REGISTRAR OF VOTERS

2020 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Implemented 2020 presidential elections without major problems or incidents using the Vote Center model, which included sending 1.7 million official ballots to all Orange County voters, operating nearly 200 Vote Centers, and 110+ ballot drop boxes, resulting in the highest voter turnout for a presidential primary since 2000 (50.1 percent) and presidential general since 1964 (87.3 percent). These operations were conducted successfully despite extreme scrutiny, anxious public interest, a tense political climate and worldwide media attention. • Continued federal and state partnerships to protect Orange County election systems against vulnerabilities. • Successful marketing and outreach campaigns, identified as best-practices by a number of organizations, to inform voters of the Vote Center model and safe voting options in light of COVID-19 and fire impacts. • Deployed new voting equipment, remote accessible vote-by-mail, and video conferencing (including American Sign Language) to enhance voter experience. • Administered risk-limiting audits and the manual 1 percent tally as post-election audits. • Reconfigured election operations in light of COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, including online training, storage and delivery of equipment and supplies, increased vote-by-mail returns, daily ballot drop box pickups, and the only elections office to offer drive-thru voting in California, which was at the Honda Center.

2021 GOALS

• Plan for and conduct elections using the successful methods deployed during 2020 related to safe voting environments using COVID-19 precautions. • Conduct the Second Supervisorial District special election in March 2021 without major problems or incidents. • Conduct OCERS retirement elections without major problems or incidents. • Enhance new voting system with requested changes and software updates from (and in partnership) with our existing vendors. • Obtain ISO-9001 quality management system certification (only election office in the U.S. seeking quality assurance certification). • Improve Vote Center planning and operations based on experiences and lessons learned from the 2020 presidential election cycle. • Move additional print jobs from County customers to being fulfilled by Printing and Graphics division. • Continue community outreach and speaking engagements in virtual settings and in-person when and if it is safe to do so.