Secretary of State Champions Funding for New Election Systems
New Voter Database Online
March 4, 2016
County elections officials and Secretary of State Alex Padilla made their case this week before the Legislature for more elections funding, not as a matter of convenience but to uphold the integrity of elections in California. Counties, as the elections administrators for the state and local agencies, bear the greatest burden for election-related costs. Stakeholders from State agencies, voter advocate and good government are working together to secure critically needed resources to meet current and future needs of California elections.
Earlier this week, Secretary Padilla and Orange County Elections Registrar Neal Kelly co-authored an op-ed emphasizing the need for an investment in voting equipment or face dire consequences, which may ultimately jeopardize voter confidence. Counties and the State will need to work together since Congress remains in deadlock that will hold strong until the next President is elected, if not beyond.
Voting systems, like any piece of equipment or technology, have a useful shelf-life that is now nearing its end throughout the state. At the same time, the Legislature is seeking new voting reforms to enhance voting opportunities and voter engagement through new methods of casting a ballot.
Many of the reforms rely on a statewide real-time database dubbed “VoteCal” which went live in the final two counties this week. It’s the culmination of over a decade long effort. VoteCal allows elections officials in each county to more easily track voters who move from one place to another and to quickly update their records in the event of a death or a voter deemed ineligible after conviction of a felony. It will also allow voters to check if they are registered at their current address, their party affiliation and whether a ballot sent by mail was actually counted.
CSAC strongly advocates for fully funded elections mandates and supports appropriate election cost reduction proposals. In addition, CSAC supports flexibility and financial assistance in the adoption of new voting systems.
State Capitol Hearing on Funding Shares $450 Million Needed Statewide
On Tuesday, the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee held a hearing on Election Administration Funding featuring several county elections officials including Registrar Kelley, Sacramento County Registrar of Voters Jill LaVine, and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan. They shared the current cost pressures on counties to run elections and county-based efforts to modernize elections to meet voter expectations.
Secretary Padilla also provided testimony, reiterating the points expressed in his op-ed and that statewide counties will need $450 million to bring voting systems up to date. The full hearing is available here.
Comments Requested – Confidential Audit Review in Closed Session
CSAC is seeking comments to determine if counties would benefit from the same protections that AB 1988 (Jones) is seeking to provide to cities during their review of confidential audit information. Specifically, AB 1988 would allow a city that has received a confidential final report from the city auditor to hold closed sessions to discuss its response or implementation plans.
The City of San Diego is sponsoring the bill due to a technical problem with their confidential audit review process because they lack the necessary steps to take action or implement recommendations from such an audit. Counties experiencing similar issues should contact Betsy Hammer, CSAC Legislative Analyst, at Bhammer@counties.org.