LA County Takes Strategic Look at Elections

Last fall the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk--overseeing the largest voting district in the country with over four million voters--announced that it would completely overhaul its election system over the next five years.

Before making any decisions, however, they wanted to know what voters thought about elections. They surveyed more than 1,000 voters and more than 1,000 poll workers, as well as city clerks and county staff, asking participants what they liked about the current voting system and what they'd like to see in the future. The county also got input from various stakeholders like advocates for persons with disabilities and those with limited English skills.

Last week, the county hosted and live streamed one of their Voting Systems Project discussions, broadcasting ongoing updates and tweeting images from brainstorming sessions like a ballot receipt mockup and a sketch for drive-thru voting.

The county is sharing its survey findings with think tanks and other organizations in hopes that they may be used to design a better voting system. The goal is to have the new system functioning countywide in time for the presidential elections in 2016.

Elections are the vehicle through which citizens' voices are heard, so kudos to LA County for giving the public a say in how they can or can't cast their ballot. Read more about LA County's efforts.