May 20, 2016 - As the June Primary rapidly approaches, we have been busy analyzing data in order to determine the right number of voting booths per polling location. Since 2007 we have used extensive turnout history and data to customize the number of booths at each site (to match the level of demand).
Now we are taking it one step further with some help from the brainpower at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). We used our current methodology first:
May 19, 2016 - We feel clarity and balanced facts are critical to the election process. In fact, we believe this is the cornerstone to fair and balanced elections. This is precisely why we have spent well over a year planning our poll worker training materials to ensure that the rights and options are clear for all voters. Take for instance our training on No Party Preference voters, otherwise referred to as "NPP". These voters have three options:
May 18, 2016 - When you vote your vote-by-mail ballot you should avoid writing anything on your ballot that could identify you, such as your phone number, initials, name, etc. Why is this important? First, we should clarify that your ballot will still count - regardless of the marks you make on your ballot, we will still count your vote.
May 18, 2016 - Sample ballots are mailed out daily to voters throughout Orange County. But why are these mailings continuing daily? We mailed 1.5 million sample ballots on April 28th. These were mailed to registered voters throughout the County in advance of our mailing of vote-by-mail ballots. What happens daily now are mailings to new voters and voters who have re-registered. Voter registration closes on May 23rd, so every new registered voter through the 23rd must receive a sample ballot. These mailings will continue through next week.
May 13, 2016 - if you need to get in touch with us or just need a bit of help we are standing by to assist. We have made it easy to get in touch - call us at 714-567-7600 (8am to 5pm, M-F) and one of our representatives will happy to help. Prefer not to talk? Our popular chat feature can save you time - agents are standing by here http://bit.ly/1qinl0H
May 12, 2016 - We posted yesterday the party ballots that No Party Preference voters have requested since January. But what about people who have re-registered and selected a different party? There has been a lot of activity since January 1st of this year - here is the breakdown:
American Independent - 841
Democratic - 9,374
Green - 44
Libertarian - 289
No Party Preference - 4,745
Peace and Freedom - 60
Republican - 11,431
All of these voters were previously registered with a party or were declared as No Party Preference.
May 11, 2016 - No Party Preference voters (previously known as "Decline to State") have requested to receive tens of thousands of specific party ballots. These voters have three options: 1. Receive a non-partisan ballot (which does not include the presidential contest); 2. Select one of three party ballots (Democratic, American Independent, or Libertarian); or 3. Re-register with the Republican, Green or Peace and Freedom party (and receive a ballot with one of those party ballots).
Here's the breakdown of these voters' requests-to-date:
May 9, 2016 - Look for a postcard soon in your mail with updated language on Measure B, Orange County's proposal for a Charter amendment to require "Auditor-Controller's Fiscal Impact Statements" on countywide measures. The following sentence was added to reflect the required language in the measure text:
“In preparing the fiscal impact statement, the Auditor-Controller shall not speculate, and shall identify only those fiscal impacts that are readily discernable”
May 9, 2016 - It used to be that you would only receive an "I Voted" sticker when you voted in your local polling place. Two years ago we began inserting these stickers in voters' vote-by-mail ballot packets and it was an instant hit. We've heard from hundreds of voters that enjoy the convenience of voting through the mail and still wanted an "I Voted" sticker.
May 7, 2016 - Yes, it's true. There are 31 "political parties" in Orange County (names of political parties used by voters when they registered to vote). But the vast majority are not "qualified" political parties. The process of qualifying a party is lengthy, but essentially it can be done by registering 0.33% of the total number of statewide registered voters in the new party, or gathering 751,398 signatures statewide supporting the party.