Sonoma County Clerk Eeve Lewis and Assistant Registrar of Voters Janice Atkinson

Sonoma County. A diverse county of over one million acres. It's famed for its agriculture, industry and recreation, boasting a booming economy and unique lifestyle for its citizens. Described by the same Luther Burbank as the chosen spot of all the Earth, Sonoma County is the place to

live, work and play as we move into the 21st century. Led by the forward looking philosophy of its governing bodies, Cinema Counties, 340,000 residents are, Ah, harmonious, successful blend of ethnic and economic backgrounds. We invite you to take a closer look at Sonoma County in the

nineties with your host, Rich McGlinchy. How you doing? Everybody? Welcome to another edition of Sonoma County in the nineties. You know this is 1992 and naturally, it just means it's a year of a general election. That means there's an awful lot of work has to be

done by county clerks. Office active, the Registrar borders office. So each year we come to you and we bring these two special guests where there's almost every year we're talking about. E. V. Lewis. Sitting in the center of art scene, was the county clerk. It's nice

to have you here again TV and Janice Atkinson, who is the chief deputy registrar of voters. That's a mouthful isn't a long time, but we've had these two women with us before. We talk about the preparation for voting, the things that you are to know. We're

going to repeat that for you today because it's certainly something zehr new. But it's important that we re stress the necessity to register and vote. So et in line with that, you will be conducting your primary election in June in the general election in in November.

Yeah, now what? All the voters in the county be voting on the same candidates and issues? No, Definitely not the primary elections going to include partisan offices like the president, the U. S Senator. They're also be some partisan offices that don't run Countywide. For instance, congressional

offices, assembly district offices, other California Senate offices. We have lots of local issues that are scattered throughout the county that voters only in those districts, for instance, will be able to vote on. They'll be in primary, will have a city Council of Toddy. We'll have several

school districts that have trustees that will be on the ballot, we will have some supervisors who were running for a promise any right. The Cinema Valley area of the West County area in the centre rose area will have races. We also will have a lot of

measures on the ballot that our local measures there's some cities that have measures. There's some school districts that do well in June will also have a Countywide measure that everyone will be voting on. And there's a couple of is actually three statewide issues. All of that

will be different in November. Well, you know, it's better now than it has been in the past because you've managed to unify a lot of the elections. What, what still kind of hangs out there by itself. While schools I know for one not entirely, most of

the districts that have elections in Cinema County have consolidated their elections with either the primary or the general. We do still have some special districts, like fire districts in water district that have off year elections scheduled normally in November of the odd year. But there are

also established election dates when school districts or cities or special district could actually call special elections we had way had some recently in April in the theme the three school districts in the county where the district's have asked for elections in order to put on some

bond issues or some tax issues. It just seemed that for years you were conducting elections. Hope the time. And I know your people were really, really working hard all the time on it, and I was glad to see that consolidation occurred. Some of the cities, I

think, consolidated with the with the county deal with the primary in the generals. One of the one of the city's is in the primary, and the other seven are currently scheduled to go in November in the general election. What it has done is it's meant that

we're doing a more complicated, more complex election for the primary. For instance, we have over 200 different balance that we have to produce for just cinema County. On the same is true with the general. That's probably going to be even more a better. Better is relative,

you know, some at some point you fall between, you know, going to the polls every other month to vote on one single issue and being faced with what the voters were faced within the general in 1990 which was an extremely long ballot. You know, we're kind

of in a Catch 22. You know it in the ballot is to shorter. It's too long, and the voters seem to complain. Either way, having all the school district's and all the special district on the consolidated balance has raised some problems to the candidates for those

officers don't get the attention that they do when they're off by themselves. True, because everybody's focusing on the candidates for the larger often that supposedly more important, good and bad here, and it really is. It's a mixed bag, and it certainly made elections more difficult. Conduct.

Oh, yeah, well, I know, uh, in the past and even today you're people are just going to seem like around the clock trying to get the ballots out, trying to get the right balance, the right You always do Well, almost You you really I commend your

you people have had very, very few snack foods over the years and with all the body will work and the elections that you conducted, I think he would be complemented. I'm doing a great job and you've got a great job over there. I understand the Green

Party's now qualified party. If that's the case, were people register for that, uh, party get a different ballot only for primary elections. So in the primary, for the first time, we will have party ballots for the Green Party. Registered voters was about 282,900 of those in

Sonoma County. They will only have, at least initially, in the first primary. They learn good to have candidates on what they're calling the county County council, which is kind of like a committee that runs the party on a local basis. See, I they'll also have candidates

in at least one assembly district. But other than that, they will have only the non partisan issues as well the various measures in the supervisors and people of that kind. We had our usual circus sacramental recently and reapportioned the state so reapportionment has been put into

effect. Now, how will that affect me? Well, how many districts have changed and how would I find out what district I am? Reapportionment had a major impact on us. What we think it will actually have a major impact on voters as well. There was a fairly

make reshot made, extensive changing of the boundaries of the various districts that come into Cinema County, so it shifted people from various Assembly District, Senate districts and congressional districts that they used to vote in. That is one effect is that the voters will be voting in

some cases for candidates or for offices that they've never voted for before, just simply because the lines have changed the lines of moon. But another effect it has had is because the district's were also re numbered. We will have people voting on districts that they normally

would not be voting on this time. For instance, two years ago we voted in Sonoma County on the Senate district that the California Senate District's that come into Cinema County. Some of those voters will be voting again, even those air four year terms, because we by

re numbering it, it means that the candidates who are running for in this case, the first District will be on the ballot again. I think about with Third District will be in the ballot again, and they wouldn't have been before. There's also been supervise royal redistricting

that most people have forgotten about. Late last year, the supervisors redistricted their boundaries in order to really like a an equalization of populations in the county between their district. So there will be people in parts of the West County, for instance, who will not have any

carpenters race on the ballot. There will be some fairly major changes inside Santa Rosa itself as well, where we've had some some large scale shifting of the population from one district to another in order to even it out. Those are the two big areas, as far

as how to find out what district you're in. Just a matter of calling our office. We have a computer system that has every address in Cinema County broken down by the political district that those particular addresses are in. And we also have that same information by

the names of the registered voters so we can look it up for anybody who wants to contact us. And we could tell them I know I could take you very from the jury commissioner. Um, just what is the last day to vote for the primary and

for the general election. Well, to register to vote rich, you want one of the things on registration. You have to register 29 days before every election that it's wherever you live 29 days before the election. That's where you're supposed to register and vote from. And for

the upcoming primary election, it's May 4th is the last day. And to be honest, I haven't counted back in November, but it'll be 29 days. It's gonna be early October for the November general election. You know, one of the things I'd like voters to know. I

talked to voters every election who are upset, who cannot vote because they aren't registered and they've moved. You've got to re register every time, you know. And that's the number one thing that stops people from voting is I mean, I talked to voters on the phone.

They say, Well, I'm registered, but I moved, and my message to the voters is, if you have moved, you are no longer registered, you know, once you move, if you don't reregister, you are not considered a registered voter in California under California State law, you know,

if there were any message that we could get out to the voters is you have to re register. Every time you move, we will restate that two people. You her vagina said if you have moved since the last election, you will not get about unless you

go reregister. You have to do that 29 days before the primary and the general election. Couple of things here in one, if I didn't vote in the last election, can I vote in the primary and then one of the things. If I don't vote in the

primary, can I vote in general? Well, we're first. Okay, what? One of the time. But how do you know it's funny getting voters to remember things like you have to re register every time you move. I think I've been saying that over and over again for

so many years now. But voters have remembered from the old days it used to be in the old days, way back when that you had to vote in the primary to be able to vote in the General. Yeah, and that's not the case. That's not the

case. You don't have to vote in the primary to vote in the general, But you do have to be registered wherever you live. So you know, if I could replace one old myth with fact, it is. You know, you just have to register Every time you

move, you do not have to re register if you didn't vote in the primary. But you can vote in the general if you register, like 29 days before, uh, you know, you did right. You don't have to register, Frito. Like once you're registered, you are registered

unless you move. Well, you just said I had to reregister if I moved. But now what if I changed my name? Well, changing names isn't as important. Somebody gets married. You can. Actually, you can vote under your maiden name or, you know, people change their names

for other reasons. I always have. Yeah, I know. Uh, you can continue to vote, you know, under that name. It's probably better if you re register, because when you go to the polls, you sometimes forget, You know that. Oh, well, then you have to look under

your maiden name. You hold everybody up in line while they're flipping back and forth on the roster trying to find your name. But But legally, unless you're trying to commit some type of fraud, you can vote under any name you so choose as long as you're

registered under that name. Um What? You know, I come over there and I see you people ballots, You're making up a ballot. That's a tremendous job, really, Truly is. And every time I get my sample about at home, I think momentarily you know, all the work

that went in pretty Mr together. So I think most people do appreciate the very, very hard work that people do to make it possible for United vote Jennette's windmill sabot ballots a sample ballot rather be in the mail for this election. Oh, I always try to

get the sample ballots in the mail about three weeks before the election. Okay, you get him apart when we, you know, we've got we've got about 220,000 voters in the county, and the mailing alone is a big job just getting the right labels. As you said,

you know, there are different kinds of ballots, and in the primary, they're gonna be 217 versions of the ballot for 220,000 voters. That's almost one version for every 1000 voters. Um, so it is so getting the mailing done is a big job, but I would really

encourage voters when they get that ballot. Look at it. Make sure that it is the right ballot for you because there are changes and you might have questions. Don't don't wait till Election Day to look at it and check your polling place. Check on the back

of the ultra swollen place. The other thing, the back. Is it about the label? That's correct. And there's also an application for an absentee ballot on that sample ballot. The sample about it actually has a lot of good information in it. And, you know, we we

recommend to people that they opened them up early and go over the issues, particularly when there's a long ballot and use it as a voting tool. Mark your choices on it, you know, Take your sample ballot. Go through pre marked that. Then when you get to

the polling place, it won't take long to mark your ballot. Very good idea, and I remember to register to vote. You can do that. 29 days before either the primary or the general election. Be sure to look at your ballot, turn it over and find out

where your polling places. Now remember all these things because I have to use him in just a month or two. And for five months now we're gonna Paul is right now for a moment will come back. We're gonna talk more with Jenison evening about the upcoming

elections. A weapons used in the world in the last 40 years. No more then this one. Welcome back to this edition. It's a no account in the nineties. As you know, this is an election year. And we're talking to Yvette

Lewis, County clerk and Janice Atkinson, the deputy registrar. Voters, Chief, Deputy Red Star voters. We call her chief over there. Uh, and they've been telling us about what we have to do. Our one of things you mentioned. You could register up to 29 days before an

election that you must take a look at the back of your sample ballot and see where your polling places these things are most important. 29 days before election. And take a look where your polling places the ballot they send you. You should look and uses a

guide to, incidentally any, Um, is it true that you have a drive up window? Yes. We attempt to make it easy as possible to participate in elections. We use it for very fast transactions. Somebody can come in and register to vote there, for instance. They can

apply for an absentee there. They can drop off small things there. It's like a bank window that you drive through. Somebody can't find a parking place in the complex, for instance. It's very handy to be able to do that. What? They've got a lot of kids

in the car or something like that. I never used that. I'm gonna come up, get my absentee. You drive up the window to live. Three. Don't walk through. Can be careful when you drive up here to um, speaking of that, why are so many people going

to the absentee ballot? And then maybe you want to add how do you go about voting and absentee ballot? I think a large part of the reasons is used as much as it is now is. It's easy. It's convenient. The ballots are getting extremely long. There

are tremendous amounts of information, lots of candidates, lots of choices to be made when voters are finding it, just simply to be able to take that information home voted over a period of time in the mail it back in, they don't have to worry about finding

a polling place in getting in line on Election Day assures the fact that they will have voted. They don't have to worry about unexpected scheduling problems on Election Day. It's also being used by a number of campaigns to try to get out the vote on their

side of the tumor tissue. So the campaign to as well, California law no longer requires that someone be gone in order to be able to vote absentee. So all they have to do now is ask for one. They do have to ask in writing. There's in

an application form on the back of the sample ballot that is very easy to use this just a matter of filling it in and signing it and sending it into our office and when mailed in the absentee, um, we do require the individual signature of the

voter who wants the absentee We also need to know where they want it. Mail, too. Someone could even come into the office and pick one off if they want to. They don't absolutely have to do it by now. Two things again. Arrested. You want? Uh, when

was the last day you could get an absentee ballot? And then this is asked. I think frequently can someone pick up a ballot for me in return It vegetable wins last day to get one last day to get one by mail is a week before the

election itself. We have to have the applications into our office by May 27th. I believe it is for the primary. It's It's basically one week ahead of the election so that we can turn around and mail them back out and still give the voter time to

receive them, vote them and get them back to us. Somebody can also come into the office is, I said, and apply for an absentee. They can pick up a one for somebody else as long as they have a signed application or a signed letter by the

voter who wants it. It can't be a husband or a wife coming in to pick up both for the family unless they have signatures of both people involved. Returning it is a little more complicated. The state law says the voter in person must return it or

it needs to come back to us through the mail, though A, um, let that last week after the cut off by mail applications, somebody can send unauthorized person into pick one up as long as they fill out the appropriate forms that are on the, uh, the

sample down. They indicate that somebody is authorized to pick it up for them, but they're limited. Um, I wasn't clear on this. When does the absentee ballots have to be turned in? By tonight? Can I take it? Give it to the people of the daily auction.

Yes, you can. As long as what's the usual procedure on that most people will mail back. Quite a number of people will bring them back to our office and drop them off in our office on or before Election Day just to make sure that we have

them in time. But actually a voter can turn it into any polling place in the county itself as long as it's received by the polling place officer or our office by eight o'clock that night election night. If that's the case, they're considered valid. In fact, when

you sometimes listen on election night, Lee said that there are outstanding absentees. Those are that we still have to count after election night. Those are absentees that have been turned in at the polls that we don't even get into our office until somewhat later, or those

that have been walked into our office by eight that night. And we just haven't had a chance to verify the signatures and to check that the B person who voted is eligible to vote. Um, many people, probably there watching the program do vote absentee. I know

my wife and I have done in the last several years. Is it necessary to re apply each time you voted? You know where you explain that you do have to reach down. That is correct. If someone wants an absentee ballot, they do have to make the

application for every election. The one exception is that there are voters who are physically incapacitated, who are unable Teoh come into the office on a routine basis or who have some special physical handicaps they can apply to become a permanent absentee voter. It's a special form.

When they make the application, they will automatically be mailed absentee ballots and if they stay, is a primitive absentee voter unless they failed to vote in a primary or general election. If that happens that still continue to be registered, they would just have to Rio for

the permanent absentee steps that new, relatively new. It's only a few years old. Yeah, that's very important because some handicapped people have a real whatever that was just was going to ask you about that, uh, deal making arrangements at the polls for he or she who

wants to vote who is handicapped well, under a federal law, rich a fairly new federal law. Um, if if there is an accessible polling place in the precinct, you know, we try to have all of our polling places accessible to the physically handicapped. If there is

an accessible polling place within the precinct, the polling place will be accessible to the disabled, and, you know, we send someone out to every one of these polling places. Each one has been surveyed for accessibility and we have a survey on file. Um, the criteria for

for determining accessibility is very strict, and there's kind of it's a little difficult to determine. Sometimes sometimes will mark the polling place is not accessible, but the voter can call in to find out what the reason. Waas and we can usually tell them whether or not

we think that they'd be able to access the polling place. A question some people. Is it true that some people, well, first not have a place to vote a designated place this time and would have to vote by absentee? And secondly, what they don't want to

work? Man City. What do we do? Well, in every election, we have a little tough little pockets of voters. Um, if there are fewer than 100 voters in a precinct, they become what we call a mail ballot precinct. Things have little unincorporated areas within a the

city or such. Those voters have to vote by mail ballot if in fact, they don't want to vote by absentee. About the best they can do is bring it into our office and vote there, or they can take their mail ballot down to the polling place

with them and vote their ballot. But again we get back to the issue that they have different candidates and issues on their ballot. Then then the other voters do, so it's important that they use the ballot that's mailed to them. I think we should re stress

one thing. And how does voter know where the polling place that he's supposed to go to while please look at the back of your sample ballot? Every single election polling places do change. Sometimes they won't let us use the same polling place from more than one

election. Sometimes you know him as we use business is the business cells, and it's gone and we can't use it anymore. There's there's something special going out of the school. We can't use that school, so please check every single time your polling place may have changed.

And again, you know, if you find it difficult to get to the polling place, vote by absentee. There is that application on the back of your sample ballot. You can sign it, mail it in, and when we get back to the physically handicapped issue on the

permanent absentee, there's a box to check on the back of the sample ballot. If you have a disability, you can check the box and become a permanent absentee voter. I hope you're listening carefully because these are all the things that apply to you and me. If

we're going to vote in the primary and the general election. One of the things I noticed you you always have a lot of you need an awful lot of people to run the polls. Now, do you need people to run the polls on election days this

year? And if so, uh, does it pay? And how does a person become a precinct doctor for a voting person? Gladiator. Okay, the, um we always need precinct officers. We use between 15 and 1600 polling place officers on a major election in a few people. So

we used between four and five for every polling place we have established. And we have normally between 303 150 polling places for a given large election. It does pay. I consider it a volunteer type job because it only pays either 65 or $75 for the day.

And it's a very long day. It starts as early as six or 6 30 it's seldom over for the officers until as late as 9 30 or 10 for nature election. That's a reasonable no TV for for people who are civic minded and volunteer for day.

But it's a fairly decent compensation for spending your day there. You know, when you if you are civic minded. Well, it doesn't at this time at this time. I don't think it's even close to minimum wage in some respects. Unfortunately, the, um the complexity and the

importance of the job that is being done by precinct officers, I think just far outweighs what the compensation is. Unfortunately, I think we should put we're gonna put rich out in a polling place for a day and let them sit there for 15 hours, and we'll

see if he still thinks it's decent. Yeah, e, I think way that from registration, not just destroy way by that. Ah, lot of voters don't register because they think that that's where the jury list comes from. Just being Vida. It comes from D M V as

well, so if you're staying away from the polls just because you don't want to be on the jury that ever come from rigid voter registration. Yes, yes. In years past, one of those old nips. It was strictly from the registration lists that joys were drawn. But

about eight or 10 years ago, there was a change in law. And now it's a combination of registered voters and people who drive you could drive a car. Your chances are just as good. 22 final things you ever ask you But one, uh, somebody doesn't receive

it. Sample by ballot. Can I borrow one from the neighborhood vote? Please don't. As we indicated there are. Don't they have they have people do it frequently. Unfortunately, the we have over 200 versions just in Sonoma County just for the primary. Somebody who lives across the

street from a neighbor, very likely, maybe in a different district, and have different candidates and different issues and go to a different polling place. So, please, actually, if you don't get a sample ballot, call our office, we will mail a new one. If it's real close

to the election, that could come in and usually pick one up. But at least verify with us that they have the right location for their polling place and that they do know the right balance to get. Don't exchange them with friends. We're down about 30 seconds.

I want to make a prediction of the number of people will turn out for the vote. It varies all over the board Thebe primary election at this point, a little early for me to give you a prediction, but I would think you're probably looking in the

neighborhood of about 50 to 55% the general election where the decisions are going to may be made. The presidential general is usually our highest turnout election. We normally run between 65 step Yes, we run between 65 70% on that type of election. Routinely, it might even

be higher, depending on who qualifies for the ballot, basically, and what decisions have been made prior to the November election. Self thank you both. He is answerable for your own, that's for sure. Ladies and gentlemen, we've been talking about the 1992 elections. You can register up

to 29 days before you need a primary or the general election. Be sure to study your ballot. Look at the back of it. See where you go to vote. We've had Janice Atkinson. He achieved Deputy Red started voters and even Lewis, our county clerk. My name's

rich. McGlinchey. I'll be back with you next week with other members. A county government, family until then. Good night. Good luck. And God help all of you. And don't forget to register to vote and vote.