Alameda County Elections Commission Meeting – March 24, 2026

The Alameda County Elections Commission convened on March 24, 2026, according to the agenda metadata, though the raw transcript explicitly opened with a date of March 19, 2026, noting a significant discrepancy between the two records. The meeting included updates from the Registrar of Voters (ROV), reports from several subcommittees, an extensive presentation on the Brown Act, and critical revisions to the November 2025 post-election assessment report before forwarding it to the Board of Supervisors. Commissioner Butter joined remotely.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public provided comments during the designated public comment periods.

Monthly Update from the Registrar of Voters (ROV)

• ROV staff provided a list of outreach events conducted from January through April, with additional events confirmed through June. Outreach targets include underserved communities, multicultural and multi-language groups, disability communities, seniors, youth, and restored voters.
• High school voter education weeks were highlighted, covering pre-registration, youth voting (in Oakland and Berkeley), and the student election worker program.
• Commissioners inquired about the metrics for success. The ROV stated they could provide pre-registration totals and are exploring methods to track turnout for newly eligible voters. A new initiative to send birthday cards to newly eligible 18-year-olds was announced.
• The ROV confirmed the website has a dedicated outreach page and a phone tree for organizations to request a visit.
• A potential overlap between the Youth Participation and Voter Participation committees was noted, but the chair warned that combining the two committees would create a violation of the Brown Act.
• A suggestion was made to conduct proactive outreach at active parks (e.g., San Antonio Park in Oakland).

November 2025 Post-Election Assessment (Ad Hoc Committee)

• Commissioner Butter (online), joined by Commissioners Wagner and Pham, presented the report compiled in early January. The ROV had submitted formal comments on the report.
• The commission engaged in a detailed line-by-line review of the document. Key revisions included:
  • Removing the phrase "discussed during the November 2025 elections commission meeting" from the overview.
  • Deleting separate "ROV Response" subheads and integrating the ROV's statements directly into the commission's bullet points.
  • Removing a bullet point regarding voter confusion over the Union City Hall drop box location, with the agreement that the ROV and city clerk would improve on-site signage and online mapping.
  • Removing a bullet point about parking difficulties at a Berkeley drop box location, as the issue was deemed inaccurate.
  • Replacing a lengthy ROV response with a single paragraph acknowledging that the ROV's current observation protocols met applicable legal standards, while maintaining a standing recommendation for incremental improvements on alerting subscribers.

Voter Participation Subcommittee Report

• The subcommittee is focusing on Districts 6 and 7 and has drafted a mission statement. It faces a challenge in obtaining specific demographic and turnout data from the ROV and is collaborating with an external expert to access public data.
• Chair Dieter encouraged the committee to narrow its scope to a single measurable barrier (e.g., youth engagement or ballot box access) rather than broad goals.

Youth Participation Subcommittee Report

• A meeting with the ROV was scheduled to discuss organizing engagement in Alameda County high schools and the juvenile justice system.
• The ROV is working to implement youth voting access at vote centers for the November election.
• Commissioner Lindsay suggested that same-day registration at polling places and youth-oriented materials (e.g., with QR codes) could boost youth turnout.

Budgeting for Elections Subcommittee Report

• The subcommittee has not yet held its first meeting. ROV staff reported working on clearer billing workshops for city clerks.

Brown Act Training Presentation

• Jason from County Counsel delivered a training on the Ralph M. Brown Act.
• Applicability: The full commission and standing committees are subject to the Brown Act. Ad hoc committees with a defined, temporary purpose and less than a majority are exempt.
• Meetings: Includes formal, informal, serial, or via social media/email. A majority discussing commission business can create an illegal meeting. Staff cannot be used as intermediaries to share positions. Commissioners were advised to use BCC when emailing the body.
• Remote Participation: Three paths were covered:
  • Default Teleconference: Post agenda at public locations.
  • Just Cause: Limited to 2 meetings per year. Quorum must be in one county location. Location does not need publication. Members must use audio-video. Meeting must stop if public remote access fails.
  • Disability Accommodations: Members count towards quorum.
• Public Comment: Must occur before a decision. Reasonable limits are allowed. Commenters cannot disrupt the meeting. The commission should listen, not debate.
• Consequences: Violations can allow a court to invalidate actions. Knowing violations are a misdemeanor.

Key Outcomes

• The commission authorized Chair Dieter to finalize the November 2025 Post-Election Assessment report based on the day's discussion and forward it to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. This motion passed unanimously.
• The ROV was directed to improve instructions for finding ballot drop box locations and to provide data on pre-registration and youth turnout.
• The Voter Participation subcommittee was encouraged to narrow its scope.
• The Youth Participation subcommittee scheduled a meeting with the ROV.
• Meeting adjourned at 6:42 PM.