Mendocino County Grand Jury
• 2024-2025
“all Mail-in Balloting” in Mendocino County’s General Election Was My Vote Counted?
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 8 findings
F1
Registered voter turnout during elections in Mendocino County usually exceeds the California average but more voters could benefit from County participation in the VCA.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
the Election Office explore eligibility exceptions to participation in the Voter’s Choice Act pertinent to rural counties with resources and infrastructure limitations. (F1 and F2)
F2
The Elections Office use of AMBs reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19 and brings Mendocino County closer to alignment with the spirit of the VCA.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
the Election Office explore eligibility exceptions to participation in the Voter’s Choice Act pertinent to rural counties with resources and infrastructure limitations. (F1 and F2)
F3
All employees performing the duties of a mail clerk in the Mendocino County Administration Center are not sworn to the State of California oath found in § 3, Article 20 of the State Constitution which may pose an accountability risk for the internal handling of Election mail.
Related Recommendations (2)
R2
Mendocino County Elections have its own United States Post Office Box for receipt of elections related materials to avoid delay caused by additional sorting in the Mail Room of the Administrative Office. (F3)
R3
Mail Clerks who process mail from the USPS be administered the California Oath given duly sworn elections officials. (F3)
F4
Voter requests for replacement ballots diminish Elections Office efficiency and productivity due to the reliance on manual processing of replacement ballots.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
for procedures regarding replacement ballots, the County Clerk’s Office request a feature from the tabulation software vendor to record either the original ballot or its replacement to automatically inactivate the unused ballot which would eliminate manual intervention by elections staff to inactivate and reactivate ballots. (F4 and F6)
F5
The ballot count log should be contained in the transport box to mitigate manipulation after sealing the ballot box.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
two sworn individuals count and log the number of ballots collected from drop-off boxes in double custody. The dually signed count log be placed in the ballot transportation box and transported to the Elections Office. (F5)
F6
The County does not have a computerized system that automatically compares signatures on ballot return envelopes with digital signatures of registered voters. Voter signatures are manually verified for every mail-in envelope by election staff comparing against signatures stored digitally in the Registrar’s Office resulting in increased labor expense and a higher likelihood of human error.
Related Recommendations (2)
R4
for procedures regarding replacement ballots, the County Clerk’s Office request a feature from the tabulation software vendor to record either the original ballot or its replacement to automatically inactivate the unused ballot which would eliminate manual intervention by elections staff to inactivate and reactivate ballots. (F4 and F6)
R6
the Elections Office inquire if a signature validation feature is available from Hart InterCivic or other vendor to automate the signature verification process, requiring only manual validation for mis-matching signatures which will reduce staff workload and automatically identify potential mismatching signatures, reducing the possibility of human error. (F6)
F7
The County of Mendocino is among the 43 mainly rural counties not participating in the VCA due to difficulty in recruiting staff for its mandated additional early voting requirements and due to insufficient internet coverage and network access in the rural populated parts of Mendocino County which affect voter turnout.
No recommendations for this finding
F8
The Elections Office does not have complete oversight of all its stored equipment but retains the full budget liability for replacing damaged equipment. This makes budget planning problematic.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
Mendocino County’s Executive Office notify the Elections Office at least one week in advance of any relocation of election-related materials and arrange for a representative of the Elections Office to supervise any relocation of election materials to avoid damages to equipment and budget liabilities to the department. The Elections Office must have independent and immediate access to any storage area housing its equipment. (F8)