Supervisors look at splitting Auditor-Controller-Clerk position from elections duties
The Kern County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to order staff to look into establishing the new role, which would require legislative action by the state in order to be approved.
'We're elated,' said Charles Shinn, an elections integrity advocate who, along with several other community members, has appeared before supervisors meetings for the last two years asking for changes to the Elections Division.
In August, an ad hoc committee was formed with supervisors David Couch and Leticia Perez to draft recommendations based on the group's concerns. The suggestions were presented to the full board Tuesday.
'I think we have an excellent solution to what bogs down Kern County elections right now,' Shinn said of the move to create a separate registrar position.
'I think that's going to help (Kern County Auditor-Controller-Clerk Amy Espinoza), separating all the hats that she currently wears so that the auditor-controller is specifically tasked and only focused on running elections and maintaining the voter rolls in a (National Voter Registration Act) state of constant maintenance,' Shinn said.
The committee's recommendations included three options for splitting up the responsibilities of the Auditor-Controller-Clerk, and supervisors ultimately chose to pursue the option that creates a separate Registrar of Voters — responsible for overseeing all elections in the county — to be appointed by the board.
In a statement following the meeting, District 3 Supervisor Jeff Flores said the board had heard the voices of concerned voters.
'Our board is committed to ensuring that our local elections are not simply conducted in line with California state law but truly exceed the baseline requirements for transparency and accountability,' Flores said.
But establishing a separate registrar position will require legislative action from the state. Chief Financial Officer Elsa Martinez told board members there are two avenues by which the county could receive legislative approval. Both would need to be done by Feb. 21, the last day bills can be submitted by lawmakers.
One is by requesting the language be included in one of the Legislature's omnibus bills, but that would require the county to submit its request to the Senate Local Government Committee. The other avenue would be to have a lawmaker introduce the legislation and help guide it through the Legislature.
Supervisors also directed staff to work with the board's newly established Legislative Program Committee to request other changes to voter law at both the state and federal levels.
Changes to be requested from the state include changes in law to allow for citizenship verification; better signature collection; more timely removal of ineligible voters from voter rolls; and multiple sources for candidate residency verification.
The committee will also request changes at the federal level for citizenship verification.
During the meeting, Espinoza responded to many of the recommendations and questions posed by the committee and said steps would be taken to address concerns where applicable.
There were some recommendations, such as the reconciliation of ballot counts at every collection point and allowing elections observers to ride along with ballot collectors, which supervisors did not pursue.
Espinoza told supervisors she was 'Switzerland,' i.e. neutral, on the subject of splitting the registrar position, but said having additional staff on hand would be helpful. She stressed that managing elections is extremely complicated and there are state or federal regulations with which she didn't personally agree.
'My hope would be that having someone fully dedicated to assist some of the managers at a higher level and be fully dedicated, if that's what the board ends up ultimately doing, my hope would be that they would have a better outcome,' Espinoza said.
Because the current position of Auditor-Controller-Clerk is elected, if the board were to establish registrar as a separate position, it would not take effect until the end of Espinoza's term in 2027.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
5 hours ago
- Axios
Gov. Tim Walz names 4 new University of Minnesota regents
Gov. Tim Walz named four new University of Minnesota regents on Tuesday. Why it matters: The 12-member board controls operations and budget for the five-campus system, deciding everything from who should fill the university's top job to tuition rates. Between the lines: This year's process gave the DFL governor unusual influence over the board after the narrowly divided Legislature deadlocked over how to fill a slate of expiring term vacancies for the first time since 2001. Zoom in: Walz said his picks for the four vacant seats, selected from a pool of about two dozen applicants, "bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives, united by a deep commitment to the University's mission." They are: Joel Bergstrom (member at-large): An attorney and non-profit leader whose résumé includes leadership roles at CohenTaylor Executive Search Services, Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery and the Minnesota Medical Foundation. Samuel Heins (member at-large): A human rights advocate and attorney who served as U.S. Ambassador to Norway under former President Obama and as a board member for ACLU of Minnesota and Planned Parenthood North Central States. Ellen Luger (5th Congressional District): A former philanthropy executive whom former President Biden tapped for a United Nations role focused on global food security and agricultural issues. Luger, who previously worked for The Minneapolis Foundation and General Mills, is married to former U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. Kowsar Mohamed (student at-large): A U doctoral student in Natural Resources Science and Management who works for the State of Minnesota's Office of Inclusion. Mohamed, a former project manager for the city of St. Paul's planning department, also taught at the U and served on the Regent Candidate Advisory Council. The big picture: The new members join the board at an especially challenging time for the U and higher education institutions more broadly. Like many of its peers, the U is navigating uncertainty and scrutiny over federal funding cuts, international student visas and a Trump administration probe into anti-semitism on campus. Plus: A bleak budget outlook, which officials say is exacerbated by inflation and state funding decisions, prompted the regents to approve spending cuts and the biggest tuition hike in 14 years at its flagship campus this year. The intrigue: Under the state constitution, the Legislature is supposed to select regents via a joint convention. The issue became a sticking point in the budget debate this spring, as Republicans accused Democrats of refusing to move forward amid an intra-caucus disagreement over which candidates to back. Legislative Democrats said at the time that they simply ran out of time. Friction point: Sen. Zach Duckworth, the GOP lead on the higher education committee, criticized the outcome as an abandonment of a "bipartisan, public and merit-based process … in favor of non-transparent and purely political appointments," noting that both Heins and Luger have donated to Walz's campaigns. Of note: Luger and Mohamed were also named finalists by a bipartisan advisory commission that vets and recommends candidates for the Legislature. What we're watching: The governor's picks will serve out six-year terms unless the Legislature holds a joint convention to replace them.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gov. Mike Braun on Trump's redistricting pitch: 'I'm listening to the legislators'
Gov. Mike Braun says he will lean on the will of the legislature when it comes to President Donald Trump's push for mid-decade redistricting in Indiana. Already some of those legislators are making their ill feelings known. Vice President JD Vance made the pitch to Braun, House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray in a closed-door meeting at the Statehouse last week. The latter two said nothing after the meeting, only releasing vague statements that didn't mention redistricting. Braun said the meeting went "pretty good." It would be up to Braun to call a special session in order to redraw the congressional maps. He said Aug. 12 that Huston and Bray are consulting with their caucuses, and he is waiting to see what the legislature wants to do. "I think it's going to be a methodical process, and I think each leader is going to take his time on getting to that point where they say what they want to do," he said. He acknowledged that even if he called a special session, the legislature, if they are at odds with the idea, could very well just gavel in and gavel right out. "I'm listening to the legislators," he said. The political conundrum is this: Indiana leaders are facing the ultimate loyalty test to Trump while balancing the reality that carving up their very few Democratic congressional districts could make some incumbent Republicans' races tighter. Plus, redistricting for an overtly partisan purpose of giving Trump a more favorable midterm election in 2026 isn't a very popular idea with voters, some lawmakers are saying. More: Top Indiana Republicans met with VP on redistricting. Only Democrats are talking about it There's also the risk of diluting votes if new maps are drawn based on five-year-old Census data that won't account for any more recent population shifts. This is one point new state Rep. Danny Lopez, R-Carmel, made in a post on X Aug. 12. "We should stand by that work," he wrote, while also saying he is a "hard no" on mid-decade redistricting. Another "hard no" comes from Republican Rep. Jim Lucas of Seymour, who on Facebook called the idea "highly unusual and politically optically horrible." He also said Republicans shouldn't "stoop to the level of Democrats on this issue," which could be a reference to the criticism that Illinois Democrats' map is gerrymandered. "If there are seats that need targeted, we should do it the old fashioned way and campaign harder in those districts," Lucas wrote. Mooresville Rep. Craig Haggard, a Republican running for the 4th Congressional District, could very well be drawn out of that district. He told the Indiana Capital Chronicle that he's not hearing any "appetite" for redistricting right now. Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville, has also said he doesn't think redistricting is needed, WEHT reported. Rep. Becky Cash, R-Zionsville, responded to a voter's question on her Facebook page about redistricting and said that she does not support nor "know of any reason why Indiana should redistrict." The prospect of mid-decade redistricting drew at least 100 protestors to the Statehouse and to the governor's mansion last week, with those gathered characterizing the concept as "cheating." Contact IndyStar Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@ or follow her on X: @kayla_dwyer17 This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Gov. Mike Braun on redistricting: 'I'm listening to the legislators'
Politico
6 hours ago
- Politico
LG choice comes with cliffhangers
Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. Gov. RON DESANTIS didn't take questions from journalists Tuesday after JAY COLLINS got sworn in as Florida's next lieutenant governor. That left a big question mark about what's next. Sure, Collins is going to be Florida's new second in command, but what everyone really wants to know is whether DeSantis intends to back Collins as his successor in the governor's mansion after his term ends. DeSantis made it clear he would be backing BLAISE INGOGLIA to keep his seat as state chief financial officer, that he thought Florida Attorney General JAMES UTHMEIER could be in his role for 10 years (following two election cycles) and backed ASHLEY MOODY to keep her Senate seat. So it's notable that neither DeSantis nor Collins stated their intentions surrounding 2026 on Tuesday. As Playbook reported previously, DeSantis has been weighing several options and waiting to see how his own political career pans out. He doesn't have to decide who he'll back right away because he can see who else enters the race. Or he can just stay out of it and hope he lands in the Trump administration. He did, after all, say Tuesday that he thought Collins was 'capable of serving and leading as governor if that need were to ever arise.' Either way, there are a few questions that emerge from Tuesday's announcement: — How would DeSantis message for Collins? Rep. BYRON DONALDS, the candidate Trump endorsed and the only major Republican in the race, is considered the frontrunner in terms of polling and fundraising. But DeSantis has said he doesn't see Donalds as the best person to succeed him. He gave clues Tuesday about how he might back Collins, stressing his service in the military (something they share) and highlighting his conservative record in the Legislature. By Tuesday evening, DeSantis posted a campaign-style intro video about Collins on social media paid for by a Collins-linked political committee. 'He was not only an ally of mine,' DeSantis said Tuesday, 'he was standing up for you.' As for Collins, he panned Congress as focused on 'misguided priorities' and praised the governor for the state's accomplishments. He told Playbook recently that he would take the question of whether to run 'one step at a time' if he were to be picked. — How would DeSantis support a candidate? DeSantis is far from the prolific moneymaker he once was. Records show his federal political action committee, called Restore Our Nation, has $4.4 million cash on hand after raising under $261,000 in the first half of the year, despite sending numerous fundraising texts to supporters. The committee sent its most recent fundraising text Tuesday evening, highlighting Collins' time as a Green Beret. The Florida Freedom Fund, DeSantis' state political committee, netted just $1.3 million last quarter, with $5 million cash on hand. As a point of comparison: Donalds has raised $22 million since launching his campaign earlier this year. — What happens to CASEY DESANTIS? The first lady attended Collins' swearing in Tuesday, standing alongside her husband as the new LG took the oath of office and posed for photos. Does she still have ambitions for political office, even possibly governor? Playbook has been asking political insiders for months. Many say she was put off by the Republican state House's investigation into the Hope Florida program she spearheaded. But few were willing to rule her out completely, saying she has name recognition that could carry a candidate announcing late in the game. — Who else will get in? Both in text messages and during the Republican Party of Florida's 'Freedom Forum' a couple of weeks ago, several insiders privately raised the possibility that others might enter the primary, including DeSantis ally former House Speaker PAUL RENNER. Cornered by Playbook at the forum about his political future, Renner said he didn't have any announcements to make. But Donalds' early kickoff to the governor's race does underscore the ample time future candidates have to announce a run ahead of the June 2026 qualifying period. — Gary Fineout contributed WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis is doing a press conference in Tampa at 10 a.m. with his new LG. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@ and @leonardkl. ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... HEARING COMING TO A CLOSE — A federal judge on Tuesday heard testimony from a state witness as Florida aims to defend placing its 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention center in the Everglades despite environmental concerns from advocacy and tribal groups. One of the state's main arguments is that the environmental law in question, the National Environmental Policy Act, doesn't apply, given that 'Alligator Alcatraz' was constructed and is run by the state, not federal, government. The only witness the state brought up Tuesday was David Kerner, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Kerner said 'Alligator Alcatraz' was 'absolutely' a state-run facility and that some undocumented immigrants who troopers apprehended were also accused of violent crimes. The only federal involvement he was aware of was deportation flights that took off on the airstrip. — Kimberly Leonard — ''Petri dish for disease': attorney raises alarm of possible Covid outbreak at 'Alligator Alcatraz,'' reports Richard Luscombe of The Guardian. — 'Endangered Florida panther kittens, born just months ago, hit and killed,' by Max Chesnes of the Tampa Bay Times. CHALLENGE TO EVERGLADES WATER PROJECT — An environmental group has filed a legal challenge to a proposed limestone rock mine and water storage reservoir that they say will threaten the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir north of Lake Okeechobee. The Tropical Audubon Society and two individuals filed a request with DEP for a legal hearing on the proposed permit providing conceptual approval for the 8,632-acre Palm Beach County project. Phillips & Jordan, a national construction contractor, calls it the Southland Water Resource Project and says it can hold up to 40 billion gallons of needed Everglades water storage. But environmentalists say it's a rock mine that will upset the hydrology underpinning the nearby EAA reservoir. — Bruce Ritchie BALLOT INITIATIVE CHALLENGE — 'Attorneys for grassroots campaigners are again asking a federal judge to halt enforcement of parts of a new Florida law that restricts the state's process to get citizens' initiatives on the ballot,' reports Kate Payne of The Associated Press. 'Tuesday's arguments before U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee were the latest attempt by attorneys for voter advocacy groups and campaigns for Medicaid expansion and recreational marijuana to carve away at a law that they argue unconstitutionally hamstrings citizens' abilities to amend Florida's constitution.' TODAY — Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Hospital Association, the Florida Association of Community Health Centers and the Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are having a roundtable discussion at the Governor's Club in Tallahassee about tax credits for health insurance plans people buy on the Affordable Care Act exchanges, which are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress extends them. Without more federal funding, the plans would become prohibitively expensive for some enrollees who would likely opt to go without coverage. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. PUSHBACK OVER DEVELOPMENT LAW — 'A new state law critics condemn as a gift to developers across Florida is drawing mounting opposition from cities and counties now looking to fight back against Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-led Legislature,' reports John Kennedy of USA Today Network — Florida. 'The city of Deltona in Volusia County could be among the first to join a lawsuit looking to overturn the measure, which blocks local governments from making 'more restrictive or burdensome' changes to their comprehensive plans or land development codes.' — 'Florida surgeon general supports raw milk consumption despite 21 infections,' reports Christopher O'Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times. PENINSULA AND BEYOND REGISTRATION OPEN — The American Business Forum is set to begin its first US summit in Miami Nov. 5-6, and will host top athletes, investors and cultural figures. The theme is 'The World Meets in America' and will feature speakers including soccer star LIONEL MESSI, actor and producer WILL SMITH, FIFA President GIANNI INFANTINO and Citadel founder and CEO KEN GRIFFIN. (Click for tickets.) HEALTH CARE FIGHT — 'Managing healthcare bills for Miami-Dade's roughly 31,000 county employees is big business, and that's prompting a big fight at the County Commission,' reports Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald. 'At issue is a proposal by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to drop the county's longtime healthcare provider, AvMed, for a national competitor, Aetna — something the mayor claims would save the county about $40 million as it faces a major budget crunch. The fight to win the county's healthcare contract has gotten messy enough that commissioners are holding a special meeting Wednesday dedicated solely to picking a winner.' — 'Spirit Airlines warns of 'substantial doubt' about its survival,' reports David Lyons of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. — 'Monique Worrell asks court what records can be released from grand jury case,' by Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics. CAMPAIGN MODE POLLING ON JACKSONVILLE — 'Could Democrat Donna Deegan be a one-term Mayor of Jacksonville? New polling from The Tyson Group suggests that Republicans have an opportunity to make that happen,' reports A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics. 'The survey shows that on a ballot with just party identification and no candidate names, voters prefer a generic Republican to a generic Democrat, 42 percent to 37 percent.' POTENTIAL APPOINTMENT COMING — 'State House Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, is under consideration to fill the soon-to-be-vacant position of Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller. He confirmed on Aug. 12 that he has had several discussions with Gov. Ron DeSantis and his staff about being appointed to the post,' reports Mike Diamond of the Palm Beach Post. DATELINE D.C. TODAY — US Education Secretary LINDA MCMAHON will visit Broward County for a beta testing event of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid. She'll be joined by Florida Commissioner of Education ANASTASIOS KAMOUTSAS and Broward County Public Schools Superintendent HOWARD HEPBURN, and nearly a thousand students and families to test the form. The event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and the FAFSA form will launch in the fall. TRANSITION TIME — KEVIN GERSON, a senior vice president at the public affairs and political consulting firm SKDK, is expanding the firm's presence to South Florida. Gerson is a former press secretary to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and a Florida communications alum of the Hillary for America campaign. At SKDK, he advises a wide variety of litigation clients, advocacy groups and Fortune 500 companies. ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN — ''We couldn't believe it': Giant python wrangled, caught by 3 hunters in Everglades,' per the Palm Beach Post.
