Report 2017-107 Recommendation 13 Responses

Report 2017-107: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters: Insufficient Policies and Procedures Have Led to Errors That May Have Reduced Voters' Confidence in the Registrar's Office (Release Date: October 2017)

Recommendation #13 To: Secretary of State, Office of the

To inform and enhance the guidance it provides to county election officials, the Secretary of State should analyze error reports and its risk-based review results to focus its guidance on topics most relevant to improving elections throughout the State.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023

The Secretary of State continues to request counties provide reports of substantive errors in the creation and distribution of election-related materials for each election, providing guidance to them regarding the appropriate corrective action and best practices based on prior reports. The Secretary of State will work with a selection of county elections officials to form a working group on developing best practices for reducing errors in the preparation of election materials. The topics of these best practices will be based on the reports of errors received from counties. The best practices will then be shared with all counties in order to help reduce errors. In addition, they will be used to develop potential trainings for counties.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

The Secretary of State continues to request counties provide reports of substantive errors in the creation and distribution of election-related materials for each election, providing guidance to them regarding the appropriate corrective action and best practices based on prior reports. As further guidance and/or regulations are promulgated, error reports will be required from counties. Once the appropriate legal framework and resources are allocated for risk-based reviews and a process can be established, an analysis of the results can be used to provide guidance to county elections officials.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021

The Secretary of State requested counties provide reports of substantive errors in the creation and distribution of election-related materials during the 2018, 2020, and 2021 election cycles, providing guidance to them regarding the appropriate corrective action. Based on lessons learned from the reports, we will develop best practices for all county elections officials in the preparation of their election-related materials. After the promulgation of regulations, we will require error reports from counties.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2020

The Secretary of State requested counties provide reports of substantive errors in the creation and distribution of election-related materials during the 2018 election cycle and the March 2020 election, providing guidance to them regarding the appropriate corrective action. We requested reports for the November 2020 election and will continue to review these reports from counties in order to provide guidance to them. Based on lessons learned from the reports, we will develop best practices for all county elections officials in the preparation of their election-related materials. After the promulgation of regulations, we will require error reports from counties.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

The Secretary of State requested counties provide reports of substantive errors in the creation and distribution of election-related materials during the 2018 election cycle and provided guidance to them regarding the appropriate corrective action. We will continue to request and review these reports from counties in 2020 in order to provide guidance to them and will develop best practices for all county elections officials in the preparation of their election-related materials. After the promulgation of regulations, we will require error reports from counties.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

1-Year Agency Response

The Secretary of State has requested counties provide reports of substantive errors in the creation and distribution of election-related materials in 2018 and will review the reports in order to provide guidance and best practices to all county elections officials in the preparation of their election-related materials. After the promulgation of regulations, we will require error reports from counties.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

6-Month Agency Response

The Secretary of State has requested counties provide reports of substantive errors in the creation and distribution of election-related materials in 2018 and will review the reports in order to provide guidance and best practices to all county elections officials in the preparation of their election-related materials. After the promulgation of regulations, we will require error reports from counties.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The Secretary of State will request counties provide reports of substantive errors in the creation and distribution of election-related materials in 2018 and will analyze the reports in order to provide guidance and best practices to all county elections officials in the preparation of their election-related materials. After the promulgation of regulations, we will require error reports from counties.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2017-107

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.