DATE: February 12, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Brandi Orth, Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters
SUBJECT: Voter's Choice Act Legislation
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Consider and advise the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters on options related to the Voter's Choice Act to modernize elections and expand voter participation.
REPORT
Legislation now provides all California counties the optional opportunity to transition to the Voter's Choice Act (VCA) in 2020. The VCA authorizes a county to automatically mail every voter a ballot, provide additional secure ballot drop-off boxes located throughout the County and to establish neighborhood Voting Assistance Centers, replacing multiple polling locations, that are accessible and open for four to ten days prior to the election. This item discusses the legislative changes to the voting process and offers the opportunity for comments regarding the potential change. Concurrently the Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters is completing a Request for Proposal process for a new voting system, which will be brought to your Board this year. The legislature has also moved the traditional June 2020 Presidential Primary election date to a March 2020 Presidential Primary election date.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
The Board may choose to remain neutral as to advising the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters on the Voter's Choice Act at this time.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The recommended action does not require additional Net County Cost. Separate agenda items will be brought forward regarding purchase of voting equipment or other implementation costs. The Department has HAVA (Help America Vote Act), Prop. 41 State grant money and Voting Systems Replacement Grant funds for improvements to the election process. The initial implementation of the California Voter's Choice Act will include additional outreach costs to alert voters to the changes. For the long term it is anticipated that election costs will be reduced if the Vot...
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