Sonoma County Grand Jury • 2023-2024 • Agency Response
Response to: Final Consolidated Grand Jury Report 2023-2024

Office of the County Clerk-recorder-assessor.registrar of Voters Registrar of Voters Division Deva Marie Proto

Published: August 27, 2024 7 pages
Ver PDF original

Findings and Recommendations 8 findings

F1 Page 3
There are no materialflaws or uncorrected defects (e.g., machine errors, fraudulent ballots being cast, or miscounting votes) that impair the overall integrity of the election process. The Grand Jury also finds that while ROV executes all procedures effectively, there are nonetheless documentation gaps that lead to situations where institutional knowledge is not entirely committed to paper.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Page 6
By Septembe t L, 2024, ROV develop and begin execution of an ongoing process designed to ensure that internal procedural documentation is created and kept current. Reeistrar of Voters Response: This recommendation is in the process of being implemented with estimated completion by September t,2024. The Registrar of Voters is working on a formal policy for documenting internal procedures and training multiple staff members, as well as updating, reviewing, and utilizing existing training manuals.
F2 Page 3
ROV executes prescribed election procedures with proper management controls in place to ensure full compliance with all applicable requirements.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Page 4
By June 30,2025, the Board of Supervisors develop and approve a long-term plan to provide ROV with a facility that better accommodates space and physical security requirements.
F3 Page 3
ROV ensures that the technology systems and services, including information security and cybersecurity measures, used in an election are properly installed, maintained, and validated for accuracy before all elections,
Related Recommendations (3)
R3a
Page 4
By August 3L,2024, the Board of Supervisors and ROV develop and implement a plan for enhancing existing ROV security measures and developing new security measures based on recurring threat assessments and recommendations by qualified authorities.
R3b
Page 4
ByJuly3L,2024,ROVcreateandmaintainarecordof all incidentsof abusiveor threatening behavior to support future risk and threat assessment analysis.
R3c
Page 4
ByJuly 31, 2024, ROV evaluate all recommendations that resulted from its meeting with the Emergency Management Department and establish an implementation schedule for the recommendations it adopts.
F4 Page 3
ROV employees and Vote Center pollworkers have been subjected to abusive behavior and to direct and implied threats of physicalviolence in the past and may be exposed to similar threats in the future. ROV's threat mitigation profile would be enhanced (and operational efficiency would be streamlined) if ROV was moved to a larger and more defensible space.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Page 4
By December 31, 2024, the Board of Supervisors allocate resources for a project to create a publicly accessible Sonoma County elections database to enable ready access to, and analysis of, past election results. a Recommendation numbered: R3b has been implemented. See attachment a Recommendations numbered: R1, R2, R3a, and R3c, R4 have not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. See attachment JUL252024 D^" PloA signed: Date: Number of pages attached: 2 Response to 2023-24 Grand Jury Report: Election lntegrity in Sonoma County Following are the Registrar of Voters' required responses to recommendations R1, R3a, R3b,
F5 Page 3
The citizen poll workers who contribute many hours of service during an election are an indispensable ROV resource whose continued support is essential.
No recommendations for this finding
F6 Page 3
The current state of election integrity found in Sonoma County did not occur by accident, but rather by the continued interest and active engagement of a majority of Sonoma County citizens who register and vote.
No recommendations for this finding
F7 Page 3
ROV promotes transparency through community outreach and communication with the public leading up to and after an election.
No recommendations for this finding
F8 Page 3
While ROV carefully preserves the results of all elections, it has neither historical data collection nor reporting capability that would enable comprehensive analysis of past election results. I (we) agree with the findings numbered: Fl. F2. F3. F4. F5, F6. F7. F8. I (we) disagree wholly or partially with the findings numbered: N/A
No recommendations for this finding