION GAPS AND THE
OVERALL ACCESSIBILITY OF THE
ELECTION PROCESS. ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT WE CONFIRMED IN THIS
MOST RECENT SET OF RESEARCH THAT
WE THAT WE CONDUCTED WAS THAT
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE V C, A
PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF,
UH, INTERPRETING ITS SUCCESS.
DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF SUCCESS
. WHETHER YOUR COUNTY ELECTIONS
OFFICIAL WHETHER YOU'RE A VOTING
RIGHTS ADVOCATE WHETHER YOUR
COMMUNITY LEADER, RIGHT OR MAYBE
WHETHER YOU'RE POTENTIALLY EVEN
THE S O S SO, UH, WE'RE HERE
FOCUSED ON THOSE PARTICIPATION
GAPS, TURNOUT, ACCESSIBILITY,
ACCESS AND EXPERIENCE OF VOTERS
WITH THE V C A. AS YOU'VE ALSO
MENTIONED THAT WE ARE LIMITED IN
SOME TO SOME EXTENT, LOOKING
PARTICULARLY AT THOSE
PARTICIPATION GAPS BECAUSE
RESEARCH AND THE NUMBER OF
ELECTION CYCLES THAT WE HAVE
DOES NOT ALLOW US TO
DEFINITIVELY CLEARLY MAKE A
CAUSAL CONNECTION. THE REALLY
PARSE OUT WHEN WE LOOK AT
TURNOUT, WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE
CIA AND ALL OF ITS MANY ELEMENTS
ARE ON TURNOUT, SO HOPEFULLY
THAT MAKES SENSE. ALRIGHT UM AND
OF COURSE THEY REPORT AUTHOR WAS
LORI SHELLENBERGER, AND IT WAS
FUNDED BY THE EVELYN AND WAL
WALTER HAAS JR FUND. THERE WERE
A NUMBER OF METHODOLOGICALLY
APPROACHES THAT WE TOOK. IT WAS
A VERY LARGE, EXTENSIVE STUDY
CONTENT ANALYSIS OF VOTER GUIDES
AND OTHER WORK THAT WAS OTHER
MATERIALS THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO
US THROUGH ELECTION OFFICIALS,
THEIR OUTREACH MESSAGES AND SO
FORTH. INTERVIEWS WITH ELECTION
OFFICIALS WITH ADVOCATES ACROSS
THE STATE WORKING IN THE
ELECTIONS FIELD. SURVEYS WITH
ORGANIZATIONS AND WITH ELECTIONS
OFFICES AND THEN, OF COURSE AND
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE
VOTER FILE. I'M GOING TO COVER
YOU CAN GET RID OF THIS ONE
LITTLE THING ON MY SCREEN TO
MAKE. THERE WE GO. I'M GOING TO
COVER THE SUCCESSES AND
CHALLENGES THE IMPACT AS WE KNOW
IT AT LEAST DESCRIPTIVELY ON
TURNOUT AND VOTING METHOD WITH
THE STATE OF THAT IS AND
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION UNDER THE
A AGAIN I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH
THIS REALLY QUICKLY, AND I KNOW
THAT THERE IS A COUPLE OF PANELS
AFTER ME THAT ARE GOING TO GIVE
YOU ALL THE DETAIL THAT THESE
POINTS DESERVE. AT LEAST I
ASSUME MUCH DETAIL AND THEY'LL
BE ABLE TO FLUSH IT OUT RIGHT
FROM THE PERSPECTIVES AT EACH OF
THE PANELISTS HAVE SO ADVANTAGES
. THERE'S A STRONG
INFRASTRUCTURE MECHANISMS FOR
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND
ACCOUNTABILITY, PARTICULARLY
AROUND VOTER OUTREACH. UM THAT
THE VC REQUIRES THAT'S ALREADY
BEEN DISCUSSED TODAY.
FLEXIBILITY, OF COURSE IN VOTING
THE IDEA THAT, UM PEOPLE HAVE
MORE WAYS MORE DAYS. MORE
CHOICES AND UNDERSTANDING, I
THINK, AT LEAST FOR MANY WHEN
THE VEHICLE WAS BEING CONSIDERED
, UM UNDER KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT THAT
PEOPLE NOT ONLY WANT CHOICES,
BUT MANY GROUPS NEED CHOICES
RIGHT. THERE ARE VARIATIONS IN
PATTERNS IN HOW PEOPLE WANT TO
VOTE TUESDAY. VOTE NEED TO VOTE.
UM AND SO FORTH, UM, ELECTION
REPORTS SORRY. ELECTION
OFFICIALS REPORT. MORE PUBLIC
INPUT IS HELPFUL. THEY LIKE
GETTING THAT INPUT THAT THEY
HAVE TO REACH OUT RIGHT TO
RECEIVE ACQUIRE ORGANIZATIONS
REPORT THAT WHEN THEY DO
PARTICIPATE THAT WHEN THAT
SOLICITED WHEN THEY'RE ENGAGED,
WHICH DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN, BUT
WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN UM, THAT
THEY FEEL THAT THEIR INPUT AT
LEAST IS GENERALLY INCORPORATED
INTO EA PS, AND THAT'S A
POSITIVE BUT CENTERS ARE EASIER
STAFF. YOUR PROBLEMS REPORTED,
UM, YOU KNOW, PROVISIONAL VOTING
NUMBERS, RIGHT GOING WAY DOWN
AND SO FORTH. LET'S TALK ABOUT
THE CHALLENGES SO THAT DRAMATIC,
UM, DISPARITIES THAT ARE
ENTRENCHED IN OUR ELECTORAL
PROCESS HERE IN CALIFORNIA AS
WELL AS THE U. S UM, REMAIN
RIGHT. WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT IN
ANY GIVEN ELECTION. UM IN THE
2020 23 2022 GENERAL ELECTION,
WE SAW A LOW TURNOUT NUMBER
ABOUT 43% BUT WE SAW A TURNOUT
MUCH LOWER RIGHT FOR VOTERS OF
COLOR AND FOR YOUNG VOTERS,
1020. 30% POINTS LOWER THIS
REMAINS, TURNOUT IS A LITTLE
HIGHER IN VC COUNTIES. MANY OF
THE CIA COUNTIES AT LEAST IN THE
INITIAL CYCLE OR TO START IT OFF
WITH HIGHER TURNOUT. INITIAL
CYCLE DID UM AND WE AREN'T
SEEING AGAIN. WE CAN'T MAKE THAT
CAUSAL CONNECTION. BUT WE AREN'T
SEEING A AND NOW THAT THAT
NUMBER HAS GROWN ANY SIGNIFICANT
DIFFERENCE IN TURN OUT, UM
BETWEEN VC AND NON VC COUNTIES
AND ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE GAP
RIGHT? THAT UM, THE DISPARITY
SITUATION THAT AGAIN A CONCERN
FOR MANY, BUT NOT ALL WHEN WE
TALK ABOUT THE BUT THE FOCUS OF
THIS REPORT. STAKEHOLDER SURVEYS
AND INTERVIEWS REVEALED THAT THE
MECHANISMS FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
AND ACCOUNTABILITY OR UNDER
BEING UNDERUTILIZED, SO MANY
GROUPS NOT BEING FULLY AWARE OR
WEAR IT ALL THAT THEY CAN AND UM
, SHOULD BE ENGAGED THAT THEY'RE
NOT HEARING FROM ELECTION
OFFICIALS OR ELECTION OFFICES
NOT BEING RECRUITED. IF YOU
WILL, OR ENGAGED WITH UM AND
EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A POSITIVE
COMMITMENT, MUCH OF THAT
INFORMATION IS UTILIZED. IT'S
NOT AT THE LEVEL I THINK THAT
MANY HAD HOPED TO SEE RIGHT WHEN
WE FIRST UM SAW THE
IMPLEMENTATION RIGHT. THE BILL
PASSED THIS BEFORE 50 THE
IMPLEMENTATION UM. AND AGAIN
COUNTY IS NOT AS ENGAGED
ESPECIALLY MORE RECENT VC
ADOPTERS, THE 2018 CYCLES, SO
I'M A MASSIVE ENGAGEMENT OF
STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION, LOCAL
ORGANIZATIONS THE SECRETARY OF
STATE'S OFFICE AT THE TIME,
REALLY GETTING THE WORD OUT
ABOUT THE V C. A LOOKING FOR
SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION AND
ENGAGEMENT BY VOTERS, AND WE'VE
SEEN LESS OF THAT IN RECENT
YEARS AND LESS OF IT. ALTHOUGH A
LOT OF GOOD WORK BY COUNTIES
LESS OF IT WITH THE RECENT
ADOPTERS, AND OF COURSE, IF YOU
WERE FUNDING, AVAILABILITY OR
FUNDING OPTIONS AS WELL. UM
THERE'S A LACK OF PUBLIC
AWARENESS OF THE APES, LACK OF
CLARITY, TRANSPARENCY OF HOW
OUTREACH DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT
LACK OF STATE RATED LEADERSHIP
AND HOLDING COUNTIES ACCOUNTABLE
WAS CONSISTENTLY CITED BY
INTERVIEWEES. ESPECIALLY SINCE
THE TASK VERSUS LAPSED AND I'LL
TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT AND
LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
COUNTY VOTER OUTREACH PLAN, SO
THESE PLANS ARE REQUIRED.
THEY'RE SENT TO THE SECRETARY OF
STATE'S OFFICE. SECRETARY OF
STATE'S OFFICE HAVE TO
SPECIFICALLY RIGHT APPROVED THE
V. THE OUTREACH COMPONENT OF THE
APES. UM BUT THERE IS A FEELING
THAT THERE IS WIDE VARIATION IN
THE QUALITY OF THE VÀ PS. THE,
UM ALTHOUGH A LOT OF GOOD WORK
GOING, IT'S NOT ALL BAD, RIGHT?
A LOT OF GOOD WORK THAT'S GOING
INTO THE D A. P S, BUT A LOT OF
GREAT DEAL OF INCONSISTENCY IN
THE QUALITY THE DETAIL AND
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY
REFERENCE AND TALK ABOUT, UM AND
, UM, HAVE A DETAILED PLAN WHEN
IT COMES TO ENGAGING,
MARGINALIZED VOTERS, AND THERE'S
REALLY A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY
FOR THIS RIGHT. BUT SENATOR
YOUTH RATES AND REJECTION RATES
CONTINUE TO VARY BY RACE,
ETHNICITY, VOTER FREQUENCY
COUNTY, OTHER SUBGROUPS. UM AND
THOSE 14 OR SO CRITERIA THAT
WERE REQUIRED BY THE VOTERS
CHOICE ACT WHEN IT COMES TO,
CITING VOTE CENTERS, RIGHT, UM
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE
COMPONENTS OF THE VOTERS
TRANSACT. YOU MAY REMEMBER. I
KNOW. SENATOR ALLEN CERTAINLY
DOES, UM, THAT WAS HEAVILY
NEGOTIATED WITH ADVOCATES AND
VOTING RIGHTS GROUPS AND
ELECTION OFFICIALS IN THE STATE
ALLEGED MEMBERS IN THE STATE AT
THE TIME PEOPLE WANTED TO SEE
OKAY IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FROM
NEIGHBORHOOD POLLING PLACES TO
VOTE CENTERS. HOW DO WE KNOW THE
CONCERN WE HEARD FROM MANY WAS
THAT THESE ARE GOING TO BE CITED
IN WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN ACCESS
THEM. WILL IT LEAVE OUR
COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? AND SO THOSE
14 CRITERIA WERE DEVELOPED. UM
AND NEGOTIATING AND AGAIN, THERE
WAS A NEGOTIATION RIGHT WITH
VOTING RIGHTS GROUPS AND
COMMUNITY GROUPS. UM AND AN
AGREEMENT THAT THESE WOULD BE TO
SOME DEGREE RIGHT, AT LEAST A
GOOD SET TO START OFF WITH AND
WHAT WE FOUND FROM OUR RESEARCH
THAT COUNTIES OFTEN ARE NOT
UTILIZING THESE OR THEIR USUAL
AT UTILIZING JUST A FEW OF THE
CRITERIA SO THEY'RE NOT BEING
GAUGED WITH. THEY'RE NOT
ACTUALLY REQUIRED TO UTILIZE ALL
14 OR 15 OF THEM. THEY'RE
REQUIRED TO LOOK AT THEM RIGHT,
BUT NOT NECESSARILY, AND IT'S
NOT ACTUALLY HAPPENING ON THE
GROUND. ELIGIBLE VOTER TURNOUT
ONLY SLIGHTLY HIGHER AS I
MENTIONED IN VC VERSUS NON VC
COUNTIES, PARTICIPATION GAPS
PERSIST AGAIN. WE TALKED ABOUT
THIS IN THE REPORT GAPS ACROSS
THE SEA AND NON VC COUNTIES FROM
2020 TO 2022. YES TURNOUT WENT
DOWN IN 2022 LOAF FOR MATRON,
BUT EVEN LOWER RIGHT THE LOWEST
THAT WE'VE SEEN FOR GENERAL
ELECTIONS SINCE 2014. AND WE SAW
EVERYBODY'S TURNOUT FOR THE
STATE AS A WHOLE DECLINE, BUT WE
SAW LATINO TURNOUT DROPPED. 38
POINTS IN THESE ARE DATA FROM
THE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF
CALIFORNIA. ASIAN AMERICAN
TURNOUT DROPPED. 34% POINTS IN
BLACK TURNOUT DROPPED 29%
POINTS. NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT
METHOD. SO IN PERSON. VOTING IS
STILL A CRITICAL IMPORTANT
OPTION FOR MANY VOTERS, AND WE
KNOW THIS BY THE NUMBERS, BUT WE
ALSO KNOW THIS ONE FROM THE
SURVEY RESEARCH THAT WE'VE
CONDUCTED. SO IF YOU LOOK
STATEWIDE AT OUR FOUR METHODS
NOW, RIGHT IN PERSON MAIL, DROP
OFF AT A STAFF LOCATION OR DROP
OFF AT A DROP BOX. IN PERSON IS
12% POINTS OR 12% OF THOSE THAT
ARE ACTUALLY VOTING, RIGHT? UM
WE HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH OF A CHANGE
FROM 2020 TO 2022. BUT WE STILL
SEE VERY NOT BEHIND NUMBERS OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE DROPPING OFF AT
A STAFF LOCATION. 17% IF YOU
COMBINE THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE
THEIR PERCENTAGE OF VOTERS THAT
ARE VOTING IN PERSON VERSUS
THOSE THAT ARE, UM, DROPPING OFF
THEIR BALLOT AT A STAFF LOCATION
. THAT'S A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF
VOTERS THAT ARE STILL USING A
VOTE CENTER IN SOME WAY, AND WE
KNOW FROM A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT
SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST DROP OFF
THAT BALLOT. BECAUSE THAT'S THE
MOST CONVENIENT DROP OFF PLACE,
BUT A LOT OF VOTERS ARE
SPECIFICALLY CHOOSING AND
NEEDING A STAFF LOCATION BECAUSE
THEY WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT
THEY FILLED IT OUT RIGHT OR THAT
IT DOESN'T NEED A STAMP OR THEY
TRUST THAT THEY SEE IT GOAT IN
THE HANDS OF A PERSON OR AT
LEAST A DROP BOX INSIDE A
BUILDING THAT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT
CENTER THAT LOOKS FAMILIAR TO
THEM. LOTS OF REASONS AND SO ON
THAT ONE JUST FOR A SECOND
BECAUSE I WANT TO ASK THE
OBVIOUS QUESTION, WHICH IS THAT
THERE'S SOME FORCES OUT THERE
THAT HAVE RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE LEGITIMACY OF DROPPING UP.
BALLOT IN THE MAIL. ANY OF THAT
AS A PART OF YOUR ASSESSMENT TO
SEE WHETHER THAT FALSE CLAIM HAS
AFFECTED THIS. THIS THESE
NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE GOING
THROUGH. SURE SO IN 2020. WE
THOUGHT, OF COURSE, A LOT OF
CONCERN AROUND USING THE MAIL
AND THE ACCURACY OF THE MALE BUT
ALSO POTENTIAL FRAUD AROUND THE
USPS. WE SAW DROPBOX YOUTH
ACTUALLY BECOME THE OUT OF THOSE
FOUR METHODS, THE MOST COMMON
METHOD, ALMOST 40% OF VOTERS IN
CALIFORNIA DROPPED OFF AT A DROP
BOX. UM BUT WE STILL THOUGHT
ABOUT 17% OR SO USING A STAFF
LOCATION, AND WE'RE STILL SEEING
VERY SIMILAR NUMBERS NOW USING A
STAFF LOCATION. AND WHAT WE'VE
LEARNED, AND THIS IS NOT A
SURVEY THAT WE DID FOR
SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS STUDY, BUT
SURVEYS THAT WE'VE DONE FOR MY
YOU KNOW MORE BROADLY FOR MY
RESEARCH CENTER. UM IT DOES
DEPEND ON WHETHER YOU HAVE
LANGUAGE ACCESS NEEDS DEPENDS ON
RACE OF NECESSITY AGE. THERE ARE
DIFFERENT REASONS, RIGHT? WHY
PEOPLE CHOOSE OR NEED TO. I'M
ALWAYS CAREFUL WITH THE WORD
CHOOSE BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S
REALLY NOT A CHOICE, RIGHT? IF
SOMEBODY FEELS COMPELLED, THEY
NEED TO ASK A QUESTION. THEY MAY
NOT VOTE, RIGHT? I MEAN THAT
FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING UNLESS
THEY HAVE THAT IN PERSON
EXPERIENCE IN SOME WAY. UM SO I
AM HAPPY ABOUT IDEOLOGY, BECAUSE
THAT'S REALLY WHERE THAT AND
THERE'S DIFFERENCES BY IDEOLOGY
AS WELL. YEAH UM, I'M HAPPY TO
TALK OFFLINE AND GET INTO THE
DETAILS OF SOME OF THAT, BUT
DEFINITELY YOUR TESTIMONY WANTED
TO. YEAH THERE THERE ARE. THERE
ARE THERE ARE REAL REASONS WHY
PEOPLE CHOOSE. THEIR METHODS.
WRITER USE A CERTAIN METHOD OVER
ANOTHER, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING
THAT AND MEETING VOTERS WHERE
THEY'RE AT IS JUST REALLY
IMPORTANT RIGHT IN TERMS OF THE
METHODS. AND IT'S ALWAYS
IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S OFTEN
CONVERSATIONS AROUND WHEN THEY
SEE THE LOW. PEOPLE WILL SEE
THOSE WHAT SEEMS TO BE PRETTY
LOW IN PERSON NUMBERS. AND
EVERYTHING GETS BULKED TOGETHER
INTO JUST, YOU KNOW, A VOTE BY
MAIL STAT. PEOPLE WILL ASSUME IN
CALIFORNIA THAT YOU KNOW PEOPLE
DON'T NEED VOTERS DON'T NEED AN
IN PERSON EXPERIENCE, AND WE
KNOW THAT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT
METHODS UM, CAN BE QUITE
SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL VOTERS
RIGHT? THE DISTINCTION. OKAY UM,
MOVING ON. OUTREACH AND
EDUCATION, SO BOTH ELECTION
OFFICIALS VOTER EDUCATION ORG'S
IDENTIFIED THE LACK OF FUNDING
FOR OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A THEME
TODAY. I SUSPECT RIGHT FROM THAT
SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE ALL
THE WAY DOWN WITH EVERY PANELIST
. SOME DEGREE OF FUNDING IS
ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. IT'S
CRITICAL FOR ELECTION OFFICIALS,
AND IT'S CRITICAL FOR
ORGANIZATIONS THAT OFTEN ARE THE
ONES THAT ARE PICKING UP THE
SLACK, RIGHT. UM IF ELECTION
OFFICIALS DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY
FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS,
INCLUDING FUNDING TO ENGAGE
FULLY AND FULLY MEET THE NEEDS
OF THEIR VOTERS, UM LOCAL
ORGANIZATIONS, STATEWIDE
ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE
THE ONES THAT ATTEMPT TO MAKE UP
THAT DIFFERENCE. AND THERE, OF
COURSE, UNDER RESOURCED RIGHT
AND HAVING A MYRIAD OF, UM
ISSUES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN
AN ELECTION GOALS, WHICH EVEN AN
ELECTION AND IT'S VERY, VERY
DIFFICULT. UM VOTER EDUCATION OR
EGGS EXPRESSED FRUSTRATIONS THAT
EA PS BLACK SPECIFIC SPECIFICITY
ON OUTREACH STRATEGIES TO REACH
THE MOST MARGINALIZED VOTERS
AGAIN. WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT
THOSE INCONSISTENCIES ACROSS
PLANS BUT PARTICULARLY AROUND
MARGINALIZED VOTERS, UM
SOMETIMES FEELING LIKE WHAT WAS
LISTED THERE WAS YOU'RE NOT ONLY
INSUFFICIENT, BUT MAYBE, UM, UH,
UNREALISTIC OR INSINCERE, UM OR
VERY SINCERE BUT AGAIN, JUST NOT
FUNDED TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN ON THE
GROUND. OKAY WHEN SURVEYED ABOUT
HOW THEY TARGET OUTREACH TO
MARGINALIZED VOTERS, ELECTION
OFFICIALS LARGELY REPORTED USING
THE SAME OUTREACH STRATEGIES
USED FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION
AND A MAJORITY OF VOTER ORG'S
REPORTED THAT THEY DID NOT DO SO
VIA SPECIFIC OUTREACH INSTEAD OF
THEY'VE EMPHASIZED RIGHT VOTING
ACCESS MORE BROADLY. WHO, WHAT?
WHY? HOW AND SO FORTH. BECAUSE
OF THEIR LIMITED RESOURCES MANY
TIMES RIGHT OR BECAUSE OF THEIR
LIMITED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE VISA
AGAIN, UM, BECAUSE THEY WERE
TAKING ON SO MANY DIFFERENT
COMPONENTS OF THE ELECTIONS
LANDSCAPE. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE
HERE THAT WE AGAIN TALK TO
ELECTION OFFICIALS, MANY OF THEM
WITH YOU KNOW, WITH OUTREACH
STRATEGIES, WORKING SO CLEARLY
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY
COULD ENGAGE WITH HISTORICALLY
UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES. BUT ACROSS THE
BOARD, UM NEARLY EVERYONE THAT
WE SURVEYED AND INTERVIEWED
COULD NOT SAY IF THEY WERE
ACTUALLY REACHING VOTERS. RIGHT
UM VOTERS OF COLOR LOW INCOME
VOTERS, VOTERS WITH LANGUAGE
ACCESS NEEDS. VOTERS WITH
DISABILITIES. THE RIGHT, UM
VOTERS WITH DISABILITY NEEDS,
WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, EXACTLY,
UM, THAT THEY FELT THAT THEY
WERE DOING A LOT. THEY FELT LIKE
THEY WERE REACHING THOSE VOTERS
IF THEY WERE HOPING THEY WERE
REACHING THOSE VOTERS, BUT WHEN
WE ACTUALLY ASKED, HOW DO YOU
KNOW THEY DIDN'T KNOW? UM AND
THIS IS NOT TO CRITICIZE THOSE
ELECTION OFFICIALS. AS I SAID,
MANY OF THEM TRYING VERY, VERY
MUCH SINCERELY TO TRY TO
OUTREACH TO COMMUNITIES. UM BUT
THE IT WAS STRIKING THAT IT'S
CONTINUED EVEN UNDER THE UNDER
SEVERAL CYCLES OF THE VOTER'S
CHOICE ACT THAT MOST ELECTION
OFFICIALS COULD NOT. NEARLY ALL
COULD NOT TELL US IF THEY WERE
REACHING THOSE VOTERS AND A LOT
OF IT HAD, YOU KNOW. HAD TO DO
WITH DIFFICULTY IN FIGURING OUT
WHAT THE METRICS WOULD BE, HOW
AND ACTUALLY ACCESSING THAT DATA
RIGHT. IT'S NOT AN EASY FEAT,
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT
A MAJORITY OF VOTER OUT ALREADY
SAID THIS ONE UNDER WHAT LAST
LIGHT UNDER OUTREACH AND
EDUCATION, VOTER OR G, AND THIS
IS THE INTERVIEWS AND SURVEYS.
THE POLL. UM, DATA. UM SAID THAT
THEY WERE CHALLENGES THAT NEEDED
TO BE TACKLED. SO FROM ALL OF
THAT, UM THIS IS WHAT WE CAME UP
WITH, SO LACK OF CIVIC EDUCATION
AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT AND
WHO WAS ON THE CALIFORNIA
BALLOT. THAT'S DAUNTING. THESE
ARE A LITTLE MORE BROADER
REASONS FOR WHY WE SEE THE LOWER
TURNOUT AND THESE ARE THE
CHALLENGES THAT GO ALONG WITH
RIGHT TRYING TO SUCCESSFULLY
IMPLEMENTED VC EIGHT. MY MATURE,
UM I'M SETTING THE STAGE HERE.
WIDESPREAD DISTRUST OF ELECTIONS
AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS,
ACCESSIBILITY OF INFORMATION AND
VOTING MATERIALS IN LANGUAGES.
THAT'S DIFFICULTY RIGHT AND
EXCESSIVE, ACCESSING THAT AND
INADEQUACIES OF TRADITIONAL
VOTER OUTREACH METHODS. UM. I'LL
LEAVE THAT, BECAUSE AGAIN,
THERE'S PANELS AFTER ME THREE
AREAS OF RECOMMENDATIONS, SO ONE
STRONGER STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP
AND STATE FUNDING. GRAD TO
GREATER COUNTY ELECTION OFFICIAL
ENGAGEMENT WITH VOTER EDUCATION
ORGANIZATIONS AND THREE DEEPER
PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENTS. SO
UNDER THE FIRST STRONGER STATE
RIGHT LEADERSHIP. RECONVENE THE
STATE OF THE VC TASK FORCE. SO
UM AGAIN, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF
A RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME FROM
THE COMMITTEE. UM WE THINK IT
MAKES SENSE. MY CENTER AND
MYSELF THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.
BUT THIS REALLY IS RIGHT, UM,
DERIVED FROM SEEING THE DATA AND
UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE GREAT
HILLS THAT STILL NEED TO BE
CLIMBED RIGHT TO GET A
REPRESENTATIVE ELECTORATE. EVEN
UNDER THE V C, A. AND WHAT I
WANT TO EMPHASIZE THEM THAT ARE
ACTUALLY IN A MOMENT, I'LL
EMPHASIZE SOMETHING ON THE TASK
FORCE. UM SO SOUND, THE ALARM
AND PARTICIPATION GAPS, LEAD THE
PUSH. AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS,
OF COURSE FOR THE SECRETARY OF
STATE THAT THE COMMITTEE IS
EMPHASIZING, AND THE REPORT IS
EMPHASIZING LEAD THE PUSH FOR
MORE VOTER EDUCATION, OUTREACH
FUNDING WORK AND CONVENE A WIDE
VARIETY OF DATA EXPERTS AND
ORGANIZATIONS TO IDENTIFY
RESEARCH AND DEVELOP SOLUTIONS
TO VOTER FILE RACE AND IN THE
CITY CHALLENGES. SO I WILL SAY I
KNOW THAT THE SECRETARY OF
STATE'S OFFICE AND OF COURSE,
L®NG LEUKEMIA JUST NOW, MISS
JORDAN'S TALKED ABOUT THE NEW
DATA THAT'S BEING PRODUCED, AND,
UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THAT. BUT THIS BULLET
POINT AS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
IN THE SENSE THAT THE UM
COMMITTEE THE WORKING GROUP WAS
EMPHASIZING THE EYE JOINT. UM
COLLABORATION RIGHT THAT THE
SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE AND
WORK WITH OTHER ACADEMICS,
COMMUNITY GROUPS, STATEWIDE
ORGANIZATIONS, PEOPLE WITH A
HISTORY WITH THE VOTER VIOLIN
DATA CHALLENGES IN CALIFORNIA
AND MAYBE POSSIBLY TO GET
CONSENSUS ALSO ON SOME OF THE
DATA THRESHOLDS AND DIFFICULT
DECISIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE.
WHEN IDENTIFYING RACE OF THE
CITY OUT OF THE VOTER FILE
BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK,
SO JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT WAS
A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE IN
TERMS OF THIS BULLET POINT BEING
A COLLABORATIVE ONE. AND THEN,
OF COURSE, PUBLISHED THE
REQUIRED VC REPORTS, WHICH I
KNOW HAS ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED
TODAY. UM AND THEN ON THE TASK
FORCE JUST TO NOTE THAT THE TASK
FORCE AT VERY SPECIFIC CRIME
RATES UNDER THE A, AND THIS IS
ALSO ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT
ADVOCACY GROUP STATEWIDE GROUPS,
UM, NEGOTIATED AROUND TO HELP
BRING AS WELL AS THE REPORTS, BY
THE WAY TO HELP BRING
ACCOUNTABILITY RIGHT, AN
ASSURANCE THAT THE VC WOULD BE.
WE EXAMINED EVERY ELECTION CYCLE
THAT DATA WOULD INFORM COUNTIES
RIGHT IN A TIMELY MANNER GOING
FORWARD, AND THE TASK FORCE WAS
A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT
COMMUNITY GROUPS DATA EXPORTS.
OTHERS WERE PART OF THAT
CONVERSATION IN AN ESTABLISHED
WAY, SO I'M SURE YOU ALREADY
KNOW THIS. BUT IN SP 450, IT
ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTS THE TYPE OF
GROUPS THAT SHOULD BE PART OF
THAT AND THE VERY SPECIFIC ROLE
IN REVIEWING THINGS LIKE E. A. P
S AND SO FORTH, AT LEAST UNDER
PADILLA'S OFFICE. THAT WAS
SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE. UM OF
COURSE, THERE COULD BE A RE
ENVISIONING AND IF THE LAW DOES
REQUIRE AN EXAMINATION OF THAT
IN THE FUTURE, UM YOU KNOW, I'M
NOT SAYING THAT THAT SHOULD BE
THAT. BUT THAT WOULD BE THE
QUESTION. YEAH. UM ALRIGHT. SO
STATE LEGISLATURE. WHAT CAN THEY
DO? HOLD A JOINT ELECTIONS.
INFORMATION HEARING ON THOSE
PARTICIPATION GETS. WE JUST HAD
ONE, OF COURSE ON FROM THE
ASSEMBLY IN NOVEMBER. AND YOU
ALL ARE ARE HOLDING THIS VCS
SPECIFIC FOCUSED. COMMITTEE
HEARING. RENEW THE REQUIREMENT.
UM OF THE V C A TASK FORCE AND
PUSH FOR INCREASED ELECTIONS
FUNDING IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET
AND ESTABLISH A METRICS WHICH
ARE SO IMPORTANT AS SOME OF THE
THINGS I'VE NOTED BEFORE. HOW DO
WE DETERMINE THAT? WE'RE CLOSING
THE GAP? WHAT IS CLOSING THE GAP
? WHAT IS MAKING THE GAP BETTER?
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW DO
YOU SOME OF THE DATA TO TRUMP TO
DETERMINE THAT? UM AND THEN STEP
STATEMENT. ORGANIZATIONS CAN
TAKE NOW PARTICIPATE, OF COURSE
IN THE VC TASK FORCE AND A VERY
ROBUST WAY PARTICIPANT STATE
LACKS IN FACT, SHARE COUNTY ÁP
CHEVY S¼. STUDIES TALK. IT'S
EXCITING TO OTHERS AND SUPPORT
EFFORTS TO SECURE MORE STATE
FUNDING. AND, OF COURSE, MANY
GROUPS, VOTER RIGHTS GROUPS
ACROSS THE STATE HAVE BEEN
PUSHING, UH Tð AMPLIFY THE
CONVERSATION AROUND BUDGET AND
FUNDING INCREASES AND THEN AREA
TO, UM, ELECTION OFFICIAL
ENGAGEMENT WITH VOTER ENGAGEMENT
ORGANIZATIONS. JUST A COUPLE OF
SLIDES HERE, BUILD AUTHENTIC AND
ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS WITH
VOTER VOTER ENGAGEMENT
ORGANIZATIONS WORKING IN
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. SO
THIS IS JUST RECOGNIZING HERE
THAT MANY COUNTIES DO GREAT WORK
IN THIS AREA. MANY COUNTIES
STILL HAVE TO LEARN A LOT, EVEN
BY THEIR OWN ADMISSION IN TERMS
OF HOW DO THEY ENGAGE WITH
COMMUNITY MEMBERS? HOW DO THEY
IDENTIFY ALL THE RELEVANT
COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THIS SPACE?
UM HISTORY RIGHT IN COUNTIES, UM
, WHERE THAT HAS NOT OCCURRED IN
A GREAT WAY, SOMETIMES
REBUILDING OF RELATIONSHIPS, AND
ALL OF THAT, WITH LIMITED
FUNDING IS A REAL CHALLENGE SO
VERY SPECIFIC TIME. I THINK YOUR
REPORT IS GOING TO BE PROVIDED
AT THE COUNTY SO THAT THEY'LL
SEE THAT AS WELL, AS, UH YEAH.
JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE CAN
HEAR OTHER WITNESSES, AND I JUST
HAVE A COUPLE OF SLIDES TO SO
ALMOST DONE. THANK YOU. SO I'M
GONNA JUST ABOUT TO SAY THESE
ARE VERY KIND OF SPECIFIC
REQUIREMENTS SO YOU CAN LOOK AT
THOSE IN THE REPORT. AND THEN
JUST ALSO SEEKING MORE, UM,
INPUT FROM VOTER ENGAGEMENT
EXPERTS, VOTER STRATEGIES, RIGHT
AND, OF COURSE, INCREASING IN
LANGUAGE, VOTER OUTREACH TO NEW
AND INFREQUENT VOTERS. AND THEN
PHILANTHROPIC. IT'S PRETTY
SIMPLE HERE. IT'S FUNDING
RESEARCH, ITS FUNDING ALL THIS
OUTREACH, PROVIDING A DEEPER
LOOK AT A DEEPER LONG TERM
COMMITMENT. UM ON VOTER
ENGAGEMENT PERIOD IN CALIFORNIA,
REDUCING THOSE GAPS IN
CALIFORNIA THAT WE'VE TALKED
ABOUT, AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE
V C, A UM NOT LETTING GO, OR, UM
, LETTING IT SLIP THROUGH RIGHT?
THE CONVERSATIONS, THOSE THOSE
FUTURE COUNTIES WE HAVE TWO NEW
COUNTIES THIS ELECTION CYCLE IN
2024 AND UNDERSTANDING THAT
QUESTIONS FOR YOU. SO SENATOR
ALAN ROMBERG ANY QUESTIONS?
YEAH. WHO TELL ME, UM. I
ACTUALLY IMAGE WHO ARE SOME OF
THE PLAYERS WHO, FROM YOUR
PERSPECTIVE, WHO ARE THE BIGGEST
PLAYERS IN PHILANTHROPY IN THIS
BASICALLY FOUND IN MOST HELPFUL.
YEAH WELL, WHAT ONE IS
AFFILIATED WITH THIS REPORT. THE
HOSTAGE IN YOUR FUND? CERTAINLY
IN CALIFORNIA, OKAY? UM AND THEN
ON THIS WHOLE QUESTION OF TASK
FORCE. WHAT WHY? I PROBABLY
SHOULD HAVE ASKED. THE
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECURITY
IS OBVIOUS, BUT I MEAN,
OBVIOUSLY IT'S A THEY COULD
CONTINUE TO VOLUNTARILY. UM I
SUPPOSE THEY'VE CHOSEN NOT TO.
DO YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING AS
TO AS TO WHY WHY? WHY IT HASN'T
CONTINUED. I THINK THAT QUESTION
WOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE
SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE. UM
I DON'T WE ASK, HAVE MISSED AN
EXPLANATION. IF YOU COULD COME
UP, MAYBE AND ADDRESS IT IF
THERE'S AN ANSWER TO IT HERE.
THANK YOU SPOKE TO YOU TESTIFIED
EARLIER THAT WOULD BE
RECONVENING IT, BUT MAYBE YOU
CAN SPEAK TO SENATOR ALLEN'S
QUESTION. THANK YOU. UM SO THE V
C A TASK FORCE. I THINK WHEN WE
FIRST GOT TO UH, THE OFFICE
FUNCTIONED AS A GROUP THAT
REVIEWED, UM, THE REPORT THAT
CAME OUT AND THEY CONTINUE TO DO
THAT WHILE THEY WERE IN OUR IN
PRACTICE. WHEN THEY SUNSET.
THERE WAS REALLY NO GUIDANCE OR
STRUCTURE FOR HOW ELSE THEY
WOULD CONTINUE ON. UM WE WERE IN
THE MIDDLE OF BUILDING THE BC
ITSELF AND KEPT KEPT GOING, BUT
WE REALLY KEPT MEETING WITH THE
ADVOCATES AS ONE OFF SO WE'D
HAVE THE DIFFERENT MEMBERS
CONDUCTORS AND ASK US FOR, UM,
FEEDBACK OR INPUT ON THINGS. WE
ACTUALLY KEPT THE RELATIONSHIP
WITH ALL THE MEMBERS OVER THE
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IT WASN'T
JUST FORMAL, THOUGH, AS A TASK
FORCE, SO WE CONTINUE TO VALUE
THE INPUT AND IMPACT OF THOSE
ADVOCATES. WE'VE TAKEN THEIR
CONSIDERATIONS AND CREATED
GUIDANCE AND BEST PRACTICES FOR
SOME OF OUR COUNTIES. SO WHAT'S
IS DISMISSING IS A FORMAL.
FOLLOW UP TO THAT. SORRY JUST AN
ESSENCE OF TIME. SENATOR HAMBURG
THANK YOU, DR ROMERO. IF I
UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, YOU
SAID, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT
MODALITIES ACTUALLY INCENTIVIZED
FOLKS TO VOTE. IS THAT RIGHT? I
WAS TALKING ABOUT THE V C A
BROADLY. THERE'S A LOT OF DATA
THAT WILL GIVE US INDICATIONS OF
WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. IT
COULD BE DOING TO INCREASE
TURNOUT. YEAH. OKAY SO WE KNOW
WE KNOW WHAT MESSAGES RESONATE.
SPECIFIC MESSAGES IN ANY GIVEN
ELECTION CYCLE AND NOT SO MUCH,
BUT WE UNDERSTAND, UM, BROADER
MESSAGES. WE UNDERSTAND HOW TO
HOW TO AH, ENGAGE WITH VOTERS.
WE KNOW HOW TO DISPERSE THOSE
MESSAGES. WE HAVE A LOT OF
RESEARCH THAT TELLS US WHAT
WORKS WITH VOTERS. WE DON'T KNOW
SO MUCH ABOUT HOW TO GET TO 100%
RIGHT. HOW DOES HE SIGNIFICANT
GAPS, BUT WE DO KNOW TECHNIQUES
THAT WILL, UM INCREASED TURNOUT
IN COMMUNITIES THAT PROBLEM WITH
A LOT OF THAT IT IS IT'S A MULTI
TOUCH OVER TIME OFF THE ELECTION
CYCLE. IT'S INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE
AND TIME CONSUMING IS INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT. UM BUT WE A LOT OF
GROUPS WHO EITHER ARE NOT AWARE
OF IT OR MAYBE THEY ARE AWARE OF
IT. THEY JUST AREN'T ABLE TO
ENGAGE IN THAT LEVEL. UH,
ESPECIALLY WITHOUT FUNDING. I'M
JUST LOOKING AT YOUR VC
CHALLENGES. THERE'S LACK OF
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR COUNTY VOTER
OUTREACH PLANS AND SPENDING AND
HOW THE COUNTIES ARE REACHING
MARGINALIZED VOTERS. DOES THAT
MEAN WE DON'T HAVE THE METRICS?
WE HAVE THE MODALITIES. WE JUST
DON'T HAVE THE METRICS. WHAT
WHAT MAYBE EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE
BIT ON THE V C A, UM WHEN IT
COMES TO THE SPECIFICS AROUND
WHAT COUNTIES ARE DOING WITH
COMMUNITIES WE GET AND WE'VE
DONE SURVEYS AS WELL. RIGHT
COUNTIES ARE HAPPY TO TELL US
THE NUMBER OF MEDIA HITS THAT
THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, SENT OUT AND
THAT SORT OF THING BUT WHETHER
THEY'RE ACTUALLY REACHING VOTERS
LIKE, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINED A
STUDIES RIGHT THAT TRACK THAT
THOSE AREN'T HAPPENING AT A
COUNTY LEVEL. UM, THEY WOULD BE
INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE TO DO BUT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT
IMPORTANT TO DO BUT THEY'RE NOT
OCCURRING SO THIS OUTREACH IS
HAPPENING. WITHOUT ANY KIND OF
TRACKING OR STUDYING. WE DOING
THAT AS STATEWIDE LEVEL. AT A
STATEWIDE LEVEL. IN OTHER WORDS,
IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY
THAT THAT ONE OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS MORE FUNDING BUT
ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS THAT THAT
WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER EXACTLY
INCREASING WHATEVER WE'RE DOING
NOW ACTUALLY REACH VOTERS. IS
THAT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS WE DO
KNOW, AS I SAID, MORE GENERALLY.
SO IN THE REPORT, WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT SOME OF THOSE DETAILED
SPECIFICS RIGHT IN THE REPORT.
WE NOTE FUNDING JUST AGAIN,
MULTI TOUCH OVER TIME KNOCKING
ON PEOPLE'S DOORS. UM BUILDING
WITH TRUSTED MESSAGES RIGHT
BUILDING THE CASE FOR VOTING
OVER TIME DOES HAVE POSITIVE
IMPACTS ON COMMUNITIES. THAT'S
THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR A
LONG TIME. MORE DIRECT MESSAGING
TO VOTERS MAKING SURE THAT
VOTERS OF COLOR VOTERS THAT ARE
HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED
ARE ACTUALLY BEING THEY'RE VERY
UNLIKELY TO GET OUTREACH AND, UM
, MOBILIZATION KIND OF BEYOND
MAYBE JUST THE VOTER GUIDE UM,
EVEN WHEN REGISTERED TO VOTE,
THE MORE VERY SPECIFIC TARGETED
MESSAGES TO COMMUNITIES CAN HELP
INCREASE TURNOUT. UM BUT IN
TERMS OF WHAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE
ASKING WAS WHAT COUNTIES ARE
DOING. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF
INFORMATION ON THE DETAIL OF
WHAT COUNTIES ARE DOING, ALL
RIGHT, BE ABLE TO ATTRACT. THEY
AREN'T TRACKING BECAUSE IT'S
VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO DO
THAT, OR THEY'RE NOT INCLINED TO
DO IT EITHER WAY, BUT THEY'RE
NOT. IT'S NOT HAPPENING. AND WE
DON'T HAVE, UM I SAY WE THE
FIELD MORE BROADLY, THE ABILITY
TO TRACK WHAT COUNTIES ARE DOING
AND BEING ABLE TO SAY SOMETHING
ABOUT THOSE SPECIFIC UM AH,
EFFORTS IF THAT MAKES SENSE, OR
TO TIE IT TO FUNDING AND ALSO TO
BE QUITE HONEST, GETTING
INFORMATION ON JUST THE COUNTY'S
BUDGETS ON WHAT ON THE VCR OR
OTHERWISE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT
WE'VE SURVEYED OTHERS HAVE
SURVEYED AND TO TRY TO BREAK
OUT. SOME COUNTIES HAVE VERY
SIMPLE BUDGETS. YOU TRY TO BREAK
OUT. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SPENT ON
OUTREACH AND IT'S NOT VERY
LASERS EFFORT TO KEEP US ON
TRACK. BY THE FACT THAT HE'S GOT
OTHER COLLEAGUES THAT THAT DON'T
BUT IN ANY EVENT, UM IT IN ANY
EVENT. WHAT AND WE CAN PURSUE
THIS MAYBE LATER, IS IT WHAT I'M
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS MORE
MONEY RIGHT TO INCREASE OUTREACH
, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT
OUTREACH TODAY IS ACTUALLY
TOUCHING THE VOTERS WERE TRYING
TO REACH IS THAT IS THAT
ACCURATE IF THE GROUPS ARE DOING
IT RIGHT, A LOT OF THE
TECHNIQUES THAT GROUPS ARE DOING
ON THE GROUND ARE CONSISTENT
WITH RESEARCH THAT WE THAT HAS
SHOWN THAT THOSE ARE GOING TO BE
POSITIVE, RIGHT? UM IF COUNTIES
IF COUNTIES ARE GOING TO BE
GIVEN FUNDING, I WOULD ARGUE
THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME BUT
GREATER TRACKING AND
ACCOUNTABILITY. OVERTIME
TRANSPARENCY WITH THOSE BUDGETS,
MORE DETAILED BUDGETS, SO AS THE
COUNTIES ARE DOING THAT WORK
THERE UP FRONT AND AFTER THE
FACT I'M GOING TO PURSUE THIS,
MAYBE MAYBE OFFLINE BECAUSE I'M
REALLY TRYING TO GET MY HIT
AROUND FUNDING WOULD BE HELPFUL
PERIOD. YEAH I KNOW THAT THAT'S
THE ESSENCE OF THE QUESTION
COMES FROM A PLACE IN WHICH WE
HAVE A DEFICIT IN THE BILLIONS
AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND
WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM
THE SECRETARY SECRETARY OF
STATE'S OFFICE THAT THEY LIKE
MORE MONEY, AND I KNOW THAT
GENERICALLY WE DO, TOO, BUT WE
KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE PRESSED
BY OUR COLLEAGUES TO SURE HAVE
SOME REAL HARD REASONS FOR WHY
OFFER JUST ONE LITTLE PIECE AND
EITHER HAPPY TALK WITH YOU MORE
OFFLINE AS WELL. DON'T WANT TO
BELABOR OUR TIME HERE. BUT I DO
THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH
COUNTIES IN TERMS OF HOLDING
THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT'S
INCLUDED IN THE B C A AND
FUNDING THOSE ACTIVITIES
SPECIFICALLY AROUND. UM
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH HAVE BEEN
HELPFUL, AND I KNOW WITHOUT THAT
FUNDING COUNTIES ARE ABLE TO
PERFORM THOSE REQUIREMENTS, SO I
WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THE
CONVERSATION. WE CAN'T OFFLINE
IF YOU WANT AROUND FUNDING, AND
THERE'S MORE, I THINK
COLLECTIVELY, WE CAN ACTUALLY DO
TO HELP THAT CONVERSATION.
INDEED, WE HAVE A SIX MONTH
BUDGET CYCLE THAT BEGINS IN A
MATTER OF DAYS. THE GOVERNOR'S
THAT I'LL LEAVE IT. OKAY THANK
YOU. AND I APPRECIATE THE
QUESTION. I KNOW IT'S A
DIFFICULT PERIOD RIGHT NOW TO BE
TALKING ABOUT INCREASING FUNDING
AT ALL. IT'S GOING TO BE AN
ONGOING CONVERSATION, BUT I
DON'T THINK IT COMES WITH THAT
ARE SUPER GENERAL SUPPORT FOR
WHY IT BRINGS VALUE. BUT IT'S
JUST A MATTER OF CONVINCING OUR
COLLEAGUES ABOUT THE TOUGH
CHOICES WE HAVE IN THE OVERALL
BUDGET. DR ROMERO YOU'VE
PRESENTED A FANTASTIC REPORT.
WITH SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS, BOTH
FOR THE SECRETARY FOR THE
LEGISLATURE AND FOR OTHERS
APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU
AND YOUR TEAM DID TO CREATE THIS
AND NOW OUR TIME WAS A LITTLE
SHORT TO GET IT ALL IN, BUT I
KNOW IT'S AVAILABLE FOR US TO
CONTINUE TO PERUSE AND HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION WITH YOU. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. WE'RE NOW GOING TO
HEAD TO OUR THIRD PANEL INVOLVES
THREE ELECTION OFFICIALS. THERE
ON THE GROUND, DOING THE WORK,
UH, AND COMING WITH REAL LIFE
EXPERIENCES THAT I KNOW THEY
WANT TO SHARE AND WE WANT TO
HEAR, SO LET ME INTRODUCE
ANYTHING. ALL OF THEM ARE
ONLINE. LET ME INTRODUCE DEAN
LOGAN, WHO WAS THE REGISTRAR
RECORDER FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY,
MR LOGAN. GREAT TO ALWAYS SEE
YOU AGAIN. TRICIA WEBER, THE
COUNTY CLERK FROM SANTA CRUZ AND
REGISTRAR VOTER, MR WEBER. GOOD
TO SEE YOU AGAIN. AND JUAN
CERVANTES, WHO'S THE HUBBLE
COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER WE
KNOW HUMBLE TO NEW. BC A COUNTY
COMING ON BOARD, SO THE THREE OF
YOU KNOW OUR COUNTY PANEL TODAY.
I KNOW YOU SURE YOU'VE
COORDINATED WHO'S SPEAKING 1ST
AND 2ND AND 3RD. AND WILL THAT?
LEAVE IT TO YOU TO SHARE YOUR
THOUGHTS NOW? WELL GOOD
AFTERNOON. THIS IS THIS IS DEAN
LOGAN. I DON'T THINK WE DID
COORDINATE, BUT IF IT'S ALL
RIGHT, WE COULD JUST GO IN THE
ORDER ON THE AGENDA. TERRIFIC.
OKAY SO GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR
GLAZER AND SENATORS HAMBURG AND,
UM, ALAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND
THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS
HEARING TODAY ON SUCH A TIMELY
AND IMPORTANT TOPIC. I AM DEAN
LOGAN. I'M THE REGISTRAR
RECORDER COUNTY CLERK FOR LOS
ANGELES COUNTY AND AS
ARTICULATED IN THE HEARING
BACKGROUND AND IN THE OPENING
TESTIMONY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
THE PASSAGE AND IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE VOTER'S CHOICE ACT,
CALIFORNIA HAS ESTABLISHED A
STRONG FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT
FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. TO
ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE VOTER
PARTICIPATION AND TO SUPPORT A
VOTER SENATE APPROACH TO WIN
WHERE AND HOW VOTING OCCURS IN
OUR STATE. AS I'M SURE YOU ARE
AWARE OF THE NATURE, INTEGRITY
AND STRUCTURE OF THE ELECTORAL
PROCESS ARE UNDER TREMENDOUS
SCRUTINY AS WE NAVIGATE
POLITICAL DISCOURSE RESPOND TO
THE CONTINUING AFTER EFFECTS OF
A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, SECURE
AGAINST CYBERATTACKS RESPOND TO
MISS THIS AND MODEL INFORMATION
AND EMBRACE THE CHANGING NEEDS
OF OUR ELECTORATE. THE
EXPECTATIONS PLACED UPON
ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS ARE MORE
VISIBLE AND DEMANDING THAT AT
ANY TIME IN RECENT HISTORY, AND
THE THREATS AGAINST THE
PROFESSION ARE EVEN MORE
PRESENT. THAT SAID. WE BELIEVE
IT IS THE STRENGTH OF THE
STATUTORY FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED
BY THIS LEGISLATIVE BODY THAT
ENSURES OUR ABILITY TO FOCUS
EFFORTS AND RESOURCES ON
PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT
PROVIDE ACCESS TO VOTING FOR ALL
WHO ARE ELIGIBLE IN CALIFORNIA,
WE KNOW AND THE DATA SHOWS THAT
STRUCTURE AND POLICY ALONE WILL
NOT BRIDGE THE GAPS BETWEEN
RATES OF REGISTRATION AND
PARTICIPATION, NOR WILL IT ON
ITS OWN, ENSURE VOTER TURNOUT
THAT MIRRORS THE DEMOGRAPHIC
PROFILE OF OUR ELECTORATE. VOTER
PARTICIPATION STRENGTHS STEMS
FROM INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
INFLUENCED BY MORE THAN THE TIME
PLACE AND EQUIPMENT USED FOR
VOTING. IT RELIES ON CIVIC
EDUCATION, TRUSTED MESSENGERS,
PARTNERSHIPS WITH ADVOCACY
ORGANIZATIONS, TRANSPARENCY AND
CONSISTENCY, AND UNFORTUNATELY,
IT'S ERODED BY CYNICISM, LACK OF
ACCESS, CONFUSION AND
CONTROVERSY. OUR ROLE IS
ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS IS TO
ENSURE THAT ONCE THAT INTRINSIC
MOTIVATION IS ACHIEVED THERE ARE
NO BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION,
AND WE DELIVER A VOTING
EXPERIENCE THAT CONVEYS THE
SIGNIFICANCE AND POWER OF THE
VOTE. THE VOTERS CHOICE ACT AS
STRENGTHEN OUR ABILITY TO DO
THAT. ANGELES COUNTY IS THE
LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE
ELECTIONS JURISDICTION IN THE
COUNTRY WITH OVER 10 MILLION
RESIDENTS AND 5.6 MILLION
REGISTERED VOTERS FROM A WIDE
RANGE OF BACKGROUNDS, CULTURES
AND COMMUNITIES. WE SERVE AN
ELECTORATE WITH LARGE
POPULATIONS OF NON OR LIMITED
ENGLISH SPEAKERS, VOTERS WITH
DISABILITIES AND COMMUNITIES
BOTH IN LARGE, DENSE URBAN
CENTERS, AS WELL AS THOSE IN
RURAL GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED
AREAS. OVER A DECADE AGO, WE
EMBARKED ON AN UNPRECEDENTED
EFFORT TO DESIGN ENGINEER
MANUFACTURER AND IMPLEMENT THE
FIRST PUBLICLY OWNED VOTING
SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES AND
INITIATIVE WE IDENTIFIED AS
VOTING SOLUTIONS FOR ALL PEOPLE.
THROUGH THAT EFFORT, WE
REIMAGINE THE VOTING EXPERIENCE
TRANSFORMED THE COMMERCIAL
VOTING SYSTEMS MARKET AND
EXPANDED THE REGULATORY
ENVIRONMENT BY SETTING A NEW
STANDARD FOR VOTING SYSTEM
DESIGN THAT PRIORITIZES
USABILITY, SECURITY AND
ACCESSIBILITY. LOS ANGELES
COUNTY INTRODUCED THIS NEW
VOTING MODEL AND IMPLEMENTED THE
VOTER'S CHOICE ACT TOGETHER
DURING THE 2020 STATEWIDE
ELECTION CYCLE. RESPONSIVE TO
THE COVID 19 PUBLIC HEALTH
CRISES. THAT MODEL WAS ADJUSTED
BETWEEN THE PRIMARY AND GENERAL
ELECTIONS. AND IN NOVEMBER 2020
ELECTION MARKED THE FIRST IN
WHICH ALL VOTERS IN LOS ANGELES
COUNTY WHERE MAIL BALLOTS AND
ALSO HAD THE OPTION OF VOTING IN
PERSON AT ANY VOTE CENTER,
LOCATED IN THE COUNTY. MOST
VOTERS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY
TODAY VOTE USING A VOTE BY MAIL
BALLOT, BUT HOW THEY INTERACT
WITH THAT RESOURCE DIFFERS
ACROSS DEMOGRAPHICS, SO THE NEED
FOR OPTIONS AND CUSTOMIZATION IS
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. THE
AVAILABILITY OF SECURE ABOUT
BALLOT DROP BOXES, BALLOT
TRACKING TOOLS AND SIGNATURE
VERIFICATION APPLICATIONS ARE
EXAMPLES. UNDER PROVISIONS OF
THE VOTER'S CHOICE CHOICE ACT.
WE OFFER IN PERSON VOTES CENTER
STARTING 10 DAYS PRIOR AND
LEADING UP TO ELECTION DAY.
VOTERS CAN VOTE AT ANY LOCATION
AND ACCESS BROAD RANGE, A BROAD
RANGE OF ACCESSIBLE SERVICES
THAT OFFER AN INDEPENDENT,
SECURE AND PRIVATE VOTING
EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS
CUSTOMIZABLE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE
THROUGH OUR AUDIO BALLOT AND
MULTILINGUAL BALLOT DISPLAY
OPTIONS OF NOTE IN STATEWIDE
ELECTIONS. LOS ANGELES COUNTY
HAS CONSISTENTLY ESTABLISHED
VOTE CENTERS AND DROP BOXES IN
NUMBERS WELL ABOVE THE MINIMUM
REQUIRED UNDER THE VOTER'S
CHOICE ACT FORMULA. PHªN THIS IS
DIRECTLY RESPONSIVE TO THE
CRITERIA OUTLINED IN THE V C A
FOR ENSURING EQUITABLE PLACEMENT
AND GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. WE ALSO
OPERATE MOBILE VOTE CENTERS AND
FLEX VOTE CENTERS TO COMPLEMENT
TRADITIONAL VOTING LOCATIONS.
MOBILE VOTE CENTERS ARE TWO
PLAYED TOO HIGH TRAFFIC
LOCATIONS SUCH AS SPORTING
EVENTS, COMMUNITIES, FESTIVALS,
COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND EMPLOYMENT
CENTERS. FLEX VOTE CENTERS ARE
USED TO BRING VOTING SERVICES TO
HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AND
UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS,
SUCH AS LANGUAGE, LANGUAGE.
MINORITIES JUSTICE INVOLVED
INDIVIDUALS, SENIORS, PEOPLE
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS,
VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES AND
THOSE IN GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED
AREAS. OUR MOBILE AND FLEX VOTE
CENTERS RELY ON COMMUNITY
PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY AND SERVE
THESE COMMUNITIES. A KEY
CONTRIBUTOR TO EFFECTIVE
ADMINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS
UNDER THE VOTER'S CHOICE ACT IS
THE INTERACTION WE HAVE WITH OUR
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNITY THROUGH
OUR LONG ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED
COMMUNITY VOTER OUTREACH
COMMITTEE, OUR LANGUAGE
ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
AND OUR VOTING EXCESS ABILITY
ADVISORY COMMITTEE. WE HAVE
FORMED PARTNERSHIPS THAT ASSIST
IN THE SELECTION OF VOTES
CENTERS, VOTER EDUCATION,
ELECTION MONITORING AND EARLY
IDENTIFICATION OF ANY ISSUES
THAT MAY DISRUPT THE VOTING
PROCESS. OVERALL OUR EXPERIENCE
HAS BEEN THAT THE VOTERS CHOICE
ACT OFFERS A MORE FLEXIBLE,
VOTER FOCUSED MODEL OF VOTING,
ONE THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO OUR
VOTERS AND ALLOWS US TO FOCUS
LIMITED RESOURCES ON SERVICE FOR
SERVICES FOR VOTERS WHO ARE LESS
LIKELY TO HAVE FAMILIARITY WITH
THE VOTING PROCESS AND WHO ARE
LESS LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE. IT
ALSO ALLOWS FOR BROADER
APPLICATION OF OTHER LEGISLATIVE
INITIATIVES SUCH AS CONDITIONAL
VOTER REGISTRATION. ACCESSIBLE
SERVICES, MINORITY LANGUAGE
SUPPORT AND SERVICES FOR
MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS.
FOLLOWING THE 2024 ELECTION
CYCLE. A MORE COMPLETE SET OF
DATA WILL EXIST UPON WHICH TO
CONSIDER CHANGES OR ENHANCEMENTS
TO THE VOTERS CHOICE ACT. SOME
OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS MIGHT
INCLUDE CHANGES TO THE FORMULA
FOR ESTABLISHING THE MINIMUM
NUMBER OF VOTES CENTERS OR THE
NUMBER OF LOCATIONS REQUIRED
DURING THE 10 DAY PERIOD BEFORE
ELECTION DAY. AND THOSE THAT
OPEN THE WEEKEND BEFORE, AS HAS
ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED IN
ANALYZING THAT DATA, WE BELIEVE
IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO
RECOGNIZE THAT IN COMPARISON TO
THE TRADITIONAL SINGLE DAY,
PRECINCT BASED MODEL OF VOTING,
THE VCR EXPERIENCE IS STILL
RELATIVELY NEW. IT IS REASONABLE
TO ASSUME THAT DESPITE OUTREACH
AND EDUCATION EFFORTS, MANY
VOTERS MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE
OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM FOR
VOTING. FOR THAT REASON, WE
WOULD RECOMMEND CAUTION IN
MAKING SWEEPING CHANGES TO THE
MODEL TOO SOON. TODAY OUR VOTING
SYSTEM IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY IS
COMPREHENSIVE, SCALABLE AND
COMPONENT BASED COVERING ALL
ELEMENTS OF THE VOTING ABOUT
COUNTING PROCESS BUT MAINTAINING
THOSE SYSTEMS AND SUPPORTING THE
ASSOCIATED SERVICES REQUIRES
CONSISTENT, ONGOING AND RELIABLE
FUNDING THE INFUSION OF STATE
AND FEDERAL FUNDING IN THE 2020
2022 ELECTION CYCLES HELP
SIGNIFICANTLY WITH VISIBILITY,
ACCESSIBILITY AND SECURITY.
HOWEVER THE LOSS OF THAT FUNDING
LEADING INTO THE 2024 ELECTION
STYLE CYCLE BUT SAYS THAT RISK
PUTS AT RISK THE SUCCESSES
ACHIEVED BY THE POLICY AND
STRUCTURAL FOUNDATION THAT HAD
BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THIS
LEGISLATIVE BODY. AS ELECTION
ADMINISTRATORS WERE INTERESTED
TO FACILITATE VOTERS, ACCESS AND
ABILITY TO CAST A VOTE AND HAVE
CONFIDENCE THAT THAT VOTERS
IMPACT THAT THAT VOTE IMPACT.
I'M SORRY. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE
INTERESTED, FACILITATING VOTERS,
ACCESS AND ABILITY TO CAST A
VOTE AND TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN
THAT VOTES IMPACT, BUT THE
PROCESS OUTCOMES AND LEGITIMACY
OF ELECTIONS DO NOT BELONG TO
US. RATHER, THEY BELONG TO THE
VOTERS FOR WHOM THOSE SYSTEMS
GIVE VOICE INFLUENCE AND POWER.
WE MUST NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF
THAT. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR
HOLDING THE HEARING TODAY AND
FOR RAISING AWARENESS AROUND THE
IMPACT OF THE VOTER'S CHOICE
BACK. THANK YOU, MR LOGAN. AND I
GUESS THE SUMMARY WOULD BE TOO
SOON TO MAKE SWEEPING CHANGES.
YOU WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE 24
ELECTION CYCLE AND WE COULD USE
MORE MONEY. WELL SAID. OKAY
TERRIFIC. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
GREAT LEADERSHIP IN LOS ANGELES
COUNTY. MISS WEBBER. I THINK
YOU'RE NEXT UP AND WE LOOK
FORWARD TO YOUR TESTIMONY. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH, UM CHERRY GLAZER
AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. UM
AS WAS SAID, I'M TRICIA WEBER.
I'M THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CLERK
AND REGISTER OUR VOTERS. HOWEVER
I'M NOT SPEAKING TO YOU TODAY IN
THAT CAPACITY, BUT RATHER AS THE
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF CLERK
AND ELECTION OFFICIALS ELECTION
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CO CHAIR
WHICH IS HOW I SEE YOU GUYS,
MOSTLY WHEN I COME IN AND TALK
ABOUT DURING REGULAR HEARINGS.
UM AS YOU KNOW, SENATE, BILL 450
WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN 2016. AND
ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT PART OF THE
TEAM OF LEGISLATORS, SECRETARY
OF STATE REPRESENTATIVES, COUNTY
OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
WHO MET REGULARLY TO CREATE THE
FRAMEWORK OF US BEFORE 50. I WAS
AS CO CHAIR OF THE ALLEGED
COMMITTEE, CLOSELY TRACKING THE
PROPOSED LEGISLATION. BRINGING
TO THE TEAM COMMUNITY OR
COMMITTEE PRAISES COMMITTEE
QUESTIONS AND COMMITTEE CONCERNS
AND LOOKING FOR CLARIFICATION TO
THE LANGUAGE. SINCE THE PASSAGE
OF SB 450. I HAVE WATCHED AND
LISTENED TO THE COUNTIES THAT
HAVE ADOPTED AND I'VE ALSO
WATCHED AND LISTENED TO THE
COUNTIES WHO HAVE NOT IN ORDER
TO HEAR THEIR CONCERNS. I'VE
ALSO TAKEN PROPOSALS AND HAVE
TALKED TO COMMITTEES AND OTHER
LAWMAKERS TO EXPRESS THOUGHTS.
AND AS A COUNTY WHO ADOPTED THE
BCM MODEL IN 2022, I'VE BEEN
ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THESE PRAISES
QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS
FIRSTHAND. THE NUMBER ONE
CONCERN AS YOU'VE HEARD NUMEROUS
TIMES. TODAY IS THE NUMBER OF
DAYS THAT THE VOTE CENTERS ARE
OPEN. THERE IS A REQUIREMENT TO
OPEN IN PERSON VOTING LOCATIONS
AT A SPECIFIC RATIO FOR REGULAR
ELECTION. IT'S ONE VOTE CENTER
PER 50,000 VOTERS 11 DAYS PRIOR
TO ELECTION DAY IN SANTA CRUZ
THAT EQUALS FOUR CENTERS. I WILL
ADMIT WE ARE FIVE BECAUSE I PUT
ONE IN EACH SUPERVISORIAL
DISTRICT. HOWEVER IF WE HAD ONLY
FOUR OPEN, IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT
CHANGE THE USAGE MUCH. WE HAVE
FOUND THAT 3.8% OF OUR IN PERSON
. VOTERS COME DURING THAT FIRST
SEVEN DAY PERIOD. WE HAVE
SEVERAL DAYS WHERE LOCATIONS
WILL HAVE ZERO PEOPLE COME IN,
EVEN IF THAT PERSON IS COMING TO
RETURN OF VOTED BALLOT IN A
SEALED ENVELOPE. IN SANTA CRUZ
COUNTY IS NOT ALONE LOOKING AT
THE DATA THAT'S POSTED ON THE
SECRETARIES OF STATES WEBSITE
FOR THE MARCH 2020 ELECTION. IT
WAS 3.13% OF IN PERSON. VOTERS
ACROSS THE STATE VOTED IN THAT
FIRST WEEK I GOT STATISTICS FROM
OTHER COUNTIES SUCH AS SAN MATEO
, SACRAMENTO, SAN DIEGO, ORANGE
AND OTHERS THAT SHOW THE SAME
FLAT LINE THAT FIRST WEEK. ONE
COUNTY INDICATED TO ME THAT
THEY'RE ABOUT CENTER WORKERS
COMPLAIN ABOUT WASTING TAX
DOLLARS OF HAVING THESE CENTERS
OPEN WHEN VERY FEW OR NO VOTERS
ACCESS THEM. THE COST PER VOTER
IS ASTRONOMICAL DURING THAT
FIRST WEEK IN SANTA CRUZ, WE'RE
LOOKING AT CLOSE TO $100 PER
VOTER. HOWEVER WE HAVE A LOWER
COST BECAUSE I STILL PAY MY VOTE
CENTER STAFF WITH STIPENDS BUT
OTHER COUNTIES, IT'S
DRAMATICALLY HIGHER BECAUSE THEY
PAY THEM PER HOUR AS AN HOURLY
EMPLOYEE. SOME PROPOSALS AROUND
THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT HAVE
COME OUT OF THE COMMITTEE
INCLUDE REDUCING THE NUMBER OF
DAYS THAT THE LOCATIONS ARE OPEN
TO BEING SEVEN OR LESS. TWO OF
OUR PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY,
ADJUSTING THE RATIO OF VOTERS IN
THE FORMULA TO MAYBE SOMETHING
THAT'S LIKE ONE PER 90,000
VOTERS. OR LESS THAN THE NUMBER
OF HOURS THAT ARE VOTING
LOCATION IS OPEN RIGHT NOW. THEY
MUST BE OPEN EIGHT HOURS A DAY,
AND PEOPLE HAVE FOUND ON SUNDAYS
. IT'S ESPECIALLY HARD TO BE
THERE FOR EIGHT HOURS WITH LOW
NUMBER OF VOTERS. ANOTHER AREA
WHERE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF
DISCUSSION. IT'S ABOUT THE
MAILING REQUIREMENTS. THE V C A
REQUIRES THAT THERE BE THREE
DIRECT MAILINGS TO VOTERS. THESE
MAILINGS ARE FOR, UM, OCCUR EACH
ELECTION AND THAT REQUIREMENT
NEVER LESSENS OVER TIME. MY
UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE GOAL
OF THE MAILERS WAS TO INFORM
VOTERS OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THE V C, A VOTING MODEL AND THE
TRADITIONAL POLLING PLACE MODEL.
UM YOU KNOW, IN THERE FACT THAT
THERE'S LESS IN PERSON VOTING
LOCATIONS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER
THERE'S MORE DAYS TO ACCESS
VOTING ALSO TO GIVE LANGUAGE
OPTIONS AND WAYS TO CAST AND OR
RETURN A BALLOT. OKAY COUNTIES
UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNICATING WITH THE VOTERS,
ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S CHANGES
TO THE VOTING METHOD OR TO THE
VOTING LOCATION. BUT IT SEEMS
LIKE THIS COMMUNICATION SHOULD
CHANGE OVER TIME, EITHER WITH
LESS MAILINGS OR HAVE DIFFERENT
MESSAGES. SPECIFICALLY FOR SANTA
CRUZ COUNTY. WE JUST CONDUCTED
TWO SPECIAL ELECTIONS FOR THE
SAME GENERAL AREA SCHOOL
DISTRICT AND A FIRE DISTRICT.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN THE
NUMBER OF VOTERS BETWEEN THE TWO
JURISDICTIONS WAS 150. SO THERE
WERE 100 AND 50 MORE VOTERS IN
THE FIRE DISTRICT THAN THEY WERE
IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. BUT THEY
ARE THE EXACT SAME
JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES. AND
THESE TWO ELECTIONS WERE 14 DAYS
APART. THE CONFUSION WAS HORRID
BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE GETTING
MULTIPLE, YOU KNOW, TWO
DIFFERENT BALLOTS BECAUSE THERE
WERE TWO DIFFERENT ELECTIONS.
THEY WERE GETTING TWO DIFFERENT
GUIDES. THEY WERE GETTING
MULTIPLE POSTCARDS AND EVERY AND
THEY WERE GOING OUT NEXT SAME
FORT, YOU KNOW, SAME MONTH
PERIOD OF TIME, AND PEOPLE WERE
VERY CONFUSED. BECAUSE WHAT WHAT
DO YOU MEAN? I THOUGHT YOU SAID
THE ELECTION WAS ON NOVEMBER
7TH. IT'S ON OCTOBER 24TH.
WHAT'S THE DEAL? UM IT DIDN'T
HELP TO EDUCATE THE VOTERS. IT
REALLY JUST CAUSED CONFUSION AND
ANGER, MOST OF WHICH WAS
DIRECTED AT OUR ELECTION STAFF.
WHO REALLY, WE COULDN'T SAY MORE
THAN I KNOW IT'S CONFUSING, BUT
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO
DO. SO SOME PROPOSALS INCLUDE
REDUCING THE NUMBER OF MAILINGS
AND OR ALLOWING THE MAILINGS TO
BE MORE CREATIVE IN WHAT THEIR
MESSAGING COUNTIES WOULD LIKE TO
HAVE CREATIVE CONTROL OVER WHEN
THE MAILINGS ARE SENT AND WHAT
THEY CONTAIN HAVING RIGIDNESS
OVER WHAT NEEDS TO BE ON THAT
MAILING, AND, UM WHETHER THE
COUNTY IS CONDUCTING ITS 1ST 5TH
10TH ELECTION UNDER THE V C A
MODEL IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD
BE RELAXED. THERE SHOULD BE SOME
GUIDELINES OR FLOORS, BUT THE
COUNTY REGISTRAR IS THE ONE WHO
KNOWS HOW THEIR VOTERS REACT,
AND THEY RESPOND AND HOW THEY
SHOULD BE EDUCATED. HAVING
CHOICES AS A THEME THAT YOU'VE
HEARD A LOT DURING TODAY. UNDER
THE CIA. THE VOTER HAS THE
CHOICE OF WHETHER THEY WANT TO
VOTE IN PERSON OR BY USING THE
BALLOT THAT WAS SENT TO THEM.
VOTER HAS A CHOICE OF WHAT DAY
DURING THE IN PERSON VOTING
PERIOD TO VOTE OR RETURN THEIR
BALLOT TO A VOTING LOCATION.
VOTERS CAN MAIL OR DROP OFF. BUT
WHAT COUNTIES HAVE FOUND DURING
THIS JOURNEY IS THAT WHAT WORKS
IN ONE COUNTY DOES NOT WORK IN
ANOTHER. DURING PUBLIC COMMENT
OR DURING MEETINGS WITH THE
SECRETARY OF STATE AND OR
ADVOCATES, COUNTIES ALWAYS HERE.
YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD DO RADIO
SPOTS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WORKS
IN COUNTY, A COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE
A LOCAL RADIO STATION AND HAS TO
RELY ON MEDIA COMING FROM A
NEIGHBORING COUNTY. THAT'S NOT A
BCA COUNTY OR COUNTY B IS VERY
SUCCESSFUL WITH AND YOU FILL IN
THE BLANK. BUT THAT'S NOT AN
OPTION THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR
YOU. COUNTIES NEED TO BE ABLE TO
MAKE THE CHOICES THAT ARE BEST
FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS, UM,
WITHOUT THE STRICT CODES OR
REGULATIONS OR HAVING GROUPS
PITTING COUNTIES AGAINST EACH
OTHER FOR VARIOUS REASONS. AND
AS ALWAYS, UNDERLYING EVERYTHING
IN ELECTIONS IS THE MONETARY
IMPACT, HAVING LOCATIONS OPEN
FOR FEW OR NO VOTERS IS NOT A
GOOD FISCAL ANSWER. FOCUSING
MAILINGS ON SPECIFIC ITEMS IS
NOT ALWAYS A GOOD FISCAL ANSWER,
EITHER, AND ASIDE FROM FUNDING
ELECTIONS AT A GREATER LEVEL,
MAKING CHANGES TO THE VCA
REQUIREMENTS, RESPECTIVE TO THE
NUMBER OF DAYS, THE NUMBER OF
LOCATIONS OR THE MAILING OF
NOTICES WOULD CERTAINLY HELP
ELECTION OFFICIALS. COUNTIES
COULD TAKE THE SAVINGS THERE AND
USE THOSE FUNDS TO DO OTHER
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT THEY
PUT OFF BECAUSE OF FUNDING.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR WEBER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP OF
THE CLERKS AND REGISTRARS OVER
THE YEARS. LOOK FORWARD TO
SEEING YOU IN PERSON AND THE
COMING YEAR AS WELL. AND THANK
YOU FOR YOUR VERY SPECIFIC
RECOMMENDATIONS. FROM YOUR
TESTIMONY. THEY WERE VERY
VALUABLE. I MEAN, NEXT GO TO
WINE. CERVANTES FROM HUMBOLDT.
MR CERVANTES. THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US. WE WELCOME YOUR
TESTIMONY. GOOD AFTERNOON,
SENATOR GLACIER AND, UH,
COMMITTEE MEMBERS. I APPRECIATE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS
ISSUE. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT
THE COMMITTEE HAS AN INTEREST IN
KNOWING ABOUT OUR PATH TO THE BC
. A WHETHER THAT'S WHAT KEPT US
FROM IT. UM WHAT, UM, CAUSED US
TO GO TO IT AND ANY CHALLENGES
OR OPPORTUNITIES WOULD SEEM
ALONG THE WAY. WE'VE BEEN
INTERESTED IN TRANSITIONING TO
THE VOTERS CHOICE ACT SINCE, UH,
SINCE IT PASSED, ACTUALLY, UM
THE COST FOR THAT IS, UH, IS
SOMEWHAT EXISTENTIAL. UM IN
HUMBOLDT COUNTY, WHERE WE'RE
PRETTY RURAL COUNTY THAT THAT
DOESN'T SEE A LOT OF ACTIVITY
WHEN IT COMES TO CONSTRUCTION
AND SO FINDING SUFFICIENT, UH,
POLLING PLACES THAT NEED OR
CITING REQUIREMENTS AND ADA
REQUIREMENTS. HAS BEEN A REAL
STRUGGLE OVER THE YEARS EACH
YEAR, GETTING A GETTING MORE AND
MORE DIFFICULT WITH, UH MORE AND
MORE, UM, MODIFICATIONS
NECESSARY IN ORDER TO GET THEIR
WE'VE SEEN THOSE SAME STRUGGLES
WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING POLL
WORKERS, AND SO WE SAW THE
VOTER'S CHOICE ACTORS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO PICK CONSOLIDATE
TO DO MORE WITH A LITTLE LESS
WHEN IT CAME TO JUST THE
GEOGRAPHICAL LIMITATIONS THAT
THAT WE FIND IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY.
UM SOME OF THAT'S PROVEN TO BE A
CHALLENGE AS WELL. UM WE WENT
FROM HAVING A DIFFICULTY
FINDING, PULLING, UH POLL
WORKERS FOR ABOUT 39 POLLING
PLACES ON AVERAGE FOR A MAJOR
ELECTIONS. TO FINDING A
SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF POLL
WORKERS. ELECTION WORKERS NOW
INTERESTED IN WORKING FOR 10
DAYS OR FOUR DAYS, UM, EIGHT
PLUS HOURS A DAY. UM SO THE
SHIFT IS MOVED FROM FROM GETTING
ENOUGH. FOR MULTIPLE ERA FOR A
SINGLE DAY, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
TO GETTING ENOUGH INTERESTED IN
WORKING THAT MANY HOURS. UM IN
THAT WAY, REVISITING. UM HOW
WOULD REQUIREMENTS WE HAVE FOR
THE NUMBER OF DAYS FOR A
DIFFERENT POLLING LOCATIONS
WOULD BE INCREDIBLE. WE'VE SEEN
SIMILAR NUMBERS TO THOSE
REPORTED BY, UM BY REGISTER. AH
WEBER. UM FOR US. OUR NUMBER IS
I BELIEVE AND THE DATA THAT
WE'RE GOING OFF OF IS THE BRIEF
2020 PERIOD WHERE WE WERE ABLE
TO DO A HYBRID KIND OF ELECTION.
UM IF WE SEE A LIGHT, I THINK IS
WHAT MOST FOLKS TALKED ABOUT
WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO. Dð LARGER
CONSOLIDATIONS WITH MORE DAYS
AND FOR THOSE EARLY DAYS WE
THOUGHT ABOUT, UH 2.7% OF VOTERS
COME IN OVER THOSE TWO DAYS
ACROSS THE MYRIAD OF POLLING
PLACES. COMPLAINTS WE GOT FROM
POOR WORKERS AT THAT TIME WAS
WAS MORALE WAS LOW ON THOSE DAYS
WHERE THEY SPENT A LOT OF THEIR
TIME AND DIDN'T DIDN'T SEEM TO
BENEFIT THE COUNTY OR DEMOCRACY
BECAUSE NOBODY CAME IN. UM THAT
WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE
CONSIDERED GOING THROUGH. THIS
IS THE COST. UM IF WE WERE TO DO
SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS, UH, AS
ONLY HAVING FOUR DAYS WE WOULD
SAVE ABOUT, UM $13,000, WHICH
MAY NOT SOUND LIKE MUCH FOR THE
BIGGER BUDGET. BUT FOR OUR
DEPARTMENT, THAT'S THAT'S A
MEANINGFUL AMOUNT OF OUTREACH
THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO. THAT'S A
THAT'S ANOTHER POINT WHERE WE
WERE CONCERNED BUDGETARILY IS
THAT ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
WHEN IT CAME TO OUTREACH, AND WE
WERE ONLY CONCERNED DUE TO THE
BUDGET INVOLVED. UM I'LL BE
HONEST AND SAY THAT I USED THE
VOTERS TRACE ACTORS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO ASK MORE
MONEY FOR MY COUNTY IN ORDER TO
FULFILL THOSE STATUTORY
REQUIREMENTS, AND I SAW THAT AS
A AS A BENEFIT. WE TOOK THE
OPPORTUNITY OF GOING THROUGH THE
VOID, DESTROY SACKED E ÁP
PROCESS AS A MECHANISM TO ENGAGE
WITH STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE HADN'T
HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH
NOT A BAD RELATIONSHIP. JUST A
LACK OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME
OF THOSE WILL BE SPEAKING
SHORTLY AFTER ME, BUT WE SAW
THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE
IN A WAY THAT OUR COUNTY HADN'T
ENGAGED BEFORE WE DID THAT WITH,
UM THROUGH THAT PROCESS THROUGH
ENGAGING IN RENEWING OUR EFFORTS
WITH LANGUAGE ACCESSIBILITY
ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE
VOTING ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY
COMMITTEE. UM WE TOOK THE
OUTREACH REQUIREMENTS AND THE
OPPORTUNITY THAT THE GRANTS THAT
, UH, THAT THE SECRETARY OF
STATE PROVIDED AND USE THAT TO
DO OUTREACH IN A WAY THAT WE
HADN'T HAD THE BANDWIDTH TO DO
AS A SMALL COMPANY. THOSE
DOLLARS ARE LIMITED. AND IN
ORDER FOR US TO DO SOMETHING, WE
HAVE TO NOT DO ANOTHER THING
UNLESS WE'RE ABLE TO FIND THOSE
GRAND DOLLARS. WE TOOK AN
APPROACH OF MEETING PEOPLE WHERE
THEY'RE AT. WE WENT TO THE
COUNTY FAIR WE MET. WE WENT TO
TRIBAL DAYS. UM WE WHEREVER WE
WERE INVITED, WE MADE IT A POINT
TO MEET FOLKS AND ENGAGE AND THE
VOTERS CHOICE ACT GAVE US THAT
PLATFORM THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO
ABOUT DOING THAT. GOING FORWARD.
UH RECRUITING IS STILL THE
CHALLENGE. IT'S THE THING THAT
KEEPS ME UP FINDING ENOUGH FOLKS
CAPABLE OF ENGAGING IN SUCH A
SHORT TERM PROJECT. UM IN TERMS
OF HOW MANY MONTHS THEY'RE
THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING OR
THE MONTH THE FEW DAYS THAT
THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING AND
TO DO SO FOR SEVERAL DAYS IS
SOMETHING THAT I'M CONCERNED
ABOUT. WELL WE'LL GET THERE.
WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN. WE ALWAYS
DO, BUT BUT BEING ABLE TO ADJUST
THOSE THINGS AND MAKE THEM FIT
THE COUNTY, UM IS HUGE. UM THOSE
THOSE THINGS DON'T SCALE WELL,
EVEN EVEN GIVEN THE FORMULAS
THAT ARE IN THE VOTER'S CHOICE
ACT. WE STILL FIND OURSELVES UM
I DON'T WANT TO SAY WASTING, BUT
BUT USING RESOURCES FAR MORE
INEFFICIENTLY THAN WE CAN AFFORD
TO USE THEM. AND NOW ALLOW SOME
SOME TIME FOR QUESTIONS. THANK
YOU. REGISTER REGISTRAR
CERVANTES. THANKS FOR TELLING US
THE STORY OF YOUR JOURNEY. TO
THE V C. A FAMILY. WELCOME TO
THE V C. A. FAMILY OF COURSE OF
COUNTIES THAT ARE UNDERTAKING
THE PROCESSES YOU'VE YOUR NOW
VERY FAMILIAR WITH. UM I'M GONNA
TAKE A PAUSE THERE. SEE IF
COLLEAGUES HAVE QUESTIONS FOR
ANY OF THE CLERKS DON'T SEE. AND
UNITING HEADS ON THE PANEL. SO
TO THE THREE OF YOU REGISTER
LOGAN AND WEBER AND CERVANTES,
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING AND
FOR YOUR CONTINUED INPUT AS WE
WORK TO MAYBE MAKE CHANGES.
MAYBE NOT, UH, AS IN THE YEAR
AHEAD, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO GO TO
OUR LAST PANEL OF COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN VERY
ACTIVE IN THIS SPACE. I WANT TO
INVITE UP TO THE DAY IS HERE, UH
PAUL SPENCER, WHO'S THE SENIOR
ATTORNEY FOR VOTING RIGHTS FOR
THE DISABILITY RIGHTS,
CALIFORNIA AH, SI SE. I'M GOING
TO PRONOUNCE THAT NAME ROD
SEYARTO. RIGHT I SAID, SIR. IT'S
LIKE A FARD. THANK YOU. WHO'S
THE SENIOR PROGRAM COORDINATOR?
FOR VOTING RIGHTS FOR THE ASIAN
AMERICANS, ADVANCING JUSTICE AND
THE ASIAN LAW CAUCUS. AND
RUSSIA, CHARVIS. HARDNESS THE
VOTING RIGHTS AND REDISTRICTING
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT FOR
CALIFORNIA COMMON CAUSE. THANK
YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING. AND I
UNDERSTAND FROM MY LEAD
CONSULTANT HERE THAT WE'VE ASKED
YOU TO LIMIT YOUR TESTIMONY TO
FIVE MINUTES EACH. AND WHILE WE
BEGIN WITH MR SPENCER THANK YOU.
VERY GLASER. I REALLY APPRECIATE
YOU ALL HAVING US HERE, SO I'M
AN ATTORNEY WITH DISABILITY
RIGHTS CALIFORNIA, WHERE THE
PROTECTION ADVOCACY SYSTEM FOR
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND
STATE OF CALIFORNIA. UM YOU KNOW
WE WERE INVOLVED IN NEGOTIATIONS
REGARDING US BEFORE 50. WE'VE
BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE
IMPLEMENTATION EVER SINCE. YOU
KNOW THESE THESE COMMENTS ARE
REALLY BASED ON INPUT FROM MY
COLLEAGUES. AND YOU KNOW, REALLY
, IN PROBABLY ALL 29 OF THE BCA
COUNTIES. WE'VE EITHER SUBMITTED
COMMENTS ON ELECTION PLANS WHERE
WE'VE GONE THERE IN PERSON. I
MEAN, PERSONALLY, I'VE GONE
ACCOUNTING IN THE PLANE RIGHT UP
HERE. 15 COUNTIES. UM SINCE
IMPLEMENTATION SO YOU KNOW? THE
CIA HAS HAD SOME IMPROVEMENTS
THAT ARE GOOD FOR VOTERS WITH
DISABILITIES. EXTENDED VOTING
PERIODS ARE GREAT. VOTE CENTERS
ARE FULLY ACCESSIBLE TO SENATOR
ALLEN'S POINT LIKE IT. YOU CAN
WORK OUT THE BUGS IN ELECTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN COMPLAINTS
ABOUT BALLOT MARKING DEVICES
DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE PART
OF THAT SHE WAS AT THE STATE,
YOU KNOW, REQUIRED NEW VOTING
EQUIPMENT. BUT ALSO YOU KNOW,
YOU DON'T HAVE A VOTER WHO'S
BLIND, COMING TO A POLLING
LOCATION AT 8 A.M. AN HOUR AFTER
POLLS OPEN ON THE TUESDAY AND
BUT THE EQUIPMENT NOT SET UP
YET, BECAUSE IN ABOUT A CHOICE
THAT COUNTY IT'S BEEN SET UP A
LONG TIME, SO THOSE ARE GOOD. UM
YOU KNOW, WE LIKE THAT THERE'S A
REQUIREMENT TO DO OUTREACH, THE
DISABILITY COMMUNITY. UM, AND
THERE'S BEST PRACTICES LIKE YOU
DON'T HAVE TO GET INPUT ON THE
ELECTION PLANNING PROCESS, YOU
HAVE TO START VOTING
ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY
COMMITTEE. THIS IS GREAT FOR
DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS.
HOWEVER YOU KNOW, DEAR C WAS
NEUTRAL ON THE VOTER'S CHOICE
ACT BECAUSE WE HAVE CONCERNS
ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND IN
PARTICULAR THE CLOSING OF
NEIGHBORHOOD POLLING LOCATIONS.
IT'S HARD FOR VOTERS WITH
DISABILITIES, TRAVELING EVEN A
LITTLE BIT FARTHER TO ABOUT
CENTER IS A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER.
SO YOU KNOW, PART OF THE V. C A.
WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE
BOTH CENTERS OPEN FOR MORE
HOURS. WE WERE REALLY GOING TO
BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHERE THEY
WERE PLACED. YOU KNOW, WE THINK
ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
ROUTES WHERE PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES LIVE. AND WE GET
INPUT FROM THE DISABILITY
COMMUNITY, BUT BUT IN PRACTICE,
IT'S BEEN SORT OF A MIXED BAG
FOR VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES.
THOSE PARTS OF THE VCA HAVE BEEN
VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT. AND
THEY HAVEN'T REALLY HAPPENED
EVENLY ACROSS THE STATE. UM SO
AND I TELL, YOU KNOW, MY
COLLEAGUES AND I WERE REALLY
STILL ACTIVELY. HAVING TO WORK
WITH COUNTIES TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE MEETING
REQUIREMENTS AND WHEN THEY'RE
SUPPOSED TO POST THE ELECTION
ADMINISTRATION PLANS, IT'S
FRUSTRATING, AND IT REALLY
HASN'T IMPROVED. HIS TIME HAS
GOING ON. THERE'S REALLY BEEN
PRETTY COMMON ISSUES WITH HOW TO
PROPERLY IMPLEMENT THE VODKA AND
HOW TO GET INPUT FROM PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES. SO JUST FOR
LIKE, KIND OF THREE BIG BUCKETS
FOR CHALLENGES, ONE IS AGAIN IN
THE ELECTION PLANNING PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, COUNTIES HAVE REALLY
STRUGGLED WITH HOW TO INTERPRET
THE VODKA'S MEETING
REQUIREMENTS. UM AS YOU'VE SEEN
A LOT IN THIS HEARING. THERE'S A
REAL NEED FOR EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH. UM TIME STAFFING AND
MONEY OR ISSUES. YOU KNOW, AND
THIS IS ANOTHER THING ABOUT
TIME. THESE ARE STARTING. BC
IMPLEMENTATION TOO CLOSE TO
ELECTION TIMES. THIS HINDERS THE
DEVELOPMENT OF, YOU KNOW,
COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AND
THINKING ABOUT YOUR ELECTION
PLANNING, LIKE, YOU KNOW. WE
THINK COUNTY SHOULD BE
IMPLEMENTING UP TO 18 MONTHS
BEFORE THEIR FIRST ELECTION, BUT
WE'RE SEEING COUNTIES PUSH IT
CLOSER AND CLOSER AND HONESTLY,
THEIR ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
PLANNING IS RUSHED. AS A RESULT,
UM I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST THE
TRANSPARENCY REPORTING YOU'VE
HEARD THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S
REPORTS HAVE BEEN LATE. THERE'S
ALSO REQUIREMENT FOR COUNTIES TO
POST THEIR ELECTION COSTS ON
THEIR WEBSITE COMPARING
TRADITIONAL ELECTIONS TO VOTERS.
CHOICE ACT ELECTIONS, AND THIS
DOESN'T HAPPEN. I MEAN, LAST
NIGHT, I LOOKED AT EIGHT
COUNTIES. TWO OF THEM ACTUALLY
HAVE REPORTS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE,
NEVADA COUNTIES IS GREAT. IT'S
REALLY DETAILED, BUT YOU GO TO
OTHER COUNTIES, AND IT HAS LIKE
FOUR LINES OF DATA. IT'S REALLY
FRUSTRATING TO HEAR COMPLAINTS
ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS AREN'T
WORKING. BUT IN THESE COUNTIES,
WE CAN'T ACTUALLY SEE THE DATA
THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING THIS
REQUIREMENT. SO AND AGAIN THAT
HAS REAL WORLD IMPACT, LIKE ON
NEW IMPLEMENTING COUNTIES. YOU
KNOW WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST
WHERE THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT REALLY
ALLOCATING ANY FUNNY FOR
EDUCATION OUTREACH, BUT IN THEIR
DEFENSE IF THEY LOOKED AT,
THERE'S NO THEIR COLLEAGUE.
COUNTIES AREN'T PUTTING UP THE
COST. SO YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF
WRAPPING UP. YOU KNOW FOR A
RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WE REALLY
WANT ENHANCED TRAINING AND
RESOURCES. THE SECRETARY OF
STATE PUTS OUT MATERIALS FOR
COUNTIES, BUT YOU KNOW,
SOMETIMES THE COUNTY THE
GUIDANCE THAT COUNTIES ARE
GETTING IS INSUFFICIENT, AND
SOMETIMES IT'S CREATED PROBLEMS
THAT COUNTIES NEED MORE HELP
WITH WITH HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE
LAW. UM AGAIN, ADVANCED PLANNING
COUNTY SHOULD REALLY BE STARTING
TO IMPLEMENT THE BBC 18 MONTHS
AHEAD OF TIME. UM I DON'T THINK
ABOUT EDUCATION OUTREACH FUNDING
IS LIKE COUNTIES NEED FUNDING TO
BE ABLE TO HIRE DEDICATED
OUTREACH STAFF AND A LOT OF
COUNTIES DON'T HAVE THIS. I
MEAN, IT MAKES IT REALLY HARD TO
ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS LIKE DR
ROMERO WAS TALKING ABOUT, LIKE A
LOT OF COUNTRIES ARE JUST DOING
LIKE A GENERAL MEDIA PLAN. THEY
DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO TARGET
IT. AND AGAIN, THOSE REPORTS
WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. I DON'T
WANT TO ADDRESS SENATOR ALLEN
AND SENATOR MARKET AND YOU KNOW,
MISS WEBBER HAD TALKED A LOT
ABOUT 10 DAY VOTE CENTERS, BUT
YOU KNOW, ONE THING IS ATTEND A
VOTE CENTER GIVES YOU SEVEN
WEEKDAYS IN PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION. WHEREAS A FORD A
VOTE CENTER REALLY ONLY GIVES
YOU TWO DAYS A WEEK DAY
TRANSPORTATION AND THAT REALLY
MATTERS, ESPECIALLY IN SMALLER
COUNTIES. UM AND ANOTHER THING.
IT JUST TAKES TIME TO GET PUBLIC
AWARENESS TO INCREASE ABOUT
THAT. THESE 10 DAY VOTE CENTERS
ARE AVAILABLE AND GIVEN, YOU
KNOW, SORT OF THE SPARSE
EDUCATION IRISH. IT TAKES TIME
TO CHANGE VOTER BEHAVIOR. AH TO
SENATOR GLASER. YOU'D ASKED FOR,
LIKE GOOD DATA. ONE OF THE
REPORTS THAT MY COLLEAGUES I
REALLY LIKE IS FROM 2020. DR.
ROMERO DID BC REPORTS IN
PARTICULAR THE DISABILITY ACCESS
REPORT AND HER REPORT ON
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, I THINK
ARE REALLY COMPELLING, AND IT
ALSO HELPS SUPPORT THE FACT THAT
IF YOU SPEND MORE MONEY, YOU'RE
GOING TO GET BETTER OUTREACH.
YOU KNOW, I'M AN ADVOCATE, SO I
MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE
ADVOCATING THAN DR ROMERO. YOU
KNOW, SO BUT BUT I THINK THAT
DATA DOES SUPPORT THAT SPENDING
MORE MONEY HELPS. UM AND AGAIN
THE 10 DAY VOTE CENTERS. THEY'RE
IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES, ESPECIALLY ONES
THAT NEED TO VOTE PRIVATELY AND
INDEPENDENTLY AND REALLY IN
PERSON. VOTING IS KIND OF THE
ONLY WAY FOR A LOT OF VOTERS
WITH DISABILITIES. BUT THANK YOU
. THANK YOU, MR SPENCER, AND I
HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION. BUT
I'LL WAIT TILL THE OTHER
PANELISTS HAVE SPOKEN. MISS
SUSAN. MR GHAFFARI. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH SEATS TO DO APART FROM
THE ASIAN LAW CAUCUS, WHERE
NONPROFIT LEGAL AID AND CIVIL
RIGHTS ORGANIZATION BASED IN THE
BAY AREA. WE DO A LOT OF
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND VOTER
EDUCATION WORK AROUND ELECTION.
THIS NONPARTISAN. WE ALSO RUN.
UH, NON. DID YOU HAVE THE SLIDES
BY THE WAY ONE IMMEDIATELY. I
HAVE SOME DATA. YOU REQUESTED
DATA EARLIER, AND I'M PLEASED TO
SAY THAT ABSENT DATA THAT
PRESENTS TO YOU DO HAVE YOUR
SIDES. THANK YOU. SO I'D LOVE
IT. IF YOU COULD FOLLOW ALONG.
WE'VE BEEN RUNNING A NONPARTISAN
FULL OBSERVER PROGRAM SINCE THE
19 NINETIES, AND ACTUALLY NEXT
YEAR WE'LL BE WORKING WITH
COMMON COSTS THROUGH IN
CALIFORNIA'S LARGEST NON
PARTISAN POLL OBSERVER PROGRAM
IN NOVEMBER, 2022 ARE VOLUNTEER
OBSERVERS VISITED 441 VOTING
SITES IN 16 COUNTIES, INCLUDING
10 COUNTIES, AND THAT REPRESENTS
ONE THIRD OF ALL VOTING. SITES
IN THE REGION AND ABOUT HALF OF
ALL VOTE CENTERS, AND YOU CAN
SEE THE MAP OF THE COUNTIES WE
VISITED. OUR VOLUNTEERS WERE
TRAINED ON FEDERAL AND STATE
LANGUAGE AND DISABILITY ACCESS
REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS POLAR
DRIVER RIGHTS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES. WE CERTAINLY
WANT TO WORK WITH THE ELECTION
DEPARTMENTS, AND OUR GOAL IS
REALLY TO OBSERVE TO RESEARCH
AND PASS ALONG CONSTRUCTIVE
FEEDBACK TO ELECTIONS OFFICIALS
TO YOU ALL AND TO THE SECRETARY
OF STATE'S OFFICE, SO FEEL FREE
TO ASK ME QUESTIONS OF
METHODOLOGY LATER. IF YOU TURN
TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE GET TO THE
FUN PART. YOU CAN SEE THE DATA
THAT WE HAVE ON LANGUAGE ACCESS
AND BASICALLY HOW WELL IT'S
GOING IN THE FIELD. YOU CAN LOOK
AT THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED OUR
SURVEY RESPONDENTS TO LOOK OUT
FOR, UM, AND A BREAKDOWN OF
TRADITIONAL COUNTIES VERSUS VOTE
CENTER COUNTIES. OVERALL AS YOU
CAN TELL, THERE'S YOU KNOW,
OVERALL, VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK
WHEN IT COMES TO LANGUAGE ACCESS
AT VOTE CENTERS, VOGTLE BALLOTS
CONDITIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION,
VOTER GUIDES, YOU KNOW, ALL
BEING TRANSLATED AND BEING
PRESENT. BUT IF YOU TURN TO THE
NEXT SLIDE YOU CAN I LISTED SOME
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT THAT WE'VE
SEEN. ONE OF THEM INVOLVES
FACSIMILE BALLOTS OCCASIONALLY
FACSIMILE BALANCE, ESPECIALLY IN
POLLING PLACES THAT ARE A LITTLE
SMALLER AND TIGHTER ARE HIDDEN
IN THE FAR AWAY CORNERS, YOU
KNOW, POSTED IN INACCESSIBLE
WALLS BEHIND OTHER EQUIPMENT. OR
JUST DESPITE THE VOTERS ON
REQUEST, ONLY, WHICH IS A SHAME
GIVEN HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO,
YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THESE
ARE THEORETICALLY AVAILABLE, BUT
NOT NOT PRACTICALLY, AND ALSO IN
BC AND NON VC COUNTIES, VOTERS
ARE SOMETIMES CONFUSED BY
COMPOSITE FACSIMILE BALLOT
LAYOUTS WHERE YOU HAVE TO SHOW
ALL RACES ON THE BALLOT, AND THE
ONUS IS ON THE VOTE KIND OF
CONNECT THE DOTS AND FIGURE OUT
WHICH RACE THEY'RE ACTUALLY
VOTING FOR. AND WE ALSO DO SEE
SOME SOME ISSUES WITH TRANSLATED
SIGNAGE TRANSLATED SIGNAGE IS
SCIENCE IS NOT OFTEN ALWAYS
FULLY TRANSLATED IN ALAMEDA
COUNTY. AT LEAST FIVE VOTE,
SANDERS WAS SWITCHED OUT,
INCLUDING A SIKH TEMPLE ON VERY
SHORT NOTICE, LIKE A WEEK BEFORE
ELECTION DAY, WHICH IS ALREADY
VERY PROBLEMATIC AND THE SCIENCE
TELLING VOTERS THAT THE ORIGINAL
CATIONS WERE SWITCHED WERE IN
ENGLISH. ONLY THAT'S DEFINITELY
A V C. A COUNTY THAT WE
RECOMMEND LOOKING INTO IN TERMS
OF THE VOTING ISSUES WE'VE SEEN
THERE. IF YOU TURN TO THE NEXT
SLIDE, WE HAVE SOME DATA ON
BILINGUAL POLL WORKER STAFFING.
GIVE YOU A FEW SECONDS TO LOOK
AT THIS. ANY OVERALL, WE FOUND
THAT VCR COUNTIES HAD BETTER
STAFFING AND VOTE CENTERS AND
THEREFORE, BY EXTENSION, MORE
COVERAGE OF LANGUAGES, ONE AREA
FOR IMPROVEMENT WE'VE SEEN IN
BOTH TRADITIONAL COUNTIES IN D.
C. A COUNTIES IS BILINGUAL
PORKER, SIGNAGE AND
IDENTIFICATION BEING NOT VERY
CONSISTENT, SO THEREFORE IT'S
HARDER FOR VOTERS TO KNOW ABOUT
THESE RESOURCES TO KNOW THAT
THERE ARE BILINGUAL POLL WORKERS
TO BEGIN WITH. IF YOU FLIP TO
THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE A
TALLY OF BILINGUAL POLL WORKERS
BY LANGUAGE. WE'RE CURIOUS TO
SEE WHAT THE REPRESENTATION
LOOKS LIKE. AND AS YOU WOULD
EXPECT IN CALIFORNIA, YOU KNOW,
WE HAVE GREAT COVERAGE OF
LANGUAGES LIKE SPANISH AND
CHINESE INTO GAELIC, WHICH ARE
SPOKEN WIDELY THROUGHOUT THE
STATES. BUT OTHER LANGUAGES,
WHICH ARE VERY COMMON ARE
ACTUALLY NOT VERY WELL
REPRESENTED. UM MANY ELECTION
DEPARTMENT STRUGGLED WITH
RECRUITMENT FOR SOUTH ASIA AND
SOUTHEAST ASIAN LANGUAGES. WE
DIDN'T FIND ANY SPEAKERS OF LAO,
MONGOLIAN, NEPALI, TAMIL OR TIE,
FOR EXAMPLE, ACROSS THE MANY
COUNTIES WE VISIT DESPITE THOSE
LANGUAGES BEING REQUIRED STATE
LANGUAGES IN MANY OF THOSE
COUNTIES. IF YOU TURN TO THE
NEXT SLIDE, WE PARTNERED WITH
DISABILITY RIGHTS, CALIFORNIA TO
ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT DISABILITY
ACCESS AND I CAN GIVE YOU A
MOMENT TO LOOK AT THESE AS WELL.
WE DEFINITELY SEE YOU KNOW
PLENTY OF ISSUES REGARDING
DISABILITY ACCESS ON THE FIELD.
OVERALL I THINK WE FOUND THAT
VOTE CENTERS TENDED TO BE A
LITTLE BIT BETTER BECAUSE THEY
ARE LARGER AND MORE PHYSICALLY
ACCESSIBLE, OFTEN THAN
TRADITIONAL VOTE POLLING PLACES.
BUT EVEN IN THE CIA COUNTIES, WE
SEE ISSUES LIKE ENTRANCE DOORS
BEING SHUT UNATTENDED IMPOSSIBLE
TO OPEN AUTOMATICALLY. WE SEE
CURBSIDE VOTING TECHNICALLY
SUPPOSED TO BE AVAILABLE, BUT
VERY POORLY ADVERTISED WITH NO
PHONE NUMBER POSTED NO
INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO REQUEST
ASSISTANCE. AND THEN AUXILIARY
AIDS OR, LIKE MAGNIFYING GLASSES
AND SIGNATURE GUIDES BEING VERY,
VERY INCONSISTENT, SO THAT WOULD
DEFINITELY BE ONE. CAN YOU
SIGNATURE GUIDE? CAN YOU TELL ME
WHAT THAT IS? UH LIKE, IF YOU
WANT, I THINK YOU'RE CAN HELP
IT. SO IT'S A IT'S A CARD WITH A
CUTOUT THAT OF VOTER WHO IS
BLIND PUTS OVER THE SIGNATURE
LINE SO YOU CAN LINE UP A
PHYSICAL TANGIBLE LINE. YEAH,
GOT IT. OKAY DEFINITELY A BEST
PRACTICE. WE RECOMMEND IT IF YOU
TURN TO THE NEXT SLIDE, OTHER
OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE CIA
COUNTIES THAT WE FOUND ON
ELECTION DAY. FAR FEWER LATE
OPENINGS IN VC, A COUNTIES AMONG
THE HANDFUL OF LATE OPENINGS. WE
NOTED THAT NEARLY ALL OF THEM
WERE IN TRADITIONAL POLLING
PLACE COUNTIES, AND THAT SORT OF
MAKES SENSE, INTUITIVELY, GIVEN
THAT LATE OPENINGS ARE USUALLY
DUE TO STAFF SHORTAGES, WHICH
WOULD LESS LIKELY NBC, A
COUNTIES AND VC COUNTIES HAVE
MORE TIME THEY OPENED EARLIER,
SO THERE'S MORE TIME TO SET UP
THE EQUIPMENT AND PREPARE AND
THERE'S ALSO WE NOTICED SHORTER
WAIT TIMES. THERE ARE VERY FEW
COMPLAINTS OF LONG WAIT TIMES
THAT VC A VOTE CENTERS, WHEREAS
IN CONTRAST SEVERAL POLLING
PLACES IN NON DECIA COUNTIES
ACROSS THE REGION THAT WE
MONITORED REPORTED LONG LINES ON
ELECTION DAY, AND PART OF THAT
IS BECAUSE OF THE SORT OF THE
DIFFERENCE IN EARLY VOTING. AND
THEN, FINALLY ON THE LAST SLIDE,
OTHER FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HAD
EXPERIENCES WITH THE V C MODEL
VOTES UNDER PLACEMENT REALLY,
REALLY MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
SAME THING WITH DROPBOX
PLACEMENT, ESPECIALLY FOR
IMMIGRANT MINORITY AND LOWER
PROPENSITY VOTERS, VOTE CENTERS
IN COMMUNITY CENTERS, CULTURAL
ASSOCIATIONS, SCHOOLS,
RESIDENTIAL AREAS TYPICALLY SAW
THE MOST VOTERS AND THAT'S DATA
THAT'S BEEN BACKED UP BY A LOT
OF OUR MEETINGS WITH ELECTIONS
OFFICIALS. AND THEN FINALLY, LAX
AND VACCINE JUST WANT TO MAKE A
PLUG. FOR THOSE THOSE HAVE BEEN
AN INCREDIBLY FRUITFUL AND
CONSTRUCTIVE WAY OF ENGAGING
WITH LANGUAGE AND DISABILITY
COMMUNITIES. THERE ARE GREAT
OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH
LOCAL GROUPS LIKE OURSELVES, UM,
ON 10 LAKHS, AND I LOVE IT, AND
IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS TO
SERVICE, TRUSTED MESSENGERS AND
BRIDGES BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES
AND ALSO OFFER VALUABLE
FEEDBACK. ONE PROBLEM THAT WE'VE
KNOWN, AND I THINK THE RVS HAVE
NOTED, AS WELL AS THAT THE CIA
COUNTIES STILL STRUGGLE WITH
MEMBER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
, AND THAT'S MAYBE AN AREA WHERE
MORE FUNDING COULD HELP. MORE
STAFF RESOURCES COULD HELP
PEOPLE WHO SERVE ON LOCKS AND
VAX. UM IT'S RIGHT NOW. IT'S
SORT OF AN ALL VOLUNTEER BASIS.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY
MEETINGS WHERE YOU KNOW IT MIGHT
BE JUST TWO PEOPLE IN THE
MEETING. WHICH IS A GOOD START,
BUT WE REALLY WANT COUNTIES TO
INVEST IN THESE IN THESE GREAT
RESOURCES BECAUSE THEY FIND A
LOT OF VALUE IN IT. IN OUR
EXPERIENCE. I THINK THAT WRAPS
UP MY PRESENTATION, BUT I'D LOVE
ANY QUESTIONS AT THE END. IF YOU
HAVE GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH RUSSIA. CHAVEZ CARTOONISTS WE
WELCOME YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON
CHAIR, GLASER REMEMBERS. I'M
RUSSIA, CHÁVEZ CARDENAS, THE
VOTING RIGHTS AND REDISTRICTING
PROGRAM MANAGER WITH CALIFORNIA
COMMON CAUSE, UM, THANK YOU FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEEP DIVE
INTO SOME OF THE FINDINGS OF THE
COALITION REPORT, UM, THAT WE
DID WITH DR ROMERO. I'M GOING TO
DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO TWO
ILLUMINATING FINDINGS. YOU'LL
FIND THEM ON PAGE 14 OF THE
REPORT. THE FIRST FINDING IN THE
REPORT IS THAT IN A RECENT POLL,
THREE OUT OF 10, OR ABOUT 30% OF
INFREQUENT VOTERS CITED A LACK
OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE
CANDIDATES AND ISSUES AS A
REASON FOR NOT VOTING. AND THE
SECOND FINDING IS THAT ONE IN
FOUR OR 25% FELT THAT THEIR VOTE
DID NOT MATTER, GIVEN SPECIAL
INTERESTS AND MONEY IN POLITICS.
UM WE'VE ALSO HEARD THE SAME
SENTIMENT AND OTHER SURVEYS FROM
RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN
CONDUCTED THROUGHOUT THE STATE
WHEN ASKED WHETHER THEY THINK
THAT THEIR LOCAL ELECTED
OFFICIALS RESPOND TO THEIR NEEDS
AND THEIR INTERESTS, UM WHAT
WE'RE SEEING HERE IN THIS DATA
IS NOT A MATTER OF HOW EASY IT
IS TO VOTE. BUT OTHER FACTORS
LIKE TRUST IN GOVERNMENT, TRUE
REPRESENTATION AND THE NEED AND
DESIRE FOR MORE ROBUST
INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE BALLOT
IS IMPACTING VOTERS AND VOTER
PARTICIPATION, PARTICULARLY
AMONG VOTERS WHO ARE
TRADITIONALLY HARD TO REACH. AND
SO AS WE CONSIDER HOW WE CAN USE
THE V C A AS A TOOL TO INCREASE
VOTER TURNOUT, PARTICULARLY FOR
HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED VOTERS
. THE IMPACT REPORTS POINT TO A
FEW RECOMMENDATIONS. UM COUNTY
ELECTIONS OFFICIALS CAN TAKE
STEPS LOCALLY TO BUILD
RELATIONSHIPS WITH VOTER
ENGAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND
IMPROVE VOTER ENGAGEMENT,
EDUCATION AND HARD TO REACH
COMMUNITIES. UM THE VOTER
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PLAN FOR
EACH COUNTY, UM, THAT THEY
DEVELOP AS PART OF THEIR E ÁP
CAN BE A VEHICLE TO DO THIS AND
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THINKING IN
ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT OUTCOME.
UM THE COUNTY ELECTIONS
OFFICIALS CANNOT DO THIS,
HOWEVER, WITH THEIR CURRENT
BUDGETS, AND SO WE RECOMMEND
THAT THE STATE INVEST IN THIS
WORK AND THAT THE COUNTY
ELECTIONS OFFICIALS SEEK
ADDITIONAL OUTREACH FUNDING FROM
THEIR BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS.
FURTHER WE BELIEVE THAT COUNTY
ELECTIONS OFFICIALS SHOULD USE
WHATEVER FUNDS THEY RECEIVE. UM
AND THEY USED THAT BY PARTNERING
WITH TRUSTED MESSENGERS IN THE
COMMUNITIES. SO THE MOST OBVIOUS
EXAMPLE HERE IS THE CENSUS. UM
IN WHICH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
WHEN WE SPEAK TO DR SINCE HIS
PARTICIPATION, WE GAVE HUGE
AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO TRUSTED
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
AND EMPLOYED WELL KNOWN FIGURES
IN THOSE HARD TO REACH
COMMUNITIES AND BANKING THAT
THOSE INSTITUTIONS UM AND THOSE
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD THOSE
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY
FOR YEARS, WOULD BE ABLE TO BE
THE MOST PERSUASIVE IN DRIVING
AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE CENSUS. SO
THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE MODEL
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT. UM SOME
EXAMPLES OF HOW TRUSTED
MESSENGERS WORK WITH LOCAL
COMMUNITIES INCLUDE DEMOCRATIC
REPRESENTATION. TEACHINGS LIKE
THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN HOSTED
BY THE CALIFORNIA BLACK POWER
NETWORK. SO IN THESE TWO
TEACHINGS, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY
INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING
, DIRECT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
AND DECISION MAKING ENGAGEMENT
WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS. UM AND
THEN FOR INFORMATION ON SETTING
AN INFLUENCING PUBLIC POLICY.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS WHEN THE
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS THEY'LL
PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS TO
PRODUCE CONTENT THAT THE
COMMUNITIES WANT TO SEE. UM AND
IN LOWER VISIBILITY, RACISM AND
WHAT ONE TIME SOMETIMES THEY
CALL THEM THE SPOTLIGHT ON
JUSTICE AND THESE TALKS WILL
SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT ARE
THE SHERIFFS AND THE ROLES AS
SHERIFF'S PLAYS, DISTRICT
ATTORNEYS, JUDGES AND THE OTHER
PIVOTAL ROLES THAT THOSE FOLKS
IN THOSE ELECTIONS PLAY TO DRIVE
VOTER PARTICIPATION IN THOSE
AREAS. AND SO YOU MAY ASK, WHY
DO WE WANT TO CONSIDER
INCREASING VOTER PARTICIPATION
DURING AUSTERE BUDGET TIMES? AND
WE'D SAY IN ORDER TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS AND
PRIORITIES OF CALIFORNIANS AND
AS WE DIG OUT OF THIS DEATH OF
DEFICIT, WE NEED TO HAVE A FULLY
ENGAGED ELECTORATE. UM ONLY
AFTER HEARING FROM ALL OF
CALIFORNIANS, UM CAN GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS AND DECISION MAKERS
MAKE FISCAL AND POLICY DECISIONS
THAT ALIGN WITH THE WILL OF THE
PEOPLE? UM WE ALSO SAY THAT THE
FORCES WHO SUPPORT SUPPORT VOTER
SUPPRESSION HAVE FUNDED THEIR
INTERESTS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT,
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO. AND
WE WHO ARE PRO DEMOCRACY MUST
PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH
IS, UM AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
FUNDING THOSE DEMOCRACY REFORMS
IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS FOR A TRUE
AND REPRESENTATIVE ELECTRA,
TORREY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE ANY MORE
DETAILS ABOUT THE REPORT. THANK
YOU. AND DO YOU RECALL OFTEN
BECAUSE I DON'T BUY CONSULTANT
KNOWS HOW MUCH MONEY WE PUT IN
THE VOTER EDUCATION FOR THE
CENSUS. I DON'T KNOW THAT OFF
THE HAND, BUT WE CAN LOOK IT UP.
SENATOR ALLEN, YOU HAVE ANY IDEA
HOW MUCH WE PUT INTO THE
EDUCATION FOR THE CENSUS,
MILLIONS. TENS OF MILLIONS. I
JUST DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER.
ANYBODY KNOW NOBODY. OKAY,
SOMEBODY HAS TO GET ON THEIR
LITTLE GOOGLE FINGERS AND FIGURE
THAT ONE OUT FOR FOLLOW UP
QUESTIONS. I DID HAVE ONE FOR MR
SPENCER. AND I'M TRYING TO HAVE
ALL THE DATA THAT YOU PRESENTED
THE ONE THING THAT I DIDN'T SEE.
AND MAYBE YOU KNOW IS THAT
WHAT'S THE PARTICIPATION RATE OF
THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY? IN THE
VOTE BY MAIL PROCESS WITHOUT
GOING TO A POLE CENTER. AND SO
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ACCESS
ISSUES THERE WHICH ARE VERY,
VERY IMPORTANT, VERY IMPORTANT.
TRYING TO GET IT A SCALE AND
PERSPECTIVE ON IT. YOU KNOW,
OFFHAND, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW,
AND BUT I MY ASSUMPTION WOULD BE
IS THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
VOTE ABOUT THE SAME RATES AS
VOTE BY MAIL AS THE AVERAGE
POPULATION, BUT SOME PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES NEED EXTRA
ASSISTANCE TO GO VOTE IN PERSON,
A GOOD ONE TO KIND OF DEEP DOUBT
ON BECAUSE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE AS RESPONSIVE AS WE
CAN BE. THAT KIND OF DATA WOULD
BE VALUABLE NOT JUST IN THE
OVERALL COMMUNITY BUT BROKEN
DOWN BY DISABILITY TO SEE WHERE
WE CAN DO OUR WORK BETTER AND
WE'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT, UM
SOME OF THE D. C REPORTS FROM
THE SECRETARY OF STATE. ONE
ISSUE IS THAT, UM DATA ON VOTERS
AND DISABILITIES CAN BE
DIFFICULT TO COME BY. UM SO
THERE'S A THERE'S A VERY WIDE
SPECTRUM OF DISABILITY. SO BUT
WE FOUND THIS ACTUALLY REALLY
EFFECTIVE WHEN DR ROMERO
ACTUALLY HAS DONE SURVEYS THE
VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES LIKE A
PRETTY WIDE SAMPLE ACROSS THE
STATE, AND YOU CAN GET GOOD
FEEDBACK ON WHO'S USING BOTH BUT
BY MAIL, BUT I DO WORRY WOULD BE
DIFFICULT TO HAVE THE SAME LEVEL
DAY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WOULD HAVE
ON ASIAN AMERICAN VOTERS VOTE BY
MAIL YOU SUGGEST COMPARED TO
VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES VOTE BY
MAIL USAGE COMPARED TO THE
ENTIRE VOTING POPULATION. THE
DATA IS GONNA BE TOUGH IS WHAT
I'M IN A LONG TIME TRYING TO SAY
YEAH, BECAUSE AS YOU ALL KNOW, I
MEAN THE BIG CHANGE FROM ONE,
SENATOR ALLEN ADVANCED. HIS BILL
SUCCESSFULLY CREATE WE SEE A
OPTION. AND NOW WE'RE SENDING
BALLOTS OUT TO EVERYBODY NOW.
EVERYBODY POSTAGE PAID TO WHICH
I THINK WAS ALSO A CHANGE WE
MADE DURING THE PANDEMIC AND
ALSO A WONDERFUL THING TO DO FOR
OUR DEMOCRACY. TO MAKE IT AS
EASY AS POSSIBLE, WITH NO COST
TO JUST DROPPING THAT BALLOT IN
THE MAIL. AND, UM SO ALL THIS
STUFF FOR ME, AT LEAST, YOU
KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE GOOD
DECISIONS AND ADVANCING ALL THE
GOALS THAT EACH OF YOU HAVE ALL
THE WITNESSES HAVE HERE. FOR THE
GOOD OF OUR DEMOCRACY, BUT WE
JUST HAVE TO DO IT SMARTLY AND
MORE DATA. WE HAVE. CERTAINLY
THE STUDIES THAT DR ROMERO
PARTICIPATED IN. YOU HEARD MY
QUESTION THE SECRETARY OF STATE
ON THAT SAME ISSUE OF EXAMINING
STUDIES, AND SHE INDICATES
THERE'S A STUDY COMING OUT IN
JANUARY. AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT
SEEING THAT. THAT WE TOOK. IT IS
NOT JUST ABOUT DOING OUR WORK
WELL, IT'S ALSO ABOUT CONVINCING
OUR COLLEAGUE ABOUT INVESTMENTS.
AND WE'RE PLAYING THAT OFFICES,
HEALTHCARE EDUCATION, OTHER
REALLY DIFFICULT CHOICES. INPUT
THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ON OUR
BUDGET SIDE. THERE WAS, UM YOU
KNOW REAL MOTIVATION ON THE
CENSUS. WHY DID WHY WAS THE REAL
MOTIVATION ON THE CENSUS? TO
SPEND TENS OF MILLIONS. MY GUESS
IS IN 7080 AS WELL. I THINK IT
WAS A LOT AND THE MOTIVATION WAS
THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET MORE
MONEY BACK IF WE COUNTED
CORRECTLY FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, SO THAT WAS A
PRETTY, YOU KNOW, BUILT IN
MOTIVATION FOR OUR MEMBERS TO
PUT A LOT OF MONEY THERE.
WOULDN'T YOU SAY SENATOR DAHLE
REMEMBER THAT? VERY WELL? YEAH
ALL RIGHT. DO YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS FOR THIS PANEL? YEAH
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I
MEAN, I KIND OF BUILDING ON
SENATOR GLACIERS, COMMENTS. I
LISTENED VERY CAREFULLY. FIRST
OF ALL, I APOLOGIZE FOR MISSING.
SOME OF YOUR TESTIMONY IS
GETTING SOME REPORTS. I'M GOING
TO GO BACK AND WATCH IT ALL.
I'VE CERTAINLY GOT THE REPORTS
HERE TO, UM WITH THE SITUATION,
BUT UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK, YOU KNOW
THEIR LIMITED RESOURCES. UM WE.
UH I WANT. I THINK WE WANT TO
LOOK AT AT TRYING TO FIND SOME
SOME SOME MEANINGFUL
EFFICIENCIES THAT ARE NOT GOING
TO SUBSTANTIVELY IMPACT. ALL OF
THE ACCESS. AH PRIORITIES THAT
WE HAD WITH THE CRAFTING OF THE
ACT AND THAT WE HAVE WITH THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACT, BUT
BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, FOR
EXAMPLE, I MEAN, I LOOKED AT THE
DATA. I MEAN, THE YOU KNOW. I IT
SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS A
STRONG CASE TO BE MADE FOR A
MODEST REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER
OF DAYS. THAT THE VOTE CENTERS
HAVE TO BE OPEN. UM YOU KNOW? I
REMEMBER THIS WHOLE DEBATE WHEN
WE WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH OF
THE CLERKS ABOUT THIS DURING THE
ORIGINAL BILL, I TOTALLY HEAR
YOU. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND MAKING
SURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE
WEEKDAYS. UM THAT BEING SAID THE
DATA SHOWS SO LITTLE
PARTICIPATION AT THE EARLY END.
MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO OFFSET
THE COST SAVINGS. UM, YOU KNOW,
WITH WITH SOME OTHER MEANINGFUL
WAY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING A
BETTER JOB OF MEETING THE
METRICS. UH THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN
DISCUSSING HERE. ANYWAY I WAS
JUST KIND OF THROW SOME OF THIS
STUFF OUT THERE AS WE AS WE LOOK
AT, UM YOU KNOW HOW TO TWEAK THE
VCA. HOW DO WE MAKE SURE IT'S
REALLY WORKING WELL, BOTH ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION SIDE AND ALSO FOR
SO MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. AND
SO I JUST I JUST REALLY KIND OF
OPENLY INVITING. YOU CAN MAKE
COMMENTS RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LIKE,
BUT KIND OF GOING FOR A BASIS I
OPENLY INVITE A DIALOGUE WITH
THE COMMITTEE WITH STAKEHOLDERS
HAVE BEEN REPRESENTED TODAY AND
SO MANY OF YOU HERE IN THE ROOM
AND, OF COURSE, THE CLERKS AND
THE SECRETARIES OF HIS OFFICE
THAT TOOK TO COME UP WITH SOME
REASONABLE WAYS. FOR US TO TWEET
THIS YOU KNOW WHEN I TALK ABOUT
THE DAYS, RIGHT? IF YOU THINK
ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF COST SAVINGS
WE COULD ENGAGE, WE COULD GET BY
GOING DOWN TO SEVEN DAYS, FOR
EXAMPLE. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY
THAT COULD BE USED TO DO
SOMETHING ELSE, RIGHT?
POTENTIALLY THEY COULD. THEY
COULD HELP TO. YOU ADDRESS SOME
OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT HAVE
BEEN RAISED. UM YOU KNOW, WHILE
OF COURSE, ALL OF US WOULD LOVE
TO HAVE THE ELECTION CENTERS
OPENED AND EVERYONE EVERY BLOCK
FOR A WHOLE MONTH. WE KNOW THAT
THAT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE
ECONOMICALLY. AND SO THIS IS ALL
ABOUT TRYING TO FIND SOME MIDDLE
GROUND AND I JUST THROW THAT OUT
THERE TO INVITE DIALOGUE. I DO
THINK WE NEED TO FIND THE
BALANCE, BUT JUST ONE THING IS
ADVOCACY. SO WE REALLY LIKE THE
LEGISLATION. WE MADE IT VERY
EASY TO VOTE IN CALIFORNIA,
BASICALLY DONE ALL THE BEST
PRACTICES FOR ELECTION REFORMS,
BUT WE STILL HAVE THIS BIG
TURNOUT GAP. SO TO ADVOCATES
KIND OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE
GROUND IS THAT PEOPLE JUST
REALLY AREN'T AWARE OF HOW TO
VOTE. YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH
WE'VE MAILED EVERYONE, FOR
EXAMPLE, VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT,
YOU KNOW PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES MIGHT HAVE TROUBLE
GETTING MAIL. YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE
GOTTEN THE BALLOT IN THE CORRECT
LANGUAGE. YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN BE
AWARE AND ELECTIONS GOING ON. I
THINK SOME WAYS LIKE IS THE
LEGISLATURE AND ADVOCATES. WE'S
SORT OF ASSUME PEOPLE KNOW MORE
ABOUT ELECTIONS THAN THEY DO.
YEAH THERE'S THIS REALLY BIG
KNOWLEDGE GAP WE'RE SEEING, SO
IT'S SOMEONE LIKE WE SPENT ALL
THIS MONEY TO MAKE ELECTIONS
EASY DEVELOP, BUT WE THINK WE
NEED TO SPEND MORE ON EDUCATION
AND OUTREACH. WHAT I SEE IS, YOU
KNOW IF WE DID SOMETHING, IF WE
IF WE IF WE PROVIDED SOME COST
SAVINGS TO THE COUNTIES YOU KNOW
, AND I THROUGHOUT THE DAYS
THING JUST BECAUSE I LOOKED AT
THE DATA, AND THEY BROUGHT IT
UP. MAYBE THERE'S SOMEWHERE
ELSE, BUT BUT IF THAT'S WHERE WE
FOCUS, FOR EXAMPLE, THEN YOU
TAKE THE SAVINGS FROM THAT, AND
THEN YOU CAN PUT IT TOWARDS A
REALLY MEANINGFUL OUTREACH
PROGRAM THAT MORE MORE
PARTICULARLY ADDRESSES. THE GAP
ISSUES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
ONCE AGAIN BRAINSTORMING HERE.
YEAH. I HAVE A. THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT WE COULD THINK ABOUT ON THE
MARGINS, AND ONE OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS IS THINKING
ABOUT HOW WE USE THE
INFORMATION. WE GET OUT OF THE
PRIMARY ELECTION, AND SO ONE
WHAT ONE WAY WHERE THEY CAN
THINK ABOUT THIS IS AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL IS USING THAT INFORMATION
AND THOSE DEBRIEFS THAT WE'RE
RECOMMENDING IN THE REPORT FROM
THE PRIMARY ELECTION TO FIGURE
OUT HOW IS THE R O. V AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL, LIKE REALLY
ENGAGING AT THE AT THAT LEVEL,
AND EARLIER IN THE IN TODAY'S
HEARING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
METRICS AND THINKING ABOUT HOW
WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION
OUT OF THOSE METRICS AND WORKING
WITH THE LOCAL REGISTER OF
VOTERS PULLING THOSE METRICS OUT
OF THAT PRIMARY DEBRIEF TO SEE
HOW ARE WE DRIVING VOTER
PARTICIPATION INCREASES AND HOW
DO WE SHIFT THAT AND TWEAK THOSE
AND IMPLEMENT THEM AGAIN? IN IN
THE IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION,
AND SO THAT'S ONE LIKE KIND OF
MORE LOW HANGING FRUIT PIECE OF
LEGISLATION OF TWEAK THAT WE'RE
THINKING ABOUT AND WE RECOMMEND,
AND THAT MAY NOT COST A LOT OF
MONEY. UM AND IT'S SOMETHING
THAT PRETTY DOABLE. UM AND IT
SHOULD BE REASONABLE FOR THAT,
DARRYL VIS WHEN WE ALWAYS WANT
TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY
ABOUT THAT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING
THAT THAT'S OUT THERE AND IN THE
REPORT, UH, AND I JUST WANT TO
ECHO AND UPLIFT ALL OF THIS. YOU
KNOW, OUR ORGANIZATION DOES A
LOT OF LIKE NONPARTISAN VOTER
EDUCATION WORKSHOPS ALL AROUND
THE BAY AREA, AND USUALLY THERE
ARE TWO TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT
COME UP PRIMARILY VERSUS AGAIN.
AS YOU SAID, THE VERY, VERY,
VERY BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
ELECTORAL PROCESS AND NOT
ASSUMING THAT PEOPLE KNOW MORE
THAN YOU KNOW THAN VOTING
EXPERTS LIKE OURSELVES MIGHT AND
THE SECOND IS REALLY THE WHY.
IT'S LIKE WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO
VOTE? LIKE WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
WHY DOES THIS IMPACT MY LIFE?
AND THEY FEEL LIKE THAT
CONNECTION IS NOT ALWAYS VERY
CLEAR, HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN
TO VOTERS. AND I THINK, REALLY
EMPHASIZING THAT MESSAGE, UM AT
THE STATE LEVEL AND FROM LOCAL
OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS IS LIKE REALLY,
REALLY IMPORTANT TO GETTING
SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN VOTER
PARTICIPATION. AND, OF COURSE,
ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND, YOU
KNOW, IT'S JUST THE. IT WAS SO
CLEAR LOOKING AT THE DATA FROM
ELECTION ELECTION IS WHEN
THERE'S ATTENTION AND FOCUS
NATIONALLY ON AN EXCITING OR
MEANINGFUL ELECTION. THAT'S WHAT
DRIVES THE TURNOUT. ULTIMATELY,
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT. BUT IT IS UM. IT
ULTIMATELY LESS IMPACTFUL ON
TURNOUT. ALRIGHT THEN. THEN AN
ELECTION THAT PEOPLE PERCEIVE AS
BEING EXCITING AND IMPORTANT. I
MEAN, THERE'S A REASON WHY THE
NUMBERS DROPPED FROM 20 TO 22.
RIGHT. SO YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU
KNOW, 18, OF COURSE, WAS
EIGHTEEN'S INTERESTING, RIGHT? I
MEAN, IT WAS. YOU KNOW, IT WAS
IT WAS NOT A PRESIDENTIAL AND
YET, BUT I THINK PARTLY BECAUSE
OF SOME OF THE NATIONAL DYNAMICS
UM, THERE WAS A REAL SENSE OF
ENGAGEMENT AND URGENCY THERE. UM
. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL THINGS
THAT ARE SOMEWHAT BEYOND OUR
CONTROL. BUT. ANYWAY I REALLY
LISTEN. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH. HOW
MUCH I APPRECIATE ALL THE, UM
THE WORK THAT THAT YOU ALL DO,
AND HELPING TO DRIVE KIND OF
ATTENTION TO THIS. THIS TYPE OF
UH, THIS AREA I MEAN, YOU WERE
ESPECIALLY WHEN OTHER STATES ARE
JUST I THINK SO. GROTESQUELY
MOVING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION,
YOU KNOW, TO SEE THOUGHTFULNESS
AND ENGAGEMENT. I DO WANT TO.
ALSO OBVIOUSLY GIVE A BIG SHOUT
OUT TO, UM TO MIDIAN ON AND ALL
THE OTHER FOLKS WHO ARE INVOLVED
WITH WITH THE REPORT, YOU KNOW?
FOR HOW FOR HOW THOUGHTFUL AND.
ENGAGED WE ALL AREN'T TRYING TO
TRYING TO MAKE THIS THIS WHOLE
PROCESS EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO
ACCESS. AND THAT'S THAT'S I
THINK THAT'S THAT'S GONNA BE THE
LENS. I'M GONNA LOOK I'M GOING
TO BE LOOKING THROUGH AND I
GUESS, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN
BE JUST THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO
MAKE THINGS YOU KNOW, EASIER AND
MORE COST EFFECTIVE FOR OUR
CLERKS AS WE'RE ALSO KEEPING OUR
EYES ON THE PRIZE OF
PARTICIPATION AND TURNOUT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA BE LOOKING
FOR. AND I KNOW THAT THAT
REFLECTS THE CHAIRS. FEELINGS,
TOO. DOES INDEED. THANK YOU,
SENATOR ALLEN. THANK YOU TO EACH
OF YOU FOR PARTICIPATING NOT
JUST TODAY, BUT FOR YEARS OF
ENGAGEMENT YOU IN THE WORK OF
SENATOR ALLEN. AND YOU ALL DID
CREATE THE ACT AND AS WE WORK TO
MAKE IT BETTER. A FEW DATA
POINTS TO CLOSE WOULD BE THANKS
TO THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
SECRETARY OF STATE. THEY
PROVIDED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY
THAT WE SPENT ON THE 2020 CENSUS
OVER THE FOUR YEAR PERIOD. AND
PREPARATION FOR IT THROUGH THAT
SINCE THIS YEAR, THE STATE
ALLOCATED $187.2 MILLION AS A
DATA POINT THERE. UM AND, UH I
CAN'T HELP BUT REFLECT ON THIS
DISCUSSION OF PARTICIPATION.
WITHOUT NOTING THAT. AH WHEN YOU
TALK ABOUT INVESTMENTS IN
EDUCATION AND WHERE IT SHOULD
MATTER, THE MOST WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, OUR
EDUCATION SYSTEM. AND THAT OUR
CHILDREN ARE HOW YOUNG ADULTS
ARE COMING OUT OF THAT SCHOOL
SYSTEM. AH! WITHOUT MOTIVATION
WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING. UM. AND
WITH THE LACK OF SOME INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT HISTORICAL FACTS. THIS
IS A TOUGH WEEK. FOR ME, AND I
KNOW FOR OTHERS WHEN WE SEE THE
DATA THAT SHOWS HUGE PROPORTION
OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THINKING
THAT THE HOLOCAUST NEVER
EXISTED. SO WHAT THE HECK IS
HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS? WHAT
IS HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS.
THAT'S A DEEPER AND DEEPER
DISCUSSION. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE
TO PUBLIC COMMENTS NEXT. THANK
YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE FOR
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD
LIKE TO PROVIDE PARTICIPATION IN
OUR HEARING. WE'RE GOING TO
PROVIDE TWO MINUTES EACH. WE
HAVE FOLKS HERE IN THE ROOM.
ALSO MAYBE HAVE SOME FOLKS ON
THE ON THE PHONE LINES. LET ME
REMIND THEM AGAIN. TO CALL IN
THE NUMBERS 8772268. AND WHEN
PROMPTED, PLEASE USE THE ACCESS
CODE 57. 000 96 WILL FIRST BEGIN
WITH PUBLIC COMMENT HERE IN THE
HEARING ROOM. ANYONE WHO WOULD
LIKE TO PROVIDE ANY PUBLIC
COMMENT, PLEASE COME UP TO THE
PODIUM. I'VE BEEN VERY
ATTENTIVE. AND FEELING SATISFIED
WITH ALL THE DISCUSSION. THAT'S
FAR OKAY. WE HAVE ONE. WE HAVE
ONE GENTLEMAN. WELCOME JUST
QUICKLY. HIGH ROMANCES. I'M THE
DEMOCRACY PROGRAM DIRECTOR WITH
EVELYN WALTER HAAS JR FUND. WE
WERE PART OF THE, UM, ALONG WITH
THE SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION HELPED FUND THIS
REPORT AND SOMETHING'S ADVOCATES
AND THE RESEARCH. WE APPRECIATE
SECRETARY'S OFFICE PARTICIPATING
IN THAT AND STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS
THE STATE REALLY WANTED TO THANK
THE CHAIR AND SCOTT. THANK YOU
FOR PUTTING THIS THIS HEARING
TOGETHER AND THANK YOU TO THE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR CLEARLY
READING THE REPORT AND GIVING IT
SOME UM YOU KNOW, SOME SOME VERY
THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS ARISING
FROM IT. WE JUST ENCOURAGE. WE
HOPE YOU KNOW, WE OFFER
OURSELVES OUT IN OUR RESOURCES
AND HOW WE CAN BE MAKE OURSELVES
AVAILABLE TO YOU WITH MORE WITH
MORE RESEARCH INTO THE SECRETARY
AND TO THE STATE TO HELP
INCREASE. UM INCREASED TURNOUT
AND ESPECIALLY TARGETED TOWARDS
THOSE VOTERS WEREN'T
PARTICIPATING VOTERS OF COLOR
BUDGET DISABILITIES VOTERS,
IMMIGRANT VOTERS LIVE IN ENGLISH
PROFICIENCY PROFICIENCY AND, UM
WE HOPE YOU KNOW YOU ALWAYS KEEP
WILL STAY INTERESTED IN THIS.
AND UM WE'LL ENGAGE OUR OUR
GRANTEES AND FIND WAYS TO ENGAGE
PHILANTHROPY AS WELL. SO THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE ARE
VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE HOUS.
FUND FOR THEIR THEIR SUPPORT FOR
THIS WORK, SO THANK YOU FOR
COMING UP AND RECOGNIZING
YOURSELVES, AND FOR US TO GIVING
US AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE
YOU. AND YOU AND YOUR FOUNDATION
FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU
DO. I HOPE YOU'LL CONTINUE TO DO
IT. NEXT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO
THE PHONE LINES IF THERE'S ANY
INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO PROVIDE
TESTIMONY VERSUS TELECONFERENCE
MODERATOR, CAN YOU PLEASE PROMPT
IF THERE'S ANY INDIVIDUALS THAT
WANT TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT?
YES, MR CHAIR WILL GO TO LINE.
17 PLEASE GO AHEAD. YES SORRY. I
CAN'T REMEMBER. MY NAME IS
SHARON A LOT? I AM A TAXPAYER
AND CALIFORNIA. I WOULD JUST
WANT TO SAY, ACCORDING TO THE
POC, SUPPORTED BY JAMES IRVINE
FOUNDATION 2020 SURVEY. AND OVER
2000 PARTICIPANTS THAT SHOW THAT
LATINOS LATINO AMERICANS, ASIAN
AMERICANS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS
ARE MORE LIKELY TO VOTE IN
CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS. SOMEBODY
55% VERSUS 65% OF NON HISPANIC
WHITE COUNTERPARTS. HAWAII IS
THAT WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE VOTERS
. HERE IN CALIFORNIA IS ONLY 40%
OF CALIFORNIANS THAT TRUST
ELECTION. BECAUSE OF POOR
TRANSPARENCY ON PRODUCT PROP
INITIATIVES LIKE PROP 49. HOW
YOU TRY TO CONTROL VOTERS AND
HOW WE VOTE LIKE GETTING RED. OF
HIM COUNTING. YOU WASTE OUR
MONEY LIKE IN THE BULLET TRAIN.
AND YOU FOR MORE AND MORE
COMMITTEES LIKE THIS ONE. AND
GET EACH OTHER RAISES WITH OUR
TAX DOLLARS AND YOU PARTAKE IN
UNETHICAL PRACTICES LIKE TRYING
TO PASS LAWS THAT INFRINGE UPON
OUR RIGHT. IF YOU WANT TO FIX
ELECTIONS AS VOTER I D TO THE
WORLD VOTER CHOICE ACT. TAKE OUT
THE DROP BOXES AND HAVE PEOPLE
GO TO THE VOTING POLL. HIRE MORE
WORKERS. THAT'S HOW YOU FIX
CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. NEXT CALLER, PLEASE.
WHO GOES TO LINE NUMBER 22,
PLEASE GO AHEAD. HI. IS THAT ME?
YES, PLEASE BEGIN. OH WELL,
THERE'S A LOT OF INTERFERENCE ON
THE LINE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO
CALL. UM, I'M REPRESENTING THE
ORGANIZATION GOAT FARMERS FOR
GOOD GOVERNMENT. AND I JUST
WANTED TO OFFER THE PERSPECTIVE
THAT YOU CHAIRED BLAZERS
SUGGESTS THAT THE END THAT MAYBE
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG IN THE
SCHOOL THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE
GRADUATING OUT OF CALIFORNIA
SCHOOLS, WHICH, BY THE WAY, ARE
THE WORST IN THE NATION, AND
PARENTS ARE PULLING THEIR
CHILDREN OUT OF THE SCHOOL
BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE
PHARMACEUTICAL UH, GENOCIDAL
INSANITY THAT'S GOING ON. WHEN
YOU TOOK CIVICS OUT OF THE
SCHOOL THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF
THE END OF THIS STATE. YOU HAVE
A POPULATION THAT CANNOT NAME
THE THREE BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT. THEY DON'T
UNDERSTAND BY, UH, YOUR OWN
ADMISSION THAT NEWS FROM HIMSELF
RUNNING THIS STATE WITH AN IRON
FIST. BY EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR
OVER 1000 DAYS ACTUALLY ISN'T
ABOUT DEMOCRACY. AND JUST FOR
THE RECORD, WE DON'T LIVE IN
APPEAR DEMOCRACY. WE LIVE IN A
CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC AND WHAT
THAT MEANS IS THE MINORITY HAS
RIGHTS. AND IN THE CASE OF THE
1000, PLUS DAYS THAT NEWSOME
LOCKED THE STATE DOWN AND DENIED
PEOPLE RUNNING THEIR BUSINESSES
AND PEOPLE WERE TAKEN THEIR JOBS
FROM THEM OVER, UH,
PHARMACEUTICAL INJECTION WITH E
U A AUTHORIZATION ONLY MAYBE YOU
SHOULD TAKE IT UNDER ADVISEMENT
THAT THE POPULATION IS JUST
CHOOSING TO IGNORE YOU AND
EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING DOWN
THERE FROM DESTROYING THE D TWO
CORRUPTING OUR ELECTION. FURTHER
TIME IS UP. IF YOU COULD JUST
CONCLUDE, PLEASE. GREAT THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY. MODERATOR. NEXT
CALLER, PLEASE. NOW GO TO LYON
23 YEARS YOU MAY BEGIN. 23 YEAR
OPEN. UH CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY
YES, WE CAN. PLEASE PLEASE,
PLEASE BEGIN. OKAY THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. UM I DO APPRECIATE
YOU HAVING THIS HEARING TODAY,
AND I APPRECIATE THE SUMMER TONE
AND YOU REALIZING THAT WHAT
YOU'RE TRYING TO DO WITH GETTING
PEOPLE TO VOTE IS NOT WORKING.
THE REALITY IS PEOPLE AS MY
COLLEAGUE FROM THE GOAT FARMER
SHIP, THE GOVERNMENT SAID MOST
PEOPLE DON'T CARE BECAUSE THEY
FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE A
VOICE. BUT THOSE THAT DO CARE DO
COME TO THE ELECTION, AND THEY
DO GET EXCITED ABOUT THE
INITIATIVES THAT ARE ON THERE
AND PEOPLE THAT ARE RUNNING FOR
OFFICE. UNFORTUNATELY MOST
PEOPLE DON'T BUT WHAT YOU'RE
TRYING TO DO IS REACH OUT TO
THOSE WHO DON'T NOW I'M SURE YOU
HAVE COLLEAGUES THAT DON'T EVEN
READ THE BILLS THAT THEY VOTE ON
THE VOTE ON BASED ON PARTY LINE
OR BECAUSE SOMEBODY TOLD HIM TO
DO IT. IS THAT SOMEBODY WHO
REALLY WANT BOTH, YOU KNOW, BILL
DO YOU WANT PEOPLE MAKING
DECISIONS FOR THE REST OF US
THAT DON'T EVEN CARE ENOUGH TO
FIND OUT WHO IT IS? THAT'S
RUNNING. DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT
IT'S THE DAY OF THE ELECTION IS
HAPPENING, BUT YOU HAVE TO SEND
THEM A BALLOT. AND THEY DON'T
EVEN BOTHER TO FILL IT OUT. I
MEAN, IT'S ACTUALLY THAT IT'S
ACTUALLY INITIATIVE THAT PEOPLE
HAVE. THEN WHY BOTHER WITH HIM?
WHY WHY WORRY ABOUT THEM?
BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARE. THEY
DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THE SENATOR
IS. I DON'T KNOW WHO THEIR
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S SO I WOULD, AS
MY COLLEAGUE SAID BEFORE, I
WOULD GO BACK TO MAYBE A COUPLE
OF DAYS. I THINK ONE DAY AND I
TALKED SOME MORE ON THE
CONSERVATIVE SIDE. MY LIBERAL
FRIENDS HAVE SAID IT WOULD BE
GREAT TO HAVE A FLOATING
HOLIDAY. WE CLOSED DOWN ALL THE
BUSINESSES AND ENCOURAGE
EVERYBODY TO COME OUT. MAYBE A
WEEK. PRIOR WE START TALKING
ABOUT WHO THE INITIATIVES WITH
THE INITIALS ARE. THE PEOPLE ARE
VOTING AND ACTUALLY GO BACK TO
TEACHING CIVICS IN SCHOOL. YOU
KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE
HOLOCAUST. BUT WHAT HAVE WE BEEN
TEACHING KIDS THIS YEAR? BUT
THEIR GENDER THAT IS THE BIG
ISSUE, SO I APPRECIATE THAT I'LL
SEND, YOU KNOW MORE WITH MORE
DOCUMENTATIONS. I'LL FILL IT
OUT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME
TODAY, AND I APPRECIATE THE
CONFERENCE SHOULD HAVE A GREAT
DAY. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU
FOR CALLING IN MODERATOR. NEXT
CALLER, PLEASE. UM, MR CHAIR. WE
HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. ALL
RIGHT, LET ME JUST SAY IN
CONCLUSION FIRST, I KNOW SIENNA
KINDLE. APRIL LITTLEJOHN, SCOTT
MATSUMOTO AND OTHERS HELPED WITH
OUR HEARING TODAY, OUR GRATITUDE
TO EACH OF YOU, CERTAINLY TO ALL
THE PEOPLE WHO TESTIFIED AND
HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS
IMPORTANT SUBJECT. LAST SPRING,
THE PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF THE
SENATE, SENATOR ATKINS SPOKE TO
ALL THE CHAIRS OF SENATE
COMMITTEES. AND SHE SAID THAT AN
IMPORTANT PART OF THE YEAR AHEAD
WAS TO DO OVERSIGHT ON IMPORTANT
POLICY. AH OBLIGATIONS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR
COMMITTEE'S JURISDICTION. AND IT
WAS OUT OF THAT. THAT ADMONITION
THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY. UH,
DISCUSSING ENGAGING IN ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT
WE DO CERTAINLY IN THIS
COMMITTEE'S JURISDICTION, WHICH
IS ENSURING OUR DEMOCRACY HAS
THE MOST ROBUST PARTICIPATION OF
OUR CITIZENRY IS AS POSSIBLE. I
THANK SENATOR ALLEN FOR HIS
LEADERSHIP. AND UH, AND BRINGING
THE ACT TO FRUITION CENTER
AMBERG FOR HIS CONTINUED WORK
TO, UH, TO MAKE IT WORK AND TO
ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
WHO I'M SURE SOME ARE LISTENING
IN. SOME ARE NOT HERE IN PERSON,
BUT JOIN IN. AND THE COMMITMENT
TO THAT VERY IMPORTANT CAUSE OF
OUR DEMOCRACY, CITIZEN
ENGAGEMENT OR IT WILL NOT BE
HERE FOR LONG. IT'S MORE FRAGILE
THAN PEOPLE THINK. IF YOU'RE NOT
ABLE TO TESTIFY VIA THE
TELECONFERENCE SERVICE, YOU CAN
SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS OR
SUGGESTIONS IN WRITING TO THE
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS
AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS OR
VISIT OUR WEBSITE. YOUR COMMENTS
AND SUGGESTIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO
US. WE WANT TO INCLUDE YOUR
TESTIMONY AND THE OFFICIAL
HEARING RECORDS. THANK YOU. AND
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION
AGAIN. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING
HERE IN YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES. I
WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY
HOLIDAY AND A VERY GOOD NEW
YEAR. WE'LL SEE. BACK HERE IN
THE LEGISLATURE IN THE SENATE AT
THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, SO
THAT THE COMMITTEE AND SENATE
COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS AND
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS IS
ADJOURNED.