California Voter’s Choice Act

Implementation in Sacramento County

September 19, 2017

Co-hosted by:

Co-sponsored by:

• Legislature passed SB 450, also known as the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) in 2016.

• Law was modeled after Colorado reform

• Law authorized 14 counties to participate in 2018

• 4 counties have opted to participate

• Sacramento is the largest and most diverse county participating

• In 2020, all counties are authorized to participate.

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What is the Voter’s Choice

Act?

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What changes will the VCA make?

• All voters will receive a vote by mail ballot

• Local polling sites will be replaced by “vote centers”

• Approximately 85% fewer in-person voting sites on Election Day

• New opportunities at vote centers:

• Early voting:

• Approximately 16 vote centers will be open beginning 10 days before Election Day

• Another 62 will open beginning three days before Election Day

• Freedom to vote at any vote center

• Same day registration

• The county will also open 52 ballot dropoff sites

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Where will the vote centers go?

• The county will be considering 14 factors in the placement of dropoff locations and vote centers, including:

1. Proximity to public transportation.

2. Proximity to communities with historically low vote by mail usage.

3. Proximity to population centers.

4. Proximity to language minority communities.

5. Proximity to voters with disabilities.

6. Proximity to communities with low rates of household vehicle

ownership.

7. Proximity to low-income communities.

8. Proximity to communities of eligible voters who are not registered to

vote and may need access to same day voter registration.

9. Proximity to geographically isolated populations, including Native

American reservations.

10.Access to accessible and free parking.

11.The distance and time a voter must travel by car or public

transportation to a vote center and ballot drop-off location.

12.The need for alternate methods for voters with disabilities for whom

vote by mail ballots are not accessible to cast a ballot.

13.Traffic patterns near vote centers and ballot drop-off locations.

14.The need for mobile vote centers in addition to the number of vote

centers established pursuant to this section.

• The county will also consider public input on placements

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Election Administration

Plan (EAP)

• County will develop an Election Administration Plan that must include the locations of vote centers and drop off sites.

• The county will release an Election Administration plan and the public will have at least 14 days to comment

• After 14 days, the county must hold at least one public hearing

• The county will then decide whether to make changes to the plan

• The plan will also include the county’s multi-language education and outreach plan

• The education and outreach plan is subject to approval by the Secretary of State’s office

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W W W . S O S . C A . G O V

THE CALIFORNIA

VOTER’S CHOICE ACT

THE FUTURE

IS NOW!

ELECTION PERFORMANCE INDEX

• CA Near Last

• Turnout

• Provisionals

• Registration

LOOKING FOR BEST

PRACTICES

• PCEA 2014

• County Research

Group

• Colorado Visits

• SB 450

BEST PRACTICES

• Public Input

• Auto VBM

• Drop Boxes

• Early Voting

• SDR

• Vote Centers

• Accessibility

THE CALIFORNIA VOTER’S CHOICE ACT

Public Participation

Ballot Delivery

Ballot Drop-Off Locations

Vote Centers

In-Person Voting

Early Voting

Same Day Voter

Registration

Use any Center

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

WWW.SOS.CA.GOV/ELECTIONS/VOTERS-CHOICE-ACT/

FOR QUESTIONS CONTACT:

JAMES SCHWAB JAME.SCHWAB@SOS.CA.GOV

Why did Sacramento County adopt the

VCA?

Expansion of voting opportunities to fit modern

lifestyles

Conditional Voter Registration

Reduction of Provisional Ballots & “partial” counts

Cost Savings

Improved efficiency and use of resources

64% of active voters are already Permanent Vote by

Mail voters

Sacramento County’s VBM Trend

Sacramento County’s Minimum

Location Requirements

11 Day Vote Centers: 16

4 Day Vote Centers: 62

Total Vote Centers: 78

29 Day Ballot Drop-off Sites: 52

Outreach and Education Website

Notices

Brochures/flyers

Community Events

High Schools Voter Education Presentations

City Council Meetings

Outreach and Education Libraries

Hosting Public Education Workshops

Media

Videos

PSA

Social Media (Facebook, Twitter)

Radio, Television, Newspaper (languages)

Goals of the LAAC Assist and advise county elections officials on existing

programs to reach voters with limited-English proficiency, including: Recruitment and staffing of bilingual Election Officers

Provide feedback on election and voter education materials

Enhance website usability

Provide expertise on language accessibility issues

Promote language accessibility initiatives

Respond to the County’s questions regarding language accessibility issues

Goals of the VAAC Assist and advise county elections officials on existing

programs to reach people with disabilities, including:

Recruitment of Election Officers

Provide feedback on election and voter education materials

Enhance website accessibility

Advise county elections officials on where to set up voting equipment and how to recognize barriers

Evaluate polling places for compliance with state and federal accessibility guidelines

Scheduled Meetings VAAC Meetings are held at:

7000 65th Street, Community Room

Sacramento, CA 95823

Next scheduled VAAC meetings:

Tuesday, September 26th at 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, October 10th at 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, November 7th at 6:00 p.m.

LAAC Meeting schedule coming soon

Election Administration Plan

Discussion plan on website

Public Consultation meetings held September 15

Additional Public Consultation meetings TBA

Share Your Comments Now: We welcome your feedback!

Visit www.elections.saccounty.net and click on the banner shown below:

Share Your Comments Now:

Email your comments:

VoterInfo@SacCounty.net

Call us: (916) 875-6451

VAAC and VCA Implementation

Sacramento County

Paul Spencer, Disability Rights California

• A Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee

-Community members and -County elections officials • Sacramento’s VAAC benefits your community in many ways, providing a forum for the disability and senior communities to voice their concerns and provide advice.

• The VAAC helps election officials plan and brainstorm.

• The VAAC creates opportunities for collaboration and community outreach.

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What is a VAAC?

What is its purpose?

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How can the VAAC help with making a VCA

election accessible?

• Vote Center and ballot drop off locations:

• “proximity to voters with disabilities” and

• “proximity to public transportation”

• Outreach and media plans

• Planning public workshop(s) for voters with disabilities

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What is the status of

Sacramento County’s VAAC?

How can I participate?

• The next meetings are:

• 9/26 @ 6pm

• 10/10 @ 6pm

• 11/7 @ 6pm

• Meetings are open to the public

• Check out the County website for meeting times and announcements: http://www.elections.saccounty.net/VoteCenters/Pages/Public-Notices.aspx

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Consultation meeting with the

disability community

• The County must draft an Election Administration Plan (EAP) There will be opportunities to:

• Provide input before the EAP is drafted

• Provide feedback after the EAP is drafted

• Under the VCA there are special requirements to consult with the disability and language communities

• Recap of last week consultation meeting with the disability community on the EAP

LAAC and VCA Implementation

Sacramento County

Michelle Lim, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - California

What is a LAAC? What is its purpose?

• Language Accessibility Advisory Committee (“LAAC”)

• Importance of language assistance

• What a LAAC can do:

• Provide input and assistance on reviewing translations

• Help plan community outreach and education

• Recruit bilingual poll workers

• Advise where language-minority communities frequent (identify vote center locations), among many other issues

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What are the languages covered in

Sacramento County?

Under Federal Law (comprehensive assistance)

• Spanish and Chinese

Under California State Law

• Tagalog, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Hindi

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How can the LAAC

participate according to the

EAP?

• Bilingual poll worker placements

• Bilingual voter education workshop

• Language-minority media campaign

• Public service announcements in minority languages

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What is the status of Sacramento

County's LAAC? How can I

participate?

• Next meeting TBD

• Representation from all languages are needed

• Open call for membership here: http://www.elections.saccounty.net/VoteCenters/Documents/LAAC%20Cover%20Letter.pdf

• For more information you can also contact voter-outreach@saccounty.net

Getting Involved with the VCC

Sacramento County

Nicolas Heidorn, California Common Cause

• Who We Are:

+ Local Hub

• Our Goal: Successful implementation of the VCA (SB 450)

• Local Hub Support:

• Notifications of VCA Updates & Engagement Points

• Toolkits, educational documents, resources, speakers

• Build a local network for effective implementation

• Community engagement funding 39

What is Voters Choice

California (VCC)?

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Getting involved in VCA

Implementation –

Some Next Steps

• Sign-up for the local hub (see sign-in)

• Attend the next LAAC or VAAC:

• Review & comment on the EAP Discussion Document: www.elections.saccounty.net/VoteCenters/Documents/EAP-Discussion-and-Consultation-Document-Web.pdf

• Attend the EAP public hearing: TBD

• Host a community forum to discuss vote center and dropoff sites in your community

• Apply for a VCC Community Engagement small grant

• Urge the county to allocate more $ for voter outreach

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VCC Community Engagement

Grants - How can I

participate?

• VCC anticipates awarding 20-40 Community Engagement Grants statewide

• Likely Application Period: end of September – end of October

• To learn more:

• Sign up for the Local Hub

• Visit: www.voterschoice.org (visit 9/25 for details)

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QUESTIONS?