November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election Reports/Post-Election Report 11-3...Mar 15, 2011 · The...

November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election

Registrar of VotersPost-Election Report

NoteThe figures, charts, and graphs in this report come from a variety of internal and external data sources and are intended for informa-tional and historical purposes only. For official election results, please refer to the Statement of Vote, available at www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Resources/Pages/PastEResults.aspx.

Contact UsAt the Office

Registrar of Voters1555 Berger Drive, Building 2

San Jose, CA 95112

By PhoneGeneral: 1-408-299-VOTE (8683)Toll-Free: 1-866-430-VOTE (8683)

By [email protected]

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On the Webhttps://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Resources/Pages/PastEResults.aspx

mailto:registrar%40rov.sccgov.org?subject=Re%3A%20Nov.%203%2C%202015%2C%20Consolidated%20Election%20Post-Election%20Report

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https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx

Table of ContentsA Message from the Registrar ..... 4I. Introduction ..... 5 About This Election ..... 5 What’s New for This Election ..... 6 Contests Not on the Ballot ..... 7II. Election Preparation ..... 7 Introduction ..... 7 Voter Registration ..... 8 Voter Outreach and Communication ..... 16 Election Officers ..... 18 Early Voting and Ballot Drop-Off ..... 22III. Election Day and Post-Election Tallying ..... 23 Introduction ..... 23 Overall Voter Turnout ..... 24 Vote-by-Mail Turnout ..... 26 Provisional Votes ..... 31 Polling Places ..... 32 Vote Tallying ..... 33Postscript ..... 36Register, Update, and Participate ..... 36

3

The Registrar of Voters strives to offer as many options as possible to turn in a ballot. This election included two drive-thru voting sites and six drop-off locations. Even voters on bicycles took advantage of the drop-off locations.

Most votes in an election are recorded on paper ballots, whether complet-ed at home and mailed to the Registrar of Voters’ office or completed at

the polling place. Each paper ballot is centrally counted with a vote-tally-ing machine like the one pictured at right. During countywide elections, such as presidential elections, the Registrar’s office will operate these

machines almost nonstop for several days to tally every vote.

Nov. 3, 2015, Consolidated ElectionCounty of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters

Post-Election Report

4

A Message from the Registrar

I am pleased to present the first edition of the County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters’ Post-Election Report.

This report is intended to provide a glimpse into how the November 3, 2015, Consoli-dated Election compares with prior elections regarding voter participation and turnout, election preparation, and vote tallying. In it, you will find a wealth of useful graphs, charts, maps, and statistics that provide a more complete picture of voter behavior and election outcomes than the final results do alone, as well as a better understanding of all of the effort, coordination, and logistics that go into the successful completion of each election. Throughout the report, you will also find helpful FAQs and brief analyses of the numbers, which I hope will give you a sense of the processes and procedures that occur behind the scenes before, during, and after Election Day, as well as a better under-standing of the many issues that arise throughout the course of an election.Even though elections are held only a few times each year, election planning is a year-round activity. My hope is that this report will provide transparency in our election procedures so that more Santa Clara County voters understand our processes and can see how each component of an election – from voter registration and volunteer recruitment to ballot preparation and vote tallying – compares with previous years.I am pleased with the finished product of the report, and I hope you find it useful and informative.Sincerely,

Shannon BusheyRegistrar of Voters

Local Jurisdictions Participating in Nov. 3, 2015, Consolidated Election

Shannon BusheyRegistrar of Voters

5

About This ElectionI. Introduction

The November 3, 2015, election was a consolidated elec-tion. Consolidated elections are held in odd-numbered years

and usually involve only local jurisdictions, such as cities, school districts, and special districts. This year, three jurisdictions in Santa

Clara County placed contests on the consolidated election ballot – the City of Los Altos, Orchard School District, and Union School District.Some jurisdictions, like Orchard School District, are regularly

scheduled to participate in consolidated elections. Other jurisdictions, like the City of Los Altos and Union School District, only hold contests in a consolidated election when they have a specific issue to bring to the voters. This year, Los Altos and Union School District each placed a measure on the ballot.Because a contest is only placed on a consolidated election ballot when a specific local jurisdiction requests it, not everyone in the county votes in a consolidated election. The three jurisdictions holding contests during this election include a total of 44,085 registered voters, which is only about 6% of the approximate 730,870 voters registered in Santa Clara County at the time of the election. Most other local jurisdictions only occasionally place contests on the consolidated election ballot, usually holding their contests during presidential or gubernatorial elections.

FAQQ: What is a consolidated election?A: A consolidated election is held in

November of odd-numbered years for local jurisdictions and districts that do not hold their contests during presiden-tial or gubernatorial elections, which occur in even-numbered years.

FAQQ: What is a measure?A: A measure is an item that a local jurisdiction or district

can place on the ballot to ask the voters a question, such as whether the voters of a school district wish to enact a parcel tax. A measure can also be added to the ballot by an initiative or a referendum.

FAQQ: What is a contest?A: A contest is a single

issue voted on by the people. Races for elected office and bal-lot measures, such as parcel taxes, are both examples of contests.

FAQQ: Why didn’t I get to

vote in this election?A: Many local jurisdic-

tions and districts hold their contests during even-numbered year elections. Only voters living in local jurisdic-tions and districts that have placed contests on the ballot are eli-gible to vote in those contests.

City of Los Altos

Orchard School District

Union School District

FAQQ: Why were there so few contests and jurisdictions during this consolidated election?A: As local jurisdictions and districts look to save taxpayer money, many have changed their election

dates to coincide with presidential and gubernatorial races because of reduced costs associated with those elections. Additionally, many of the contests expected to appear on the ballot this year were resolved through the appointment-in-lieu process because they did not receive a sufficient number of candidates to appear on the ballot. Past consolidated elections also included many more measures or initiatives, which only appear on the ballot when requested.

What’s New for This Election

In 2015, the County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters imple-mented two new policies to help make voting easier and to

ensure that every valid ballot cast is a vote counted.No Postage NecessaryFor some time, the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors has expressed an interest in covering the cost of postage for all voters in the county who return their voted ballots by mail. In prior elections, only voters living in areas designated as mail-only voting precincts had their postage costs covered by the County. Other voters voting by mail were required to include sufficient postage, which could vary from district to district and election to election depending on the ballot size and weight.For the first time, the Board of Supervisors has approved paying the postage for all vote-by-mail voters. The County will be reim-bursed for this expense by the local jurisdictions that have placed contests on the consolidated election ballot.The Registrar of Voters engaged in a broad campaign to in-form voters that no postage was necessary on their envelopes. Through alerts on the ballot envelopes, inserts in the vote-by-mail packet and the Sample Ballot and Voter Information Pamphlet, social media messaging, press releases, and a television news interview, virtually all voters got the message and returned their ballots without postage. Only 15 voters – less than 0.1% of the 15,277 vote-by-mail ballots cast – still included postage.

Receipt within 3 Days of ElectionA California state law that took effect January 1, 2015, also helped ensure that all valid votes cast were properly counted. Previously, all vote-by-mail ballots had to be received by the time the polls closed on Election Day in order to be counted. The new law requires the Registrar of Voters to count all valid vote-by-mail bal-lots that are postmarked on or before Election Day and received up to three days after Election Day. This allows ballots mailed on Election Day to be received and counted.As a result of this law, the Registrar of Voters counted 1,455 valid ballots for this election that would have been considered too late to be counted under the previous law.

28

13 12 13

3

9 9

5

8

3

13

18

5

8

3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Number of Jurisdictions, Contests, and Ballot TypesRecent Consolidated Elections

Contests Jurisdictions Ballot Types

FAQQ: What is a

ballot type?A: To ensure that voters

only vote for the con-tests in the districts where they live, the Registrar of Voters creates different ballots with different combinations of contests. Each ballot with its own unique combination of con-tests is a ballot type. The Registrar’s office often must create many ballot types because districts frequently overlap in ways where not all of the voters vote in both contests, such as when a city and school district both hold elections but the school district only serves part of the city.

6

Contests Not on the Ballot

7

The following contests were resolved through the appointment-in-lieu process for the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election and therefore did not appear on the ballot:

• Aldercroft Heights County Water District (1 seat)• Burbank Sanitary District (2 seats)• San Martin County Water District (2 full-term seats)• Silver Creek Valley Country Club Geologic Hazard Abatement District (1 seat)

Additionally, the following contests were removed from the ballot because no candidates filed for their offices:

• Aldercroft Heights County Water District (2 seats)• Lion’s Gate Community Services District (3 full-term seats and 2 short-term seats)• San Martin County Water District (1 full-term seat and 1 short-term seat)• Silver Creek Valley Country Club Geologic Hazard Abatement District (1 seat)

Introduction

II. Election Preparation

Preparing for an election involves much more than simply ensuring that all eligible voters receive a ballot. Each election

takes months of preparation by the Registrar of Voters’ office and hundreds of volunteers.Prior to the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election, the Regis-trar of Voters:

• Tracked voter registration numbers to order sufficient bal-lots to ensure that each voter has the opportunity to vote;

• Recruited more than 100 volunteers to serve as election officers both at the polls and at the Registrar of Voters’ office, many of whom were bilingual to assist voters in languages other than English;

• Coordinated 25 polling places, including ensuring that each polling place was accessible to individuals with limited mobility and was centrally located to serve the voters in the area;

• Mailed more than 32,000 ballots to vote-by-mail, over-seas, and military voters;

• Processed more than 11,000 early votes and vote-by-mail ballots received before Election Day;

• Conducted more than a dozen outreach events to register new voters; and

• Publicized key election deadlines in dozens of posts on social media and through press releases.

Additionally, in preparation for every election, Registrar of Voters staff members issue and record nomination papers for candi-dates, track and notify them of campaign finance reporting dead-lines, work with local jurisdictions to meet deadlines for placing measures on the ballot, and design and order ballots.

29 voting precincts 25 polling places 4 mail ballot precincts8 languages – Chinese, English, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese3 ballot types

Election Facts

1 number of cards2 columns per card7” by 12” ballot dimensions

Ballot Size FAQQ: Why do the number of cards, number of columns, and ballot dimensions matter?A: The size of the ballot changes depending on the number of contests. With only one contest on the ballot in

each local jurisdiction for the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election, the Registrar of Voters used a single one-sided card. In large elections, such as presidential elections, there are often so many contests that voters must use a larger ballot that may include multiple cards. Multiple-card ballots can slow the release of election results, because the vote-tallying machines must read several cards per voter rather than one.

8

FAQQ: Why are E-60, E-29,

and E-15 important?A: In addition to acting as

triggers for other important pre-election activities, these dates are also im-portant for voter registra-tion purposes. Sixty days before an election (E-60) is the day that vote-by-mail ballots are sent to voters in the military and residing overseas. Twenty-nine days before Election Day (E-29) is the date that all other vote-by-mail ballots are mailed. Fifteen days before Election Day (E-15) is the last day to register to vote in an election.

17,737 17,778 17,839

4,297 4,290 4,297

21,951 21,934 21,949

43,985 44,002 44,085

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

E-60 E-29 E-15

Registration by Date Prior to Election Day

Los Altos Orchard SD

Union SD TOTAL

Voter Registration

FAQQ: What do E-60, E-29,

and E-15 mean?A: Many laws relating to

elections are triggered on specific days leading up to an election, such as on the 60th day preceding Election Day. Because each Election Day falls on a different calendar date, the Registrar of Voters tracks days based on their relation to Election Day. E-60, or “Election Day minus 60,” is 60 days before the election. E-29 and E-15 are 29 and 15 days before Election Day, respectively.

9

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

New Valid Voter Registration Affidavits by MonthJuly 2014–October 2015

In order to vote, each eligible individual must submit a voter registration affidavit. For elections with few contests, such as the

November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election, new voter registration usually remains steady from month to month.

FAQQ: What causes large increases in voter registration affidavits?A: Generally, the County experiences spikes in new voter registration affidavits before each presidential and gubernato-

rial election. While the Registrar of Voters conducts voter outreach all year long, large spikes in registration are most likely to occur when a political party or nonprofit group conducts a voter registration drive.

-0.3%

-0.2%

-0.1%

0.0%

0.1%

0.2%

0.3%

0.4%

0.5%

0.6%

0.7%

E - 6 0 /2 9 NE T C H A NGE E -2 9 / 1 5 NE T C H A NG E E - 6 0 /1 5 NE T C H A NGE

Net Percent Change in Registration

Los Altos Orchard SD Union SD Overall

According to the graph at right, only the City of Los Altos experi-

enced a net increase in total voter registration between 60 days

before Election Day (E-60) and 29 days before Election Day (E-29). However, by 15 days before

Election Day (E-15) all local juris-dictions either remained at nearly

the same total registration as they did on E-60 or experienced a net

increase in voter registration.

MonthNew

AffidavitsJuly 2014 8,332Aug. 2014 3,604Sept. 2014 4,718Oct. 2014 7,769Nov. 2014 10,735Dec. 2014 2,646Jan. 2015 5,247Feb. 2015 3,068

March 2015 2,373April 2015 2,548May 2015 3,056June 2015 3,237July 2015 3,822Aug. 2015 4,573Sept. 2015 4,335Oct. 2015 4,349

151,473

216,466

117,649

228,435

44,085

83,049

149,736

81,945

158,598

32,504

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Registration and Vote-by-Mail (VBM) RegistrationPast 5 Consolidated Elections

Total Registration VBM Registration

10

54.8%

69.2%

69.7% 69.4%

73.7%

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Vote-by-Mail Registration PercentagePast 5 Consolidated Elections

In 2001, the Cali-fornia Legislature passed a law to allow residents to become perma-nent vote-by-mail voters. Since the law went into effect the following year, the percentage of vote-by-mail voters in Santa Clara County has trended upward.

11

19,068 19,439 18,91417,839

14,19915,162

14,315 13,679

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

GubernatorialGeneral 11/2/2010

PresidentialGeneral 11/6/2012


Consolidated11/3/2015

City of Los Altos Registration4 Recent Elections


4,9274,677

4,858

4,297

3,149 3,0213,180

2,965

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000





Orchard School District Registration4 Recent Elections


24,545 25,044 24,311

21,949

16,962 17,635 17,49215,958

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000



GubernatorialPrimary 6/3/2014


Union School District Registration4 Recent Elections


12

74.5%

78.0%

75.7%

76.7%

73%

74%

75%

76%

77%

78%

79%





City of Los Altos Vote-by-Mail Registration Percentage4 Recent Elections

63.9%

64.6%

65.5%

69.0%

63%

64%

65%

66%

67%

68%

69%

70%





Orchard School District Vote-by-Mail Registration Percentage4 Recent Elections

69.1%

70.4%

72.0%

72.7%

68%

69%

70%

71%

72%

73%

74%



GubernatorialPrimary 6/3/2014


Union School District Vote-by-Mail Registration Percentage4 Recent Elections

With one exception in the City of Los Altos, the percentage of voters opting to vote by mail has increased with every election in the three local jurisdictions participating in the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election. Higher percentages of voters voting by mail mean that the Registrar of Voters must work continuously

before, during, and after Election Day to process vote-by-mail ballots as quickly as possible. The recently enacted law requiring processing of ballots received up to three days after Election Day has also extended the time during which the Registrar of Voters processes ballots.

13

City of Los AltosBallot Language Requests

2010 Gubernatorial General Election


2012 Presidential General Election

Santa Clara County is one of the most diverse counties in Califor-nia, and this diversity is reflected in the Registrar of Voters’ efforts to translate ballots into numerous different languages. When a sizable portion of the population identifies as speaking a specific language on the U.S. census, the Registrar of Voters offers that language as an option for ballots in all elections. Each of the three local jurisdictions with contests on the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election ballot shows a unique mosaic of diverse languages, illustrating the larger diversity of Santa Clara County.

FAQ

Q: In what languages can voters receive election materials?A: All voters receive ballots and Sample Ballot and Voter Informa-

tion Pamphlets in English. Voters may also request to receive these materials in Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog, or Vietnamese. Additionally, the Registrar of Voters provides facsimile ballots in Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, and Korean.



City of Los AltosBallot Language Requests2015 Consolidated Election

14

Orchard School DistrictBallot Language Requests2007 Consolidated Election




15

Union School DistrictBallot Language Requests



2012 Presidential General Election


2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election

Union School DistrictBallot Language Requests2015 Consolidated Election

Voter Outreach and Communication

3

9

21 21

11

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

PRE-NOMINATION7/8 - 7/12

NOMINATION PERIOD7/13 - 8/12

EARLY AND VBM VOTING8/13 - 11/2

ELECTION DAY11/3

POST-ELECTION DAY11/4 - 11/10

Facebook Posts from 7/8/15 to 11/10/15

As deadlines for an election approach, the Registrar of Voters ramps up voter outreach, especially on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The Registrar of Voters engages voters on a number of issues – ranging from new voting laws to election-related issues in the news – all year round, but the numbers noted on the above graph reflect only the posts specific to the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election.

FAQQ: How do I connect with the Registrar of Voters on social media?A: Connect with the Registrar of Voters: On Facebook: www.facebook.com/sccvote On Twitter: twitter.com/sccvote On YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/sccvote

16

Voter Outreach Events

Election results are reported on the Registrar of Voters’ website beginning when the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. The results

page is usually updated every 45 minutes until the Registrar of Voters’ office receives all voted

ballots and supplies from polling places, then updated by 5 p.m. every day after Election

Day until all vote tallying is complete and the election results are certified.

196

5,133

3,712

382

63

2,632

1,626

168

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

11/2/2015 11/3/2015Election Day

11/4/2015 11/5/2015

Election Night Results Webpage VisitorsAll Unique Visitors and Mobile/Tablet Unique Visitors by Date

All Unique Visitors Mobile/Tablet Unique Visitors

Date EventSeptember 12, 2015 Silicon Valley Fall FestivalSeptember 12, 2015 American Indian Heritage Celebration

September 17, 2015 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service New Citizen Ceremony

September 22, 2015National Voter Registration Day

(5 events throughoutSanta Clara County)

October 4, 2015 National Day of the FlagOctober 7, 2015 Gavilan College Health FairOctober 10, 2015 Pumpkins in the ParkOctober 11, 2015 Philippine Consular OutreachOctober 11, 2015 Day on the BayOctober 11, 2015 Viva Calle SJOctober 15, 2015 Festiv'allOctober 17, 2015 Latino/Latina Role Model ConferenceOctober 17, 2015 Vote Latino Power SummitOctober 18, 2015 Breaking BarriersOctober 24, 2015 Senior Resource and Wellness FairOctober 25, 2015 Make a Difference DayOctober 25, 2015 Day of the Dead




17

114

57

269

16 37

96

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

10/28/2015-11/1/2015

11/2/2015 11/3/2015Election Day

Election Hotline Phone Calls by Date

299-VOTE 299-POLL

147

90

3233

9

54

0

50

100

150

200

Before 12 noon Afternoon After 5 p.m.

Election Hotline Phone Calls on Election Day by Time

299-VOTE 299-POLL

Voters often call 299-VOTE prior to or early on Election Day to ask

questions about their polling place or registra-

tion status. As Election Day winds down, most

calls received are calls to 299-POLL. In addition to

reporting issues at polling places, election officers

call 299-POLL periodically to provide the Registrar’s

office with updates regard-ing closing the polls and

meeting various deadlines throughout the day.

FAQQ: What is the difference

between 299-VOTE and 299-POLL?

A: 1-408-299-VOTE is pri-marily used by voters who have questions about their polling place, registration, or other issues. 1-408-299-POLL is primarily for election officers to alert the Registrar of Voters about polling place issues, such as the need for additional ballots or replacement equipment.

3,090

3,235

3,1022,682

3,3893,969

4,262 5,583

11,653

4,835

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

7/5 –7/18

7/19 –8/1

8/2 –8/15

8/16 –8/29

8/30 –9/12

9/13 –9/26

9/27 –10/10

10/11 –10/24

10/25 –11/7

11/8 –11/21

Date Range

Registrar of Voters Website Views2015 Consolidated Election — Nominations Period to Results Certification

609

824

427

931

130

594

810

410

925

109

155

200

92

209

25

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Total Election Officers (EOs), Polling Place EOs, Polling PlacesPast 5 Consolidated Elections

Total EOs EOs Assigned to Polling Places Polling Places

3.83

4.05

4.46 4.43 4.36

3.25

3.75

4.25

4.75

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Average Number of EOs per Polling PlacePast 5 Consolidated Elections

18

The Registrar of Voters seeks to assign four or five election officers per polling

place. Each polling place must be sufficiently staffed in order to process voters efficiently, provide target-ed language assistance,

maintain security over the ballots, and ensure that

all procedures for opening and closing the polls are

followed.

Election OfficersFAQQ: What are the requirements to be an election officer?A: For the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election, election

officers were required to be at least 18 years of age and either a registered voter (U.S. citizen) or a legal permanent resident. Students who were at least 16 years of age, a U.S. citizen, and who had a GPA of 2.5 or higher were permitted to serve as student election officers.

Election officers are volunteers who serve many functions at the Registrar of Voters. In addition to checking in voters at polling places, election officers also help return ballots and supplies to the Registrar of Voters’ office on Election Day, prepare the ballots for tallying, sort provisional and vote-by-mail ballots, and answer phone calls from voters and other election officers. State and federal law require certain election officers to be bilingual, which can make recruiting difficult when less widely spoken languages are needed.

19

609

824

427

931

130

559

790

422

931

127

27 3813

358

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Training of Election Officers (EOs)Past 5 Consolidated Elections

Total EOs EOs Attending Classes Classes Provided

91.8%

95.9%

98.8%100%

97.7%

90%

92%

94%

96%

98%

100%

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

% EOs Attending Pre-Election Training ClassesPast 5 Consolidated Elections

Even when election officers have served in prior elections, training is extremely important. Election laws regularly change from year to year, and election pro-cedures may need to be updated depending on the election’s contests. Therefore, the Registrar of Voters sets a goal of having as many election officers as possible attend training prior to Election Day.

609

824

427

931

130

560

785

387

828

117

409

684

339

641

102

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Total and Returning Election Officers (EOs)Past 5 Consolidated Elections

Total EOs Any Prior Election Experience Election Experience Within Past Year

609

824

427

931

130

192

280

160

312

68

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Bilingual Election Officers (EOs)Past 5 Consolidated Elections

Total EOs EOs Speaking Any Language in Addition to English

31.5%

34.0%

37.5%

33.5%

52.3%

25%

35%

45%

55%

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

% Bilingual EOsPast 5 Consolidated Elections

The Registrar of Voters is required by state and federal law to provide bilingual election officers at polling places where sizable populations speak languages other than English. As a result, the percentage of bilingual election officers in a given election can vary widely depending on the language diversity of the local jurisdictions involved.

20

21

Election OfficersAdditional Languages Breakdown

2007 Consolidated Election






2015 Consolidated Election FAQQ: Why are there few or no election officers who speak

Japanese, Korean, Hindi, or Khmer in prior consolidated elections?

A: Prior to 2014, state law did not require the County to provide election officers in these languages because the law only required election officers for languages spoken by a certain percentage of voters at that polling place. In 2014, the law lowered the percentage threshold. As a result, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and Khmer now have the required number of speakers to be included when the Registrar of Voters assigns bilingual election officers to polling places with voters speak-ing those languages.



Early Voting and Ballot Drop-OffVote-by-Mail Drop-Off and Drive-Thru Voting Locations

For the November 3, 3015, Consolidated Election, the Registrar of Voters offered six drop-off locations for vote-by-mail ballots:

• Registrar of Voters 1555 Berger Drive, San Jose

• County Government Center 70 W. Hedding Street, San Jose

• San Jose City Hall 200 E. Santa Clara Street, San Jose

• Los Altos City Hall 1 N. San Antonio Road, Los Altos

• Los Altos Main Library 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos

• Vineland Branch Library 1450 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose

22

1523

4 6

6862

24

5 7

37

67

55

6

4032

88

62

33

112

4

2216

114

00

20

40

60

80

100

120

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Early Voting and Ballot Drop-Off Totals by WeekPast 5 Consolidated Elections

Week 1(E-31 - E-23)

Week 2(E-22 - E-16)

Week 3(E-15 - E-9)

Week 4(E-8 - E-2)

Week 5(E-1 only)

Drop-off and/or Drive-Thru Voting Location

The Registrar of Voters addi-tionally offered two drive-thru locations:

• Hillview Community Center 97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos

• Park and Ride VTA Camden Avenue at Highway 85, San Jose

2327

40

60

11

0

25

50

75

Week 1(E-31 - E-23)

Week 2(E-22 - E-16)

Week 3(E-15 - E-9)

Week 4(E-8 - E-2)

Week 5(E-1 only)

Early Voting and Ballot Drop-OffWeekly Average

Past 5 Consolidated Elections

Introduction

III. Election Day and Post-Election Tallying

At 8 p.m., the polls close, and Registrar of Voters staff and a legion of volunteers begin the long process of collecting

election materials, including voted ballots, voting machine results cartridges, and the roster indexes indicating which voters voted.All of the ballots are tallied at the Registrar of Voters’ office, mean-ing that every voted ballot, from Gilroy to Palo Alto, must make its way to San Jose after election officers confirm that the number of ballots received at the polling place matches the number of voters who participated. The voted ballots are tallied in the evening on Election Day and often into the next morning as they are received from polling places.Vote-by-mail ballots received by polling places on Election Day are tallied after the polling place ballots, because the signature on each vote-by-mail ballot envelope must be confirmed as the voter’s signature before the ballot can be counted.Once the tally is finished, the Registrar of Voters completes a canvass that accounts for every ballot issued and returned during the election. During this process, the Registrar of Voters also manually counts the votes of at least 1% of the precincts to ensure the accuracy of the vote-tallying machines.When all of these processes are complete and any discrepancies are resolved, the

Registrar of Voters can certify the results, and the winners of the election can be officially declared.Although state law allowed until November 23 to certify the results

of the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election, the Registrar of Voters was able to certify the results much sooner. Virtually all ballots cast at polling places on Election Day were tallied that day. By 1:30 p.m. on November 6, the Registrar’s office had completed tallying all remain-ing vote-by-mail ballots and the small number of ballots that required additional verification. The Registrar certified the results on November 10.

As opposed to vote-by-mail voting where a voter receives and casts a ballot from home, early voters come to a designated early voting location – primarily the Registrar of Voters’ office – to cast a ballot prior to Election Day. This allows voters to vote as they would at a polling place, but on a day more convenient for them. The Registrar of Voters tends to experience the highest volume of early voters during the week just prior to Election Day.

23

0.44%

0.24%

0.13%

0.27%

0.82%

0.0%

0.2%

0.4%

0.6%

0.8%

1.0%

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Early Voting and Ballot Drop-Off % of Total Ballots Cast


FAQQ: What is the canvass?A: The canvass is a complete audit of all

ballots received to ensure that every ballot was processed and the results are complete and accurate. The canvass begins immediately following Election Day and can take up to 28 days as each ballot is matched with the records of the corresponding polling place and precinct.

Overall Voter Turnout

151,473

216,466

117,649

228,435

44,08557,745

74,833

44,403

63,157

17,292

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Total Registration and TurnoutPast 5 Consolidated Elections

Registration Total Ballots Counted

38.1%34.6%

37.7%

27.6%

39.2%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Total Turnout PercentagePast 5 Consolidated Elections

Other than a slight dip in 2013, voter

turnout in consolidat-ed elections has been

relatively consistent. Over the past five consolidated elec-tions, Santa Clara

County has averaged 151,622 registered voters and 51,486

ballots counted for a total average turnout

of 34%.

24

Vote-by-mail ballots now account for more than 75% of the turnout in a given election. Each vote-by-mail ballot received must be sorted on a machine like the one pictured at left, and the signature on the envelope must be checked to ensure that it matches the signature in the voter’s file.

25

17,72719,068 19,439 18,914

17,839

7,557

14,949

16,868

12,195

9,443

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000






City of Los Altos Registration and Turnout5 Most Recent Elections


42.6%

78.4%

86.8%

64.5%

52.9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


GubernatorialGeneral

11/2/2010

PresidentialGeneral

11/6/2012


11/4/2014


City of Los Altos Turnout Percentage5 Most Recent Elections

3,687

4,9274,677

4,858

4,297

612 718 636 549 534

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

Consolidated 11/6/2007 Consolidated 11/3/2009 Consolidated 11/8/2011 Consolidated 11/5/2013 Consolidated 11/3/2015

Orchard School District Registration and Turnout5 Most Recent Elections


16.6%14.6%

13.6%

11.3%12.4%

0%

10%

20%

30%






Orchard School District Turnout Percentage5 Most Recent Elections

26

24,209 24,545 25,044 24,31121,949

15,23617,556

20,922

9,1237,315

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Gubernatorial General11/7/2006


Presidential General11/6/2012

Gubernatorial Primary6/3/2014

Consolidated 11/3/2015

Union School District Registration and Turnout5 Most Recent Elections


62.9%71.5%

83.5%

37.5% 33.3%

10%

30%

50%

70%

90%


11/7/2006


11/2/2010

PresidentialGeneral

11/6/2012

GubernatorialPrimary

6/3/2014


Union School District Turnout Percentage5 Most Recent Elections

Voter turnout can vary widely in a particular jurisdiction based on a number of factors, including the type of

election. Orchard School District only holds its contests during consolidated elections, so its voter turnout trend

is relatively consistent. Los Altos and Union School District, however, have held contests during consolidat-

ed, presidential, and gubernatorial general elections. Presidential and gubernatorial elections tend to result in

higher turnout numbers due to high voter interest in state and national contests.

Vote-by-Mail Turnout

83,049

149,736

81,945

158,598

32,504

45,002

64,457

38,009

54,982

15,097

57,745

74,833

44,403

63,157

17,292

0

30,000

60,000

90,000

120,000

150,000

180,000

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Registration and Ballots CountedPast 5 Consolidated Elections

VBM Registration Permanent VBM Ballots Counted Total Ballots Counted

54.2%

43.0% 46.4%34.7%

46.4%

77.9%

86.1% 85.6% 87.1% 87.3%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Turnout, % of Ballots CountedPast 5 Consolidated Elections

VBM Turnout % VBM % of Total Ballots Counted

Though the turnout percentage for vote-by-mail voters fluctuates from election to election depending on the variety of con-tests and participating local jurisdictions, the percentage of ballots cast made up of vote-by-mail ballots generally has risen over the years.

27

10,741

14,199 15,162 14,315 13,679

6,129

11,15912,889

9,7178,1017,557

14,94916,868

12,1959,443

0

4,000

8,000

12,000

16,000

20,000

Consolidated 11/6/2007 Gubernatorial General11/2/2010



Consolidated 11/3/2015

Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Registration and Ballots CountedCity of Los Altos, 5 Most Recent Elections

VBM Registration VBM Ballots Counted Total Ballots Counted

57.1%

78.6%85.0%

67.9%

59.2%

81.1%

74.6%76.4%

79.7%

85.8%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%



11/2/2010

PresidentialGeneral

11/6/2012


11/4/2014


Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Turnout, % of Ballots CountedCity of Los Altos, 5 Most Recent Elections


27.3%

18.4% 16.9% 16.0% 17.2%

77.0%80.8% 80.5%

92.7%95.5%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%






Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Turnout, % of Ballots CountedOrchard School District, 5 Most Recent Elections


1,726

3,149 3,021 3,1802,965

471 580 512 509 510612 718 636 549 534

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

Consolidated 11/6/2007 Consolidated 11/3/2009 Consolidated 11/8/2011 Consolidated 11/5/2013 Consolidated 11/3/2015

Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Registration and Ballots CountedOrchard School District, 5 Most Recent Elections


28

16,962 17,635 17,49215,958

12,279

14,847

7,256 6,486

17,556

20,922

9,1237,315

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Gubernatorial General 11/2/2010 Presidential General 11/6/2012 Gubernatorial Primary 6/3/2014 Consolidated 11/3/2015

Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Registration and Ballots CountedUnion School District, 4 Most Recent Elections


72.4%

84.2%

41.5% 40.6%

69.9% 71.0%

79.5%

88.7%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%



Gubernatorial Primary6/3/2014


Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Turnout, % of Ballots CountedUnion School District, 5 Most Recent Elections


45,002

64,457

38,009

54,982

15,309

44,211

63,252

37,447

53,183

15,097

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

200798.2% Counted

200998.1% Counted

201198.5% Counted

201396.7% Counted

201598.6% Counted

Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Ballots Received and CountedPast 5 Consolidated Elections

VBM Total Ballots Received VBM Valid Ballots Counted

Date E Date TotalReceived

Receivedby Mail

DroppedOff Challenged

10/5 E-29 0 0 0 010/6 E-28 14 14 0 010/7 E-27 0 0 0 010/8 E-26 1 0 1 010/9 E-25 15 14 1 010/10 E-24 0 0 0 010/11 E-23 0 0 0 010/12 E-22 0 0 0 010/13 E-21 1,723 1,653 70 410/14 E-20 527 524 3 210/15 E-19 1,788 1,739 49 710/16 E-18 378 378 0 010/17 E-17 0 0 0 010/18 E-16 0 0 0 010/19 E-15 1,349 1,341 8 510/20 E-14 159 104 55 110/21 E-13 870 862 8 110/22 E-12 244 219 25 010/23 E-11 357 351 6 210/24 E-10 16 16 0 110/25 E-9 0 0 0 010/26 E-8 1,112 1,099 13 1010/27 E-7 97 21 76 010/28 E-6 896 892 4 310/29 E-5 104 51 53 010/30 E-4 647 643 4 410/31 E-3 523 523 0 311/1 E-2 0 0 0 011/2 E-1 920 878 42 5

11/3 ElectionDay 1,618 45 1,573 1

11/4 E+1 1,184 847 337 511/5 E+2 437 437 0 411/6 E+3 175 175 0 211/9 E+6 152 152 0 15211/10 E+7 3 3 0 3Total n/a 15,309 12,981 2,328 215

Vote-by-Mail Envelopes ProcessedNov. 3, 2015, Consolidated Election

FAQQ: What does it mean when a vote-by-mail (VBM)

ballot is challenged?A: A challenged VBM ballot is one that must be veri-

fied before it can be counted. A VBM ballot would be challenged when the envelope is not signed by the voter or the envelope appears to be signed by someone other than the voter. Challenged ballots are flagged by a sorting machine and manu-ally verified by Registrar of Voters staff, which sometimes involves contacting the voter to obtain the proper signature. If verified, the ballots are counted as normal. If not, they are not counted.

Though the vast majority of vote-by-mail ballots are verified and counted, some are not counted each election for a variety of reasons, usually because the ballots were received too late.

Reason Explanation No.

Deceased Voter has passed away before Election Day 3

Signature Does Not Match

Signature on envelope does not match signature in voter's file 31

No Signature Voter did not sign the envelope 24Received Too Late Received after deadline 155

Void Voter ineligible to vote for anotherreason 2

Vote-by-Mail ChallengesNov. 3, 2015, Consolidated Election

15,097

212

VBM Ballots Counted, Not Counted2015 Consolidated Election

Counted Not Counted

29

As shown by the table at left, slightly more than 15% of vote-by-mail envelopes were dropped off at the Register of Voters’ office, at polling places, or at drop boxes, rather than mailed. Of these envelopes, more than 80% were dropped off on Election Day.

FAQQ: Are vote-by-mail envelopes processed on the

same day that they are received?A: Generally, yes. However, there are a few excep-

tions. During the days around Election Day, large volumes of vote-by-mail envelopes may create a backlog requiring some to be processed on sub-sequent days. Additionally, some envelopes are challenged and require additional verification be-fore processing. After the envelope is processed, state law prevents the Registrar of Voters’ office from opening the envelope and tallying the ballot until 10 days before Election Day, and results of the tally cannot be released until the polls close.

E Date DateE+1 11/4E+2 11/5E+3 11/6

According to state law, the Registrar of Voters must count vote-by-mail ballots received up to three days after Election Day as long as the envelope is postmarked on or before Election Day. This year, the Registrar of Voters received 1,579 vote-by-mail ballots after Election Day, with 1,455 of those ballots being correctly postmarked and counted. Unfortunately, 124 either were missing the postmark or were postmarked too late to be counted.

841

439

17546 26

520

200

400

600

800

1,000

11/4/2015 11/5/2015 11/6/2015

E+3 Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Ballots Counted, Not Counted2015 Consolidated Election

Counted Not Counted

% E+3 VBM Ballots Counted2015 Consolidated Election

Counted Not Counted

FAQQ: Why is the postmark important?A: Under state law, a vote-by-mail envelope must have

a postmark indicating that it was mailed on or before Election Day in order for the ballot inside to be counted. Although most mail that goes through the United States Postal Service (USPS) receives a postmark of some sort, some envelopes may not receive a proper mark when large volumes of mail move through the postal service around election time. The Registrar of Voters continues to work with the USPS to minimize the num-ber of unpostmarked vote-by-mail return envelopes and therefore minimize the number of ballots that will not be counted.

30

FAQQ: What does E+3 mean?A: Like the days preceding an election, the Registrar of

Voters tracks days following an election in relation to Election Day. Just as E-60 denotes the 60th day before an election, E+1 denotes the first day after an election. E+3, therefore, is three days after Election Day.

Provisional Votes

FAQQ: When do voters cast provisional

ballots?A: In a consolidated election, a voter

casts a provisional ballot when: • The voter’s name could not be located on the official roster index for the precinct; • The voter’s eligibility could not be verified; or • The voter was issued a vote- by-mail ballot that the voter could not produce. Provisional ballots are sealed in an envelope for verification later at the Registrar of Voters’ office. In the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election and in most cases, the vot-er is later determined to be eligible to vote, and the ballot is counted. If the voter already submitted a valid vote-by-mail ballot, then only the vote-by-mail ballot will be counted. If the voter is ineligible for this election – because the voter is unregistered, registered in another jurisdiction, or has already cast a ballot – then the provisional ballot will not be counted.

FAQQ: How can a provisional ballot be partially counted?A: A provisional ballot is partially counted when the voter is determined to be eligible for

some of the contests but not all. This usually occurs when the voter votes at a polling place other than his or her normal polling place, because the contests on the ballot can differ depending on where the voter lives. Votes on a provisional ballot will only be counted in the contests for which the voter was eligible. Because each voter only voted in a single contest during the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election, there were no partially counted provisional votes.

10.0%

7.5%

5.7%

8.2%

9.9%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

% Provisional (PV) Ballots Not CountedPast 5 Consolidated Elections

The vast majority of provisional ballots ultimately are counted. As the graph below shows, only about 5-10% of provisional ballots are not counted for various reasons. The graph above shows that of the provisional ballots not counted, some were not counted because the voter had already voted with a vote-by-mail ballot. In these cases, the vote-by-mail ballot is counted and the provisional ballot is not. Voters sometimes vote provisionally on Election Day at the polls when they worry that their vote-by-mail ballot will not arrive in time.

31

Reason Explanation No.

Not Eligible Voter does not live in a local jurisdiction with a contest on the ballot 2

Not Registered Voter is not registered 10

Registered Late Voter registered after the 15th day before Election Day 2

Vote-by-MailCounted

Voter already voted by mail and vote-by-mail ballot was counted 4

Reasons Provisional Ballots Are Not Counted

Though the vast majority of provisional ballots are verified and counted, some are not counted each election for a variety of reasons.

107

5

69

PV Ballots Cast by Jurisdiction2015 Consolidated Election

Los Altos Orchard Union

107

5

69

PV Ballots Cast by Jurisdiction2015 Consolidated Election

Los Altos Orchard Union

Polling place turnout can vary widely depending on how many voters live in the area, the percentage of vote-by-mail voters, and voter interest in the contests on the ballot. For the Novem-ber 3, 2015, Consolidated Election, all five of the precincts with the highest turnout of polling place voters were in the City of Los Altos.

Precinct No. Turnout Location

2314 230 St. Paul's Anglican Church100 block of N. El Monte Ave.

2336 216 Immanuel Lutheran Church1700 block of Grant Rd.

2333 177 Miramonte Christian School1100 block of Altamead Dr.

2309 170 Private Residence300 block of Cherry Ave.

2351 157 Montclaire School1100 block of St. Joseph Ave.

Polling Places

32

Polling Places with Highest Turnout

Top 5 Polling Places with Highest Turnout

Other Polling Places

Vote Tallying

FAQQ: What is an overvote?A: An overvote is when a voter votes for too many

choices in a specific contest. For example, if a city council contest specifies to vote for no more than two candidates, and the voter votes for three, this would be an overvote.

FAQQ: What is an undervote?A: An undervote is when a voter votes does not vote

for all of the choices in a specific contest. For example, if a city council contest specifies to vote for no more than two candidates, and the voter votes only for one, this would be an undervote.

FAQQ: Why do some elections show so many undervotes?A: In most elections, each voter is eligible to vote in a num-

ber of contests. The vote-tallying machine will record an undervote for each contest in which the voter either purposely or inadvertently did not vote for the maxi-mum number of possible choices. For example, if a city council contest specified to vote for no more than three candidates, and the voter only voted for one, this would register as two undervotes because the voter could have voted for two additional candidates in that contest. Un-dervotes like this can occur multiple times on the same ballot when many contests are included in the election. Therefore, the same ballot could be registered as an undervote in several contests, resulting in an apparently high number of undervotes. Accidental undervotes are one of the issues that the Registrar’s office is currently seeking to solve by exploring new voting technologies that could be implemented in future elections.

58,799

76,123

44,994

65,065

17,522

57,745

74,833

44,403

63,157

17,292

0

30,000

60,000

90,000

200798.2% Counted

200998.3% Counted

201198.7% Counted

201397.1% Counted

201598.7% Counted

Total Ballots Received and CountedPast 5 Consolidated Elections

Total Ballots Received Ballots Counted

1,3531,444

438

240

80

400

800

1,200

1,600

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Number of OvervotesPast 5 Consolidated Elections

58,696 60,960

28,376

6,866168

0

15,000

30,000

45,000

60,000

75,000

2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Number of Undervotes (includes blank ballots)


33

0.0% 0.0%

3.4%

31.9%

91.4%

92.7%

100.0% 100.0%

77.2%

80.0% 80.0% 80.0% 80.0%

96.0%98.9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

11/3/20158 p.m.

11/3/20158:45 p.m.

11/3/20159:30 p.m.

11/3/201510:15 p.m.

11/3/201510:45 p.m.

11/4/20153:45 p.m.

11/5/20152:30 p.m.

11/6/20151:30 p.m.

% Precinct and Vote-by-Mail (VBM) Ballots Tallied by Time2015 Consolidated Election

% Precinct Ballots Tallied % VBM Ballots Tallied

67.4%69.9% 70.3%

73.9%

81.5%

95.6%

99.0%

100.0%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

11/3/20158 p.m.

11/3/20158:45 p.m.

11/3/20159:30 p.m.

11/3/201510:15 p.m.

11/3/201510:45 p.m.

11/4/20153:45 p.m.

11/5/20152:30 p.m.

11/6/20151:30 p.m.

Total Ballots Tallied by Time2015 Consolidated Election

% Total Ballots Tallied

The black vertical line separates pre-Election Day and Election Day on the left from post-Election Day on the right.

All of the vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots received prior to Election Day are processed and tallied before 8 p.m. State law, however, does not allow the Registrar of Voters to release the first results until the polls close. The first point on each of these graphs – showing the percentage tallied as of 8 p.m. on Election Day – represents the VBM ballots that were tallied in the days prior to Election Day. With more than 77% of all VBM bal-lots and more than 67% of all ballots tallied by 8 p.m., the Registrar often tallies the majority of votes in the weeks before Election Day.

34

The black vertical line separates pre-Election Day and Election Day on the left from post-Election Day on the right.

1% Tally ElectionTotal

% Counted in 1% Tally

No. Precincts 3 29 10.3%Registered Voters 4,249 44,085 9.6%Ballots Counted 1,882 17,292 10.9%

Turnout 44.3% 39.2% n/aQualified Write-Ins 0 0 0.0%

Overvotes 3 8 37.5%Undervotes 9 128 7.0%

Blank Ballots 4 40 10.0%Discrepancies 0 n/a n/a

1% Tally Facts and Figures FAQQ: What is the 1% tally?A: Before the results of an election are official, state law requires

the Registrar of Voters to verify the accuracy of the vote-tallying machines’ count by manually tallying the votes of 1% of the total number of precincts that participated in the election, with a mini-mum of one precinct per local jurisdiction. Registrar of Voters staff members review each ballot cast by voters in the precinct – both by mail and at the polling place – and compare the total to the tally produced by the vote-tallying machines.

Because this election included so few local jurisdictions and precincts, the 1% tally actually encompassed a higher percentage of vot-ers, precincts, and ballots than is required.

“Perfect Balance” Precincts

FAQQ: What is a “perfect balance” precinct?A: A precinct is in “perfect balance” if every ballot issued is

accounted for by a signature in the roster index. When voters come to the polling place, they sign the roster index to indicate that they have come to vote. When voters at a precinct are issued ballots without signing the roster index, or vice versa, that precinct will not be in perfect balance.

Although not every precinct in this election was in “perfect balance,” the discrepancies were small. The number of signatures on the roster index and the number of ballots issued were off by five or fewer for only two precincts.

“Perfect Balance” Precincts

Precincts with Discrepancy of Fewer than 5 Signatures

Mail Ballot Precincts

FAQQ: What is a mail ballot precinct?A: Setting up polling places in some precincts can be difficult or

impractical due to the small number of voters living there or because there are no polling place locations that meet acces-sibility, proximity, or other legal requirements. These precincts become mail ballot precincts, and all voters living there are issued vote-by-mail ballots.

35

36

Postscript

Register, Update, and Participate

Thanks to the thousands of hours of hard work by Registrar of Voters staff members and volunteer election officers before, during, and after Election Day, the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election ran as smoothly as could have been hoped. As this report

illustrates, however, many factors and issues continue to arise affecting election operations and the final release of election results:• The November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election was the

fourth election administered by the Registrar of Voters (ROV) this year, which matches the average number of elections that the ROV has managed per year since 2010 – about one election every three months;

• The percentage of permanent vote-by-mail voters continues to rise for consolidated elections, now accounting for more than 73% of all registered voters;

• More than 88% of all ballots cast in the November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election were vote-by-mail bal-lots, which are processed continuously prior to, during, and after Election Day;

• More than 3,500 vote-by-mail ballots – nearly a quarter of all vote-by-mail ballots received – were received on or after Election Day;

• Virtually all vote-by-mail voters took advantage of the County’s postage-paid envelopes, with only 15 voters – or less than 0.1% – stamping the return envelope;

• The ROV tallied all received vote-by-mail ballots prior to Election Day, though the high volume of ballots that typically arrives on or after Election Day from polling places and in the mail can take days to process, verify, and tally;

• Due to a new state law, the ROV counted 1,455 vote-by-mail ballots – nearly 10% of all vote-by-mail ballots cast – that were received after Election Day;

• The November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election was the first among the past five consolidated elections in which more than half of election officers were bilingual; and

• The ROV certified the results of this election 13 days earlier than the state-imposed deadline.

The best way to ensure that your voice is heard is to vote. The Registrar of Voters (ROV) offers numerous ways you can register to vote, update your registration information, stay informed regarding election news, track your ballot, and locate your polling place.

Register to Vote• In Person: Visit the ROV’s office between 8 a.m. and

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 1555 Berger Drive, Build-ing 2, in San Jose.

• By Mail: Obtain a voter registration affidavit from a library, post office, or other government office.

• Online: Visit www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Register/Pages/Online.aspx.

Find Your Voting Information• By Mobile App: Visit www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/

Registrar-of-Voters.aspx and click on “SCCVOTE Mobile App” to download the ROV’s app for Android or Apple.

• Access Candidate and Measure Information: View information about the June 7, 2016, Presidential Pri-mary Election at www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Info/Jun2016Info/Pages/Jun2016Info.aspx.

• Keep Up to Date: Look up your districts and polling place, verify that your ballot was received and counted, and more at eservices.sccgov.org/rov.

Volunteer• Learn how to serve as a paid election officer by visiting www.

sccgov.org/sites/rov/Volunteer/Pages/Volunteer.aspx.Update Your Registration

• Update your registration information or provide changes to your address, party affiliation, or language preference at www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Register/Pages/Change Registration.aspx.

Connect with the ROV• By Phone: 1-866-430-VOTE (8683) or

1-408-299-VOTE (8683).• On the Web: Visit www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/

Registrar-of-Voters.aspx.• Facebook: Become part of the ROV’s network at

www.facebook.com/sccvote.• Twitter: Get up-to-the-minute tweets at twitter.com/sccvote.• YouTube: Watch videos at www.youtube.com/user/sccvote.• RSS: Subscribe to the ROV feed at www.sccgov.org/sites/

rov/RSS/Pages/RSS.aspx.

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Register/Pages/Online.aspx

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Register/Pages/Online.aspx



https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Info/Jun2016Info/Pages/Jun2016Info.aspx

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Info/Jun2016Info/Pages/Jun2016Info.aspx

https://eservices.sccgov.org/rov/

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Volunteer/Pages/Volunteer.aspx

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Volunteer/Pages/Volunteer.aspx

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Register/Pages/ChangeRegistration.aspx

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Register/Pages/ChangeRegistration.aspx






https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/RSS/Pages/RSS.aspx

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/RSS/Pages/RSS.aspx

November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election Reports/Post-Election Report 11-3...Mar 15, 2011 · The...

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Transcript of November 3, 2015, Consolidated Election Reports/Post-Election Report 11-3...Mar 15, 2011 · The...