The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday received a report on local election procedures and voter protections, as county officials responded to questions about ballot security, vote-by-mail and access to polling places.
The item, requested by the board at its April 21 meeting, followed concerns from constituents about ballot security, the reliability of vote-by-mail and whether the presence of law enforcement could affect access to polling places.
“Our elections are run by our county, and we’ve done so very well internally,” Second District Supervisor Laura Capps said. “We have the responsibility to not just do the work correctly, but use our voice to reassure the work is being done correctly.”
Martin E. Cobos, chief deputy registrar of voters for Santa Barbara County, told the board that more than 250,000 ballots were recently mailed to registered voters, reflecting an electorate that has grown from roughly 192,000 voters in 2010.
He said voting habits have shifted significantly over that time, with more than 90% of voters now casting ballots by mail, compared with about 65% a decade ago.
Cobos noted those changes have been accompanied by safeguards designed to protect the integrity of the process.
“In the almost 20 years that I’ve administered elections, I have not seen an instance of voter fraud,” Cobos said.
Ballots are verified through signature checks against official records, with elections staff contacting voters when discrepancies arise before a ballot is counted. Statewide systems allow elections officials to track whether a voter has already cast a ballot.
The county maintains 18 official ballot drop boxes and will operate 61 polling places for in-person voting. Cobos encouraged voters to return ballots early and said those who wait until Election Day to vote in person may encounter longer wait times due to the length of the ballot and number of candidates.
Questions about the presence of law enforcement at polling places were also raised during the meeting.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown said his office has coordinated with elections officials and does not anticipate federal agents or other law enforcement activity that could interfere with voting.
“There is a federal law which does prohibit any kind of intimidation,” Brown said.
In response to a question from Capps, Brown said even the visible presence of law enforcement at polling places could be perceived as intimidation.
Brown said federal agencies have reaffirmed policies limiting their presence at polling sites and that any law enforcement response would be limited to addressing specific issues before leaving the area.
“We really don’t anticipate that that is going to happen,” he said.
Brown said sheriff’s personnel will be stationed at the county’s elections command center and assigned to escort ballots after polls close to ensure secure transport.
County officials also outlined outreach efforts ahead of upcoming elections, including voter education materials and distribution of a “Know Your Rights” flyer intended to provide information about voting procedures and protections.
Capps said she hopes the county continues expanding voter outreach efforts ahead of future elections, particularly as some residents remain uncertain or fearful about participating in the voting process.
“We cannot just do business as usual if people are afraid to vote,” Capps said.
