Press Release-Memorandums-Executive Orders

What's new with election security?

In responding to questions, I wanted to share with you some of the reasons behind the changes in how to vote, including changes to state law, (mail ballots) but also clarification of state law that people were unaware of.

There will be two locations that voters may vote at, in person, this year:

1. CA state law now requires that every voter will receive a paper ballots in the mail, which will be mailed out by October 7th, 2024. Upon receipt, voters may bring those ballots into the Elections Department in Colusa, put them in the mail, or drop them in our drop box. On Election Day, voters may also bring their ballots to Education Village in Williams.

2. Alternately, voters may use an Electronic Ballot marking device at either location with the same timelines as above. The voter will make their choices on the marking device, and will then print out a paper ballot from the device, verify their choices and put their ballot in an envelope, sign the envelope, and hand to the elections staff.

3. Voters may also surrender their mail ballot, and request a new paper ballot, which they may fill out at the above locations with the same timelines as above. Once this request is made, their prior mail ballot will be instantly voided.

4. Every person now handling your ballot is fingerprinter and background checked as they are staff. All ballots are issued a unique barcode, tint and watermark.

5. Every single ballot signatures is verified against the voters registration card, upon receipt of every ballot. If the signatures do not match, it goes through a two-step verification process, and the voter is contacted to come and cure their ballot.

6. There were multiple reasons that we reduced the number of voting locations, but security was the primary reason:

a. When voters signed the polling roster, those signatures were not ever verified against the voter registration card.

b. By state law, we are not allowed to ask for identification.

c. By mail ballot, we are able to ask that each envelope be signed and we are able to verify every signature on the envelopes against the voters registration card.

d. By reducing voting locations, we are able to staff each location with only election staff that is background checked and fingerprinted.

e. Only 5% of Colusa County’s registered voters returned their ballot in person the last two elections, so manning multiple polling locations became difficult because essentially, the department was conducting two simultaneous elections, by mail, and in person, with the in person voting only realizing a 5% average participation rate.

f. With two locations, we are also able to make sure the locations are secure.

g. When I ran the reports, the precincts with the highest voter turnout were the previously designated vote by mail precincts.

h. 80% of our voters are registered as permanent absentee voters.

i. I am able to oversee the processing and counting of every ballot in the Elections Department, which is not only equipped with an alarm system, but is done under video surveillance.

j. Our drive through drop box, located in the alley behind the police station, under video surveillance and across from my office, is an excellent way, other than in person to make sure your ballot reaches us timely and securely. When mailed, our local mail goes to Sacramento and back before returning to our department. With the drop box, we have a strict chain of command where two staff members retrieve the ballots and immediately return them directly to our department.