The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office announced today two voter education webinars to be held this month via Zoom concerning the Voter’s Choice Act election model going into effect in Sonoma County this year.
The webinars are open to everyone but are primarily geared toward voters residing in the Town of Windsor, where a special election will be taking place on April 12 to fill a Town Council vacancy. This will be the first election conducted in Sonoma County under the Voter’s Choice Act model.
The first webinar will emphasize issues of concern to voters with disabilities while the second will focus on issues of concern to voters with limited English proficiency. The dates and times of the webinars are listed below. To join a webinar, go to the link provided and, if necessary, enter the appropriate webinar ID and passcode.
Webinar addressing issues of concern to voters with disabilities
March 15, 2022 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Webinar ID: 917 6399 8610
Passcode: 452566
This webinar will provide an overview of the Voter’s Choice Act voting model and how it impacts voters. There also will be an opportunity to ask questions regarding the Voter’s Choice Act model and accessibility options for voting, whether by mail or at vote centers.
Webinar focusing on issues of concern to voters with limited English proficiency
March 17, 2022 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Webinar ID: 985 3936 6226
Passcode: 674334
This webinar will provide an overview of the Voter’s Choice Act voting model and how it impacts voters. There also will be an opportunity to ask questions regarding the Voter’s Choice Act model and language assistance provided at vote centers.
Background
Nearly a year ago, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to move Sonoma County from a traditional precinct polling place election model to the Voter’s Choice Act model. The California Secretary of State’s Office gave its final approval to the county’s plan in December.
Approved by the California Legislature in 2016 and established by SB 450, the Voter’s Choice Act expands voters’ options for how, when and where they cast their ballots. As a Voter’s Choice Act county, Sonoma County will be required to do the following:
Mail every active, registered voter a ballot for each election in which they are eligible to participate. (Due to the passage of Assembly Bill 37 last fall, this is now a requirement for all California counties, not just Voter’s Choice Act counties.)
Offer a combination of official ballot drop boxes and vote centers instead of polling places. Vote centers offer several major advantages over polling places:
Vote centers are open multiple days, not just on Election Day.
Properly registered voters in Sonoma County can cast a regular ballot at whichever vote center is most convenient for them; they do not have to go to a single preassigned location.
Vote centers will provide voters services including conditional (i.e., same day) voter registration, change of address, language assistance, and accessible ballot marking devices for voters with disabilities.
For more information about the upcoming Zoom webinars or other questions about elections in Sonoma County, please call (707) 565-6800, email rov-info@sonoma-county.org, or visit the Registrar of Voters Office in person at 435 Fiscal Drive, Santa Rosa. The office is open during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, excluding holidays).
En Espanol
El Registro de Votantes invita a los votantes de Windsor a asistir a seminarios web educativos sobre el modelo de elección de la Ley de Votación Flexible
Deva Marie Proto, La Secretaria-Registradora-Asesora-Registradora de Votantes (ROV, por sus siglas en inglés) del Condado de Sonoma anunció hoy que la Oficina del ROV organizará dos seminarios web de educación electoral a mediados de marzo a través de Zoom sobre el modelo electoral de la Ley de Votación Flexible (VCA, por sus siglas en inglés) que entrará en vigencia en el Condado de Sonoma este año. Los seminarios web están abiertos a cualquier persona, pero principalmente dirigidos a los votantes que residen en el Pueblo de Windsor, que tendrá una Elección Especial el 12 de abril de 2022, para llenar una vacante en el Concejo Municipal del Pueblo. Esta será la primera elección realizada in el Condado de Sonoma bajo el modelo VCA.
El primer seminario web enfatizará temas de interés para los votantes con discapacidades, mientras que el segundo se centrará en temas de interés para los votantes con dominio limitado del inglés. Las fechas/horas de los seminarios web son las siguientes. Para unirse a un seminario web, vaya al enlace URL proporcionado y, si es necesario, ingrese el ID de seminario web y / o el código de acceso apropiados.
Seminario web #1
Fecha: 15 de marzo de 2022
Hora: 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Seminario web ID: 917 6399 8610
Código de acceso: 452566
Propósito: (1) Proporcionar una visión general del modelo de votación de VCA y cómo afecta a los votantes.
(2) Responder preguntas sobre el modelo VCA y las opciones de accesibilidad para votar, ya sea por correo o en los Centros de Votación.
Seminario web #2
Fecha: 17 de marzo de 2022
Hora: 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Seminario web ID: 985 3936 6226
Código de acceso: 674334
