A virtual public meeting to discuss the San Mateo County’s Draft Election Administration Plan and Voter Education and Outreach Plan will take place on Thursday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m. to noon, Mark Church, assessor-county clerk-recorder and chief elections officer, announced in a statement.
The plans, a requirement of the California Voter’s Choice Act, cover the period of January 2024 to January 2028.
The Election Administration Plan provides the public with detailed information on the administration of elections, the Vote by Mail ballot process, the proposed locations of the county’s vote centers and ballot drop box locations, as well as the technology that will be used at vote centers, including cybersecurity and systems designed to provide better remote access to voters.
The Voter Education and Outreach Plan seeks to reach more voters in each election. It includes ways to contact historically underrepresented groups, such as those with limited English proficiency, people with disabilities, as well as seniors, the youth, the incarcerated, the formerly incarcerated and the unhoused.
Thursday's meeting is an opportunity for the local community to ask questions and provide feedback.
The county has also identified multiple precincts with low voter turnout and is trying to boost participation and voter equity in those communities.
Voters with limited English proficiency are encouraged to identify their need for language-access services on arriving at a vote center; one way to do so is by using ‘I Speak…’ cards. The centers will have translated signs. Moreover, bilingual vote center representatives will wear name tags to indicate the languages they speak.
To provide language assistance, the Elections Division also plans to recruit a Spanish-speaking, a Mandarin-speaking and a Filipino-speaking election worker for each vote center.
The Draft Election Administration Plan and the Voter Education and Outreach Plan are available here for review. The Microsoft Teams meeting link can be found here.
Requests for documents in accessible formats, interpreting services, assistive listening devices or other accommodations may be made by calling 650-312-5222, no later than four business days prior to the meeting.
