B EST P RACTICES & L ESSONS IN WORKING WITH : L EARNED A DVOCACY G ROUPS O BSERVERS AND L ANGUAGE G ROUPS

M ACAREINDEER WITH G AIL !

A GROUP EXERCISE !

T IM , M ICHAEL &

V OTING A CCESSIBILITY C OMMITTEE A DVISORY

A

SSIST AND ADVISE



Outreach program development



Identify barriers to registration and voting



Evaluate polling place accessibility



Training of poll workers



Recruitment of poll workers

Pursuant to the Secretary of State Guidelines, each County Clerk or Registrar of Voters shall establish a Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC).

W

HO ARE YOUR VAAC MEMBERS

?

   people with disabilities Representatives from organizations serving people with disabilities and elderly people, and people with experience or background in architectural accessibility.

Size of committee is based on number of registered voters in your county. Our committee consists of:  Members of county disability services groups   A person who is visually impaired Persons who use a wheelchair    Former county accessibility enforcement officer County staff Reps from Disability Rights California



W

HAT OUR VAAC DOES

… Meets quarterly  Advises on services to voters with specific needs: disabilities, minority languages, elderly, etc  Acts as ambassadors for us to their communities to help us get the word out about our services  Provides us with information on up and coming issues in the access world which lets us be proactive in planning and resource allocation  Oversees how we are spending our access grant funds  Reviews polling places to determine if we can use the accessible symbol or not on our Sample Ballot booklets  Advises on Access Compliance Plan  Advises on bilingual outreach and materials  Assists with finding polling sites and surveying if needed  Helps develop and review training videos  Helps develop and review written materials

B

EST PRACTICES & LESSONS LEARNED

      If you don’t have a VAAC, start one. Meet at least quarterly Have an agenda Take minutes Recruit members through local disability service groups and organizations If you are not able to find members, there are several resources: State VAAC, Disability Rights California, FOCE

E

LECTION

O

BSERVER

P

ANEL

Y

OU

’

RE

I

NVITED

!

   Every county is required to submit an Election Observer Panel Plan to the Secretary of State. In Santa Cruz County, an Election Observer Panel is invited to observe all procedures of the election process including Logic and Accuracy testing of voting equipment, vote-by-mail ballot processing, election officer trainings, Election Day activities, Election Night ballot counting, and canvass procedures.

Between E-60 and E-30, prepare e-mail invitations to the following:    County Grand Jury Political Party representatives Representatives from jurisdictions on the ballot    League of Women Voters Media Other groups or individuals who have expressed an interest in observing the vote tallying and other election processes

C

HECK

-

IN PROCEDURES

   All observers must sign in and sign out. An Election Observer Badge will be issued and must be worn at all times and returned when the person leaves.

All observers must maintain a professional manner while observing the election processes.

O

BSERVERS MAY

:          Observe the proceedings at all locations, including the opening and closing procedures at the polls.

Obtain information from the Public Alpha Index indicating who has come in to vote.

Make notes and watch all procedures.

View all activities at all locations.

View all election night polling place check-in and counting procedures.

View the canvass of the vote activities following the election.

View vote-by-mail and provisional ballot processing during the canvass.

Ask questions of staff or voters at all locations as long as it does not violate electioneering laws or disrupt the elections processes. Ask questions of supervisors at the central counting site.

            

O

BSERVERS MAY NOT

: Interfere in any way with the conduct of any election.

Sit at the official worktable or touch any of the official voting equipment, supplies, or ballots.

Converse with voters (within 100 feet of a central voting location) regarding the casting of a vote, or speak to a voter regarding his or her qualifications to vote. Wear candidate badges, discuss candidates or issues, or bring any campaign material into the polling place, and/or within 100 feet of the entrance to the polling place.

Wear the uniform of a peace officer, a private guard or security personnel.

Use cellular telephones, pagers or two-way radios inside the polling place, and/or within 100 feet of the entrance to the polling place.

Use the telephones or computers.

Use the area between the official worktable and voting booths as an observation point/post.

Touch election personnel.

Eat or drink at any location.

Assist in operations at any location.

Photograph, videotape, or otherwise record a voter entering or exiting a polling place with intent of dissuading them from voting.

All photography or videotaping must be approved by the site supervisor.

   

B

ALLOT

C

HALLENGES

Persons are permitted to observe and challenge the manner in which the vote-by-mail ballots are handled, from the processing of vote-by-mail ballot return envelopes through the qualifying and counting of the ballots (Elections Code §15104b) Observers may not challenge signatures on vote by-mail ballot return envelopes. Only the elections official shall perform signature comparison.

Observers may challenge whether the individuals handling vote-by-mail ballots are following established procedures. We have written procedures for processing vote by-mail ballots provided by the Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections Department.

F

EEDBACK

 Panelists are provided a form for providing feedback concerning the ballot tabulation process and any other aspects of the administration of the election. However, panelists may also provide verbal feedback or written feedback, which does not have to be on the provided form.

B

EST PRACTICES & L ESSONS LEARNED

          Keep everything transparent.

Observers give you a chance to showcase what you do and why.

Observers leave with a better understanding of the elections process.

Observers are often recruited to be poll workers!

Feedback can lead to improving our processes and procedures.

Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

Written guidelines are essential. Make sure everyone signs in.

How to answer the question: “Why is it taking you so long?” Elections are like making sausage.

L

ANGUAGE

R

EQUIREMENTS

  Santa Cruz County does not fall under VRA Section 5. Instead, we fall under EC 14201(d) to post voting materials in precincts with 3% of voting population who lack sufficient English skills to vote. Languages we now provide:   Spanish Chinese – Mandarin  Tagalog

L

ANGUAGE PLAN

Identify local language groups   Latino Affairs Commission UCSC Chinese Student Association  Filipino Community Center in Watsonville How best to communicate with groups: • • • • • • Attend meetings Radio Television Churches Community centers Social media

L

ANGUAGE

A

SSISTANCE

 Spanish DRE ballot at all precincts. Tagalog and Chinese paper translation at identified precincts.

 Most all of our voter materials: VNCs, voter information pages in SB books, snag letters are in English and Spanish.  Website has link to Multilingual Services Program in all three languages.

 Page printed in SB books.

 Telephones staffed by Spanish speakers and dedicated lines for Chinese and Tagalog.

 Email addresses for each language.

 Bilingual poll workers at identified polling places.

B

EST PRACTICES & L ESSONS LEARNED

 Provide media interviews with someone who speaks the language.  Translations – best to have them double checked by people in the community who speak the language.

 Important to get your information out about the services provided.  Need clean-up to AB 817 to allow students in the country with a visa to serve in the polls.

     

O

THER ADVOCACY GROUPS

Schools  High Schools – Kids Vote – Cabrillo College – UCSC Businesses & Government Agencies     San Andrea Regional Center Monterey Bay Providers Network City Clerks Libraries  Starbucks Community Events  Pride    Cinco de Mayo National Voter Registration Day Strawberry Festival Retirement, Assisted & Independent Living Facilities Jail Facilities Organizations    Lions Club & other service clubs PEO – Philanthropic Educational Organization Retired Public Employees Association  Churches/Temples

Contact me with any questions Gail L. Pellerin Santa Cruz County Clerk 831-454-2419 [email protected]