Those who would sow distrust in our county elections to suppress voter access are back at the BOS meeting on Tues. June 18!

Time to get your 90-second speeches ready!

The election-deniers are back at it – spreading false claims of voter fraud and causing unnecessary anxiety for those who believe them. It’s funny, though, how their solutions to imaginary problems always require real suppression of access to the vote!

JOIN THE COMMUNITY IN PROTECTING ACCESS TO THE BALLOT!

Tuesday, June 18th, 11:30 am, Agenda item #93
Ventura County Board of Supervisors meeting.
Ventura County Government Center – Hall of Administration
800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura (It’s the building closest to the corner of Victoria and Telephone – 1st Floor.)

Why makes our California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) so great?

“Established by Senate Bill 450 (2016), the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA)  makes voting more accessible to all:

  • Mailing every voter a ballot
  • Expanding in-person early voting
  • Allowing voters to cast a ballot at any vote center within their county
  • Providing secure ballot drop off locations throughout the county
  • See here for more information: https://www.sos.ca.gov/voters-choice-act

Attacks on the VCA & Why We Need YOUR Voice

Ventura County’s electoral process is under attack. “Election integrity” proponents have been aggressively lobbying the Board of Supervisors to opt out of the CA Voter’s Choice Act (VCA). Their attacks are promoting Trump’s “rigged election” narrative with literally zero evidence to support their claims that our election results cannot be trusted. Their proposed solutions not only appear to flout CA state law, but would severely suppress voter turnout of the people they don’t like.

(check out their website – we dare you to find an actual fact – https://restorethevoteventura.org)

It’s time to call out their underlying reasons – RACISM, classism and xenophobia – for creating an undue burden on Ventura County voters by stripping them of their established access to the ballot. As such, their proposals might even create an Equal Protection clause violation under the Fourteenth Amendment. (tinyurl.com/undue-burden)

They have also been attacking Ventura County’s Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters, Michelle Ascencion, claiming that she has not been transparent about our election related processes, unresponsive to their demands, (many are ridiculous or contrary to state law), and implying that she is withholding or hiding information.

Seriously, if she’s hiding stuff, she’s not very good at it. In fact, she publicly presented a great four-part Election Education Series to the Board of Supervisors and it’s available online here: (highlighted to be even less hidden!)

https://recorder.countyofventura.org/elections/election-education-series/ 

We are calling on supporters of democracy to show up and show that our community supports access to the ballot, respects the work of Ms. Ascencion and our Elections Division, and opposes barriers or restrictions to voting.

Here are their MAGA-demands to return to a mythical past voting experience. (it just sounds like old-school voter suppression to us!)

1. REINSTATE an independent Election Fraud Hotline and Election Inspectors Office.
There has NEVER been an independent hotline or inspector, but the county is turning their toll free 800 number into a “hotline.” However, people have always been able to call their main line to report issues. The Elections Division investigates all issues, including voter fraud, (like registering cats!), immediately. The vote centers are manned with well-trained workers fully able to deal with voter issues, as well.

2. Appoint a Citizen’s Election Oversight Commission.
To do WHAT, exactly? Henpeck Michelle Ascencion and her staff who are already following all state and federal laws? Wanna be “involved?” Step up in a useful way and join the language and accessibility advisory committees, observe ballot processing in the office, or apply to be an election worker. (Note: didn’t see these guys messing with her former boss – Mark Lunn – who started the VCA. Hmmm…Why are they on Michelle’s case?)

3. By Ordinance, make elections in Ventura County be 1- day, precinct elections.
Why? To get rid of corruption that doesn’t exist, OR… to get rid of voters who do? And who are they? The usual suspects…those who have difficulties taking time out on a workday, those with jobs are far from their homes, those without access to transportation, those with childcare or elder care responsibilities, and those with language issues, or mental or physical disabilities. Their proposal would be such a reversal of access and an undue burden on certain voters that it could be considered a violation of the First or 14th Amendments. (See tinyurl.com/undue-burden) CA is one of 46 states with early voting. 90% of Ventura County voters prefer voting by mail, and it’s required by state law for EVERY registered voter, whether a county is VCA or traditional polling places, to receive a mail ballot. (https://tinyurl.com/harmful-voting-restrictions)

4. By Ordinance, any use of electronic tabulation machines shall be accompanied by a full 100% citizen-assisted hand count audit.
Hand counting was OK for 6th grade class president, but humans have proven to be bad at it for large numbers – inaccurate, slow, and expensive. It’s such a dumb idea, that it’s against state law in most cases. State law not only requires the Elections Division to perform full testing of every piece of equipment prior to the election, but after the election, they must also conduct a 1% random hand tally to further ensure the tabulators were counting accurately. Ma and Pa Kettle are welcome to come and watch. (See point #2.)

5. By Ordinance, no scanning, counting or preprocessing of ballots in any form shall take place before Election Day.
State law allows ballot processing to begin as early as when the ballots go out in the mail. (Jeez, these PEOPLE HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THE LAW!) Since it’s a buttload of work to prepare vote-by-mail ballots for counting (signature verification, opening envelopes and flattening ballots) county staff just doesn’t sit around on their asses because some peeps are sad – they use every minute to be able to produce a meaningful batch of results once the polls close on election night. Ballot data from preprocessing remains raw and uncompiled until 8pm on Election Night, so no one knows any vote totals beforehand.

Check out this great letter from the County Counsel

Click to access board-letter-june-18-2023.pdf

Instructions for Public Comment

Speaking in person

  • Participate by registering to speak during public comment online: here
  • If you do not register online, you will do so at the hearing room before the meeting begins.
  • Practice saying what’s important to you in 90 SECONDS!

Participate over Zoom: Register here.

  • Register using the registration link provided for the applicable meeting date, if you would like to provide a verbal comment via video during the meeting. We encourage you to register in advance of the meeting to ensure that you receive the Zoom credentials prior to the item being heard. Registration opens when the final agenda is posted.
  • Requests to make live public comment on an agenda item will be accepted until the public comment period for each agenda item is complete. If you wish to make comments, you must be connected to the meeting via Zoom prior to the close of the public comment period.
  • Follow the instructions from the Zoom E-Mail to call in to the meeting, call-in instructions are usually located near the end of the automated Email.

Written comments

  • Send your email to: clerkoftheboard@ventura.org by noon on the day prior to the meeting.
  • Indicate in the Subject Line the Agenda item number #93
  • Your email or written comment will be distributed to the BoS and placed into the item’s record of the Board meeting.
  • Public Comments submitted in writing are public records and subject to disclosure.
  • Emailed public comments are NOT read aloud during the meeting.
  • An unredacted version is made available when records are requested by a Public Records Act Request, so do not submit personal contact information that you do not want to be made public.

SAMPLE TALKING POINTS

  • The California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) has increased voter participation – by making voting safer and more accessible for eligible voters in our county: – Increased Accessibility: The VCA has significantly increased accessibility by mailing every registered voter a ballot, allowing individuals to vote from the comfort of their homes. This move has been especially helpful for individuals with disabilities, the elderly, those with transportation needs, and those unable to make it to previous voting locations due to work, childcare, caretaking and other responsibilities.
  • Increased Flexibility/convenience in Voting: The Act offers greater flexibility by expanding in-person early voting opportunities for voters who might have unpredictable work schedules or other responsibilities on Election Day.
  • Language and Accessibility Support: Voters from diverse backgrounds and those with disabilities have the necessary resources to participate fully in the electoral process and protects their right to participate equally in our democracy.
  • Community Engagement and Education: The VCA has facilitated community engagement by providing opportunities for educational outreach about the changes in the voting process.
  • Transparency and Accountability: The implementation of the Voter’s Choice Act has introduced measures that enhance transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
  • Community-Centric Approach through Election Administration Plans (EAP): The VCA’s requirement for each participating county to develop an Election Administration Plan (EAP) ensured that the implementation of the Act was not a top-down imposition, but a collaborative process that involved extensive public input and public hearings.
  • Enhanced Security Measures: The Act provides secure ballot drop-off locations throughout the county, ensuring that voters can safely and conveniently return their ballot without relying only on mail services. Vote By Mail security is already ensured by performing signature verification on every Vote By Mail return envelope. In addition, CA has strict safety measures to protect against voter fraud.
    • No tabulators or ballot making devices are connected to the internet for cybersecurity
    • Only machines certified by the state can be used
    • Equipment is stored in secure areas and tested for accuracy before each election
    • At least two election workers transport ballots
    • Officials maintain a documented chain of custody
    • Unique barcodes on ballot return envelopes prevent duplicate voting and allow the voter to track their ballot
    • Voter registration lists are updated daily as Elections is notified of deaths, new addresses or other changes
    •  Mail ballot signatures are cross-checked against voter registration records. If a signature is missing or doesn’t match, the ballot is not counted until it is “cured.”
    • If someone not on the active voter roll tries to vote, they get a provisional ballot that must be verified before their ballot is counted.
    •  Voters can ensure that their mail ballot was received and counted by signing up for Where’s My Ballot at: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-status/wheres-my-ballot

Create your own public comment using resources like these:

Questions and Answers about the Voters Choice Act – like why we don’t do hand-counting, and a lot of other bits of interesting information!

Q: Why does every active registered voter in Ventura County get a Vote-By-Mail ballot?
It’s the law. On September 27, 2021, Assembly Bill 37 was passed by the State, requiring all active registered voters in California to be sent a vote-by-mail ballot – whether they live in a Voter’s Choice Act or polling place election counties. (Note: Ventura County, along with every county in California, is an ALL-PAPER ballot county. Every vote has a paper ballot receipt.)

Ventura County Background:
Election results have shown Ventura County voters, by a majority, have preferred to vote by mail for several decades. 

  • Prior to the November 2020 Election:, registered voters needed to opt in to receive their absentee ballots. 74% of all registered voters had chosen permanent absentee (vote-by-mail) status.
  • June 2022 Statewide Primary Election: And now that all Ventura County voters receive vote by mail ballots without having to opt in, voters in our county have embraced voting by mail by an overwhelming majority. In the June 2022 Statewide Primary Election, 90% of the ballots cast were from vote-by-mail voters, and the remaining 10% came from those who voted in person
  • In the November 2022 General Election – Ventura County: 89% of the ballots cast were vote-by-mail versus 11% in person. 
  • November 2022 General Election – State: 88% of the ballots cast were vote-by-mail.

Q: Is it safe?
The vote by mail (VBM) method is easy and secure – especially in Ventura County. All returning VBM envelopes are signature verified at least twice: All returning ballot envelopes are scanned, first through the election equipment (using technology similar to what banks use for endorsed paper checks), then verified again manually by an election worker. The election workers review the signature against the voter’s signatures on file.

Q: What if there’s a questionable signature?

The Elections Division contacts the voter and investigates the validity of the signature. Signature verification takes a lot of time and is one reason there is a time lag in final election results.

Q: Is mail-in voting new?
No. Voting by mail began during the Civil War and has been helping our military cast their lawful vote no matter where they are stationed. CA has allowed no-excuse voting by mail since 1978.

Q: What is the Voter’s Choice Act?
The Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) is a voting model where voters are no longer assigned a specific one-day polling place, instead allowing voters to cast their ballot in person at any Vote Center as early as 3-10 days before Election Day. The Vote Center locations, along with the Ballot Drop Box locations, follow the 15-point siting criteria outlined in VCA legislation to ensure widespread access for voters. In addition, of course, voters can mail their vote by mail ballot at any post office or mailbox throughout the County. Ventura County became a VCA Elections county in February 2022.

Q: Why was this a good solution for Ventura County?
Under the previous precinct model, Ventura County needed to find between 350 to 400 polling places and up to 2,000 stipend election workers. But regular polling sites like elementary schools have become more reluctant to allow strangers on campus and long-time election workers expressed concern over the increasingly antagonistic attitudes they were facing from voters. Under the VCA, the county only needed to secure approximately 50 voting locations and about 600-800 election workers.

Once COVID hit, many potential sites were shuttered and older election volunteers did not want to risk exposure. Ventura and other counties received permission from the Secretary of State to conduct a “VCA-like” election in our county for the November 2020 Election so all voters could receive a vote by mail ballot.

The Vote Center model performed very well and the November 2020 election broke all recent voter turnout numbers, revealing the benefits of providing MORE opportunities, access and options for in-person voting. Vote centers allow voters to use the most convenient location for them. It also extremely efficient – required fewer locations and less staff, while allowing Elections the chance to obtain background checks and additional training for all election workers.  

Q: What is the EAP? The Election Administration Plan (referred to as the EAP) outlines the details of how the County will implement the requirements of the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) for elections, including for voters with disabilities and limited English proficiency. The initial version had to be approved by the Secretary of State before the County could conduct elections under the VCA model. Then it is amended and renewed at two- to four-year intervals after that. After much public input, the first EAP was approved by the Secretary of State on February 11. Following additional public outreach on a revised draft, an amended Ventura County EAP was approved by the Secretary of State on September 29, 2023 for a four-year renewal.

Q: Why don’t we manually count ballots anymore? Studies have shown that humans are far less accurate than machines for this kind of repetitive task. Per CA Assembly Bill 969 passed in Sept. 2023, counties are prohibited by law from performing an official election using a manual vote count if it is on an established election day and if there are more than 1,000 registered voters participating. For non-established election days, a manual vote count is not permitted if there are more than 5,000 registered voters.

The Elections Division performs a manual vote count audit (as do other California counties) following every election per Election Code 15360 called the One Percent Manual Tally and it is open for public observation.

Following the November 2022 general election, the Elections Division performed a manual vote recount for the Mayor of the City of Ojai race, with just a 42 vote difference between the two candidates. The recount, paid for by a registered voter, cost $27,770. 3,604 ballots took 34 different people about four days to tally and showed the same final results as the original tabulator count.

But, for full primary and general elections, there are multiple contests on every ballot and sometimes over 200 ballot types of the various election races for up to 200,000 – 500,000 voters. There is no record of any manual vote count even being successfully completed under those circumstances, much less being correct.

Q: Did we used to count the ballots by hand in the neighborhood polling stations?

This video is from Illinois, but their systems are very similar to ours.

Years ago, each polling place had a scanner with a memory cartridge installed. The paper ballots would be fed into the scanner, and at the close of voting the memory cartridge was removed and transported by teams of election workers to the Elections Office. The memory cartridges were then fed into the “centralized” tabulator which downloaded its data and compiled the numbers.

With the VCA – the partial digital system is exchanged for a full paper ballot system of tabulation – which is widely recognized as more transparent and secure. Now only paper ballots are transported back to the Central Counting place, following a strict chain of custody with supervisor-signed seals on all boxes that are transported by teams of deputized election workers, with the full chain of custodians being documented and retained.

Q: Who makes our voting system hardware and how was it certified?
All voting systems used by a county must be certified by the California Secretary of State’s Office of Voting Systems Technology Assessment following rigorous testing process that takes 6-12 months by security experts.

Ventura County’s system was purchased from Dominion Voting Systems, used by 20 California counties including Sonoma, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Kern, Contra Costa, and Sacramento in addition to hundreds of other jurisdictions across the United States.  

Our County received grant funding from the State for purchasing the equipment. The Voting Modernization Bond Act of 2002 was created after numerous problems with older voting systems arose during the 2000 Election. The requirement from the Secretary of State for counties to upgrade election equipment is supported by grant funding.

Q: Are Ballot Drop Boxes safe? An Official Ballot Drop Box is a quick, safe and efficient way to get your ballot to the Elections Office. During elections, Ballot Drop Boxes are picked up by Elections Division workers. Voters always have the option of using a regular USPS mailbox or post office, but the ballot drop box is a way to avoid the time lag of going through the postal system.

Regardless of whether you mail in your ballot, deposit it in a ballot drop box, or drop it off at a Vote Center, all voters can sign up with Ballottrax to track its progress. However, like for mailed ballots, nothing deposited in the box is considered a valid voter ballot until it has gone through our signature verification process. If there is a problem with the signature verification, we contact the voter.

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