Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Contra Costa Supervisors’ new chambers to remain publicly unused until at least January

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New Contra Costa County Administration Building which was completed last year and dedicated in December. Source: KMD Architects

Blame placed on unvaccinated including children ages 5-11

“We need 92,000 more people to get vaccinated,” Contra Costa Health Services Director Anna Roth

Next redistricting hearing Nov. 9

By Daniel Borsuk

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will not meet in their gleaming new state-of-the-art hearing room for the first time in the new $95 million Contra Costa County Administration Building until January, if then.

It all depends on how the county’s fight against COVID-19 goes. At least for now, Contra Costans will have to continue to remotely view and participate in supervisors’ meetings.

While the new three-story Contra Costa County Administration building at 1025 Escobar St. in Martinez is open for administrative services, the public hearing room goes unused by the public.

Only county administrative and county counsel use the hearing room during board of supervisors’ meetings.

On a 4-0 vote, supervisors approved, during their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 2, its second consecutive order recommended from County Counsel Mary Ann Mason to extend for at least through December, the teleconference public meeting order that applies to all county governmental entities.

The edict also applies to the board of supervisors’ advisory commissions.  Meetings conducted for the planning commission, airports commission, library commission, merit board, and Proposition X advisory commission among other advisory panels must continue to be conducted via Zoom or other teleconference media.

The supervisors’ action to extend the COVID-19 public meeting teleconference order arose from the fact that 92,000 five- to 11-year-old children in the county are now eligible to get vaccinated, Contra Costa Health Services Director Anna Roth announced.

This announcement will add more burden to county health officials to vaccinate residents. She informed supervisors the county’s total vaccination rate is 73.2 percent.

“We need 92,000 more people to get vaccinated,” Roth informed supervisors.

Mason recommended supervisors adopt the resolution because “the COVID-19 case rate in Contra Costa County is in the ‘substantial’ community transmission tier, the second-highest tier of the CDC’s four community transmission tiers and the County Health Officer’s recommendations for safely holding public meetings, which recommend virtual meetings and other measures to promote social distancing, are still in effect.”

In October, supervisors had adopted a similar resolution authored by County Counsel Mason to continue teleconference meetings for public health reasons at least until November, but obviously the public health landscape had not improved sufficiently for state health officials to lift all the burdensome public meeting restrictions.

While county health officials reported the county is making progress in getting Contra Costa residents vaccinated, “A Statewide state of emergency and the Countywide local emergency continue to directly impact the ability of the Board of Supervisors, in all of its capacities, and its subcommittees and advisory bodies.”

Another COVID-19 oriented state of emergency edict ordering Contra Costa County governmental agencies to conduct meetings remotely means the board of supervisors won’t conduct its inaugural meeting until January, if then, in the new $95 million administration building in downtown Martinez.

In the meantime, the gleaming new public hearing hall remains closed to the public.

Redistricting Public Hearing on Nov. 9

The county’s fourth public hearing on supervisorial redistricting will be held starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9. The hearing will start at 9 a.m. during the Board of Supervisors meeting. The hearing will be held via Zoom and can be viewed online. (See related article)

“The County Board of Supervisors welcomes your community input in this important, decennial process,” said Board Chair Dianne Burgis of Brentwood. “We are committed to a robust Redistricting and public outreach process with public hearings, a dedicated website at CoCoRedistricting.org. public workshops, and multiple ways to share your input.”

Redistricting is based on the U.S. Census data, which was released in legacy format on August 12, 2021. The actual drawing of Supervisorial District Maps requires the official California State Adjusted Redistricting data, which was released Sept. 20, 2021 and includes updated data to ensure that individuals in the prison population are counted by each jurisdiction.

Acknowledge Black Maternal and Infant Health Day

Supervisors proclaimed Nov. 3, 2021 as Black Family Health Day to acknowledge the disparities in adverse birth outcomes among Black birthing patients and ways to turnaround those negative outcomes using pioneering technologies such as the early warning system, Partners in Pregnancy Fatherhood Program, Black Infant Health Program, and other programs.

From 2018 to 2020, 9.5 percent of Black mothers had preterm births compared to 5.8 percent of White mothers. Black babies are twice as likely to die within the first year of life as White babies (6.3/1,000 v. 3.2/1,000 from 2016 to 2020) and Black mothers experienced health-impacting, life-threatening events during childbirth at more than double the rate of White mothers from 2016 to 2018.

BART board begins redistricting process to redraw election districts Nov. 10

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Public involvement is encouraged. Districts 1, 2, 3 and 7 currently include  portions of Contra Costa County

The BART Board of Directors’ Redistricting Committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting since receiving the 2020 Census data to begin the process of redrawing election districts to align with current population information. The virtual meeting will be held Wednesday, November 10, 2021 from 1 to 3pm.

The BART Redistricting Committee consists of Directors Lateefah Simon (Chairperson), Elizabeth Ames and Mark Foley.

BART election districts are redrawn every 10 years following the U.S. Census. The primary purpose of redistricting is to ensure population equality among districts.  This process is guided by traditional redistricting principles as well as the U.S. Constitution, the California Constitution, the federal Voting Rights Act and the BART District Act.

Information about current District boundaries

BART 2011 Election Districts Final Report – Adopted 12/1/2011 (10 Mb .pdf file)

All BART Districts
Counties Included: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco
Map: All BART Districts (.pdf file)

District: 1
Counties Included: Contra Costa
Cities Included: Acalanes Ridge, Alamo, Alhambra Valley, Blackhawk, Camino Tassajara, Castle Hill, Clayton, Concord, Contra Costa Centre, Danville, Diablo, Lafayette, Martinez, Mountain View, Norris Canyon, North Gate, Pacheco, Pleasant Hill, Port Costa, Reliez Valley, San Miguel, San Ramon, Saranap, Shell Ridge, Vine Hill, Walnut Creek
Map: BART District 1 (.pdf file)

District: 2
Counties Included: Contra Costa
Cities Included: Antioch, Bay Point, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Clyde, Concord, Discovery Bay, Knightsen, Oakley, Pacheco, Pittsburg, Vine Hill
Map: BART District 2 (.pdf file)

District: 3
Counties Included: Alameda, Contra Costa
Cities Included: Albany, Ashland, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Cherryland, El Cerrito, Kensington, Lafayette, Moraga, Oakland, Orinda, Piedmont, San Lorenzo
Map: BART District 3 (.pdf file)

District: 4
Counties Included: Alameda
Cities Included: Alameda, Oakland, San Leandro
Map: BART District 4 (.pdf file)

District: 5
Counties Included: Alameda
Cities Included: Castro Valley, Cherryland, Dublin, Fairview, Hayward, Livermore, Pleasanton, Sunol
Map: BART District 5 (.pdf file)

District: 6
Counties Included: Alameda
Cities Included: Fremont, Hayward (partial), Newark, Sunol, Union City
Map: BART District 6 (.pdf file)

District: 7
Counties Included: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco
Cities Included: Albany, Bayview, Berkeley, Crockett, East Richmond Heights, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Hercules, Kensington, Montalvin Manor, North Richmond, Oakland, Pinole, Richmond, Rodeo, Rollingwood, San Francisco, San Pablo, Tara Hills
Map: BART District 7 (.pdf file)

District: 8
Cities Included: San Francisco
Counties Included: San Francisco
Map: BART District 8 (.pdf file)

District: 9
Cities Included: San Francisco
Counties Included: San Francisco
Map: BART District 9 (.pdf file)

 

Contra Costa to hold Community Redistricting Workshops for Supervisor districts October 23-28

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Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors 2021 Redistricting Draft Map 1. Source: CCC Department of Conservation and Development

By Susan Shiu, PIO, Office of Communications & Media, Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County’s Redistricting effort is a once-a-decade process of redrawing the boundaries for Supervisorial districts after the U.S. Census. As part of that process,

a series of Community Redistricting Workshops to be held in each region of the County will take place October 20 – 29, 2021. To register for mapping workshops and to learn more, visit CoCoRedistricting.org.

The county is also offering easy-to-use mapping tools for public input. Five proposed maps have been created for review by the public and Supervisors. See Redistricting Concept Maps 1-5.

Redistricting is the regular process of adjusting the lines of voting districts in response to accordance with population shifts within the County. Every ten years, after the decennial census, supervisorial districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process is important in ensuring that each Supervisor represents about the same number of people.

Redistricting is based on the U.S. Census data, which was released in legacy format on August 12, 2021.  The actual drawing of Supervisorial District Maps requires the official California State Adjusted Redistricting data, which was released September 20, 2021 and includes updated data to ensure that individuals in the prison population are counted by each jurisdiction.

“The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors welcomes your engagement and input in this important process,” said Board Chair, Supervisor Diane Burgis. “We are committed to a robust Redistricting and public outreach process with public hearings, a dedicated website at CoCoRedistricting.org, and public workshops.”

Workshop Schedule

Community Redistricting Workshop – District 2, San Ramon City Hall

October 23, 2021, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM @ San Ramon City Hall, 7000 Bollinger Canyon Road. Hosted by Supervisor Candace Andersen

Community Redistricting Workshop – District 3 Zoom Workshop

October 24, 2021, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM This workshop will be by zoom only. Hosted by Supervisor Diane Burgis

Community Redistricting Workshop – District 4, Pleasant Hill Community Center

October 25, 2021, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM @ Pleasant Hill Community Center. Hosted by Supervisor Karen Mitchoff

Community Redistricting Workshop – East County Zoom Workshop

October 26, 2021, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM This workshop will be by zoom only. Hosted by Supervisors Diane Burgis & Federal Glover

Community Redistricting Workshop – District 1, San Pablo City Hall

October 27, 2021, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM @ San Pablo City Hall, 1000 Gateway Avenue, San Pablo 94806 Hosted by Supervisor John Gioia

Community Redistricting Workshop – District 5 Zoom Workshop

October 28, 2021, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM This workshop will be by zoom only. Hosted by Supervisor Federal Glover

For more information about Redistricting and how to provide input, visit www.CoCoRedistricting.org or the County website’s homepage at www.contracosta.ca.gov.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Free online mapping tools for redistricting now available for public use

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Help draw your representatives’ districts the way you’d like to see them; provided by 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission and Statewide Database

SACRAMENTO, CA—On Saturday, Oct. 2, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission announced the Statewide Database’s release of two free-to-use tools to help Californians submit redistricting plans to the Commission. These are the only redistricting applications through which users can submit their input directly to the state of California’s official redistricting process.

“The Commission is excited to share these free resources to help people draw their own district maps,” stated Commission Chair Sara Sadhwani. “The success of this decennial process depends on the participation of all Californians. We want to hear from everyone and want to know if our line drawing is heading in the right direction.”

“The Statewide Database is proud to provide two map creation tools that are free of charge,” said Karin Mac Donald, Director of the Statewide Database. “The key to participation is access. These online tools aim to expand access to every Californian in hopes that they have the tools necessary to participate in the redistricting process.”

Tell the CRC about your community today!

The previously released Draw My CA Community allows users to draw a map of and respond to a few simple prompts about their Communities of Interest. When finished, users can submit community input directly to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission for consideration in the statewide redistricting process. (https://drawmycacommunity.org/)

Draw My CA Districts is a free-to-use online tool for creating district maps

Through the newly released Draw My CA Districts web application, users can create district maps throughout the state of California and submit those maps directly to the Commission. (https://drawmycadistricts.org/)

Draw My CA is a free-to-use plugin for the open-source GIS platform, QGIS

Today’s release of the Draw My CA QGIS plugin allows users to download a California redistricting application to their own computer.  With this plugin, users can create redistricting plans for the state of California and submit those maps directly to the Commission while having access to a full GIS platform. Draw My CA will be available 10/03/2021 at: https://www.redistrictinggroup.org/installer/.

To learn more about these tools, please visit https://drawmycalifornia.org/.

Both the online district mapping tools (Draw My CA Districts and Draw My CA) include functionality to assist users to comply with population deviation, contiguity and assignment checks.

  • % Deviation check – tells the user to what extent any of their districts are above or below the ideal population of the distinct type they are working on
  • Contiguity check – lets the user know if their districts are contiguous or not
  • Assignment check – lets the user know if they have unassigned areas in their redistricting plan

The Commission must follow the following criteria, in this order, when drawing district maps:

  1. Districts must be of equal population to comply with the US Constitution.
  2. Districts must comply with the Voting Rights Act to ensure that minorities have an equal opportunity to elect representatives of their choice.
  3. Districts must be drawn contiguously, so that all parts of the district are connected to each other.
  4. Districts must minimize the division of cities, counties, neighborhoods and communities of interest to the extent possible.
  5. Districts should be geographically compact: such that nearby areas of population are not bypassed for a more distant population. This requirement refers to density, not shape. Census blocks cannot be split.
  6. Where practicable each Senate District should be comprised of two complete and adjacent Assembly Districts, and Board of Equalization districts should be comprised of 10 complete and adjacent State Senate Districts.

In addition, the place of residence of any incumbent or political candidate may not be considered in the creation of a map, and districts may not be drawn for the purpose of favoring or discriminating against an incumbent, political candidate, or political party.

Every 10 years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California must redraw the boundaries of its electoral districts so that the state’s population is evenly allocated among the new districts.

In 2008, California voters passed the Voters First Act, authorizing the creation of the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw new State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization district lines. In 2010, the Voters First Act for Congress gave the Commission the responsibility of drawing new Congressional districts following every census.

For more information, please visit WeDrawTheLinesCA.org.

 

California school choice initiative for Nov. 2022 ballot filed with Attorney General

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Source: www.californiaschoolchoice.org

Would allow creation of “Education Savings Account” for each K-12 student; organizers will need to gather signatures of one million voters

By Michael Alexander

Labor Day is the traditional end of the summer and the beginning of fall.  Before government created the perpetual school year, Labor Day also marked the beginning of the school year. This year, Labor Day marked the beginning of what will be a decisive and tumultuous year.  Californians will have the opportunity to establish true educational freedom in our wonderful Golden State.

School Choice Initiative Filed with Attorney General

In August, key leaders of the California School Choice Foundation joined other Californians to formally present a school choice initiative to the California Attorney General’s office for what is known as “Title and Summary.”  We expect to receive that summary no later than October 12, 2021.  Once that happens, we can then begin to gather the 1.0 million valid signatures necessary to place it on the November 2022 ballot.  Just to make sure, we plan to gather 1.5 million signatures.

Empowers Parents and Revolutionizes Education in California

The key four points of the initiative are these:

Educational Freedom Act

  1. An Education Savings Account (“ESA”) will be established for each K-12 child in California on request.
  2. Each year, that account will be credited with the student’s share of what are known as Prop 98 funds. That share will begin at $14,000 per year per student.
  3. The parent will be able to direct the ESA trust funds to a participating, accredited private or parochial school. The money will follow the student not the politicians.
  4. Any unspent funds will accumulate and can be spent on college, vocational training or other qualified educational expense.

This plan is both simple and revolutionary.  Once passed, California will become the first state to enact universal school choice.  More important, it will be the first state to recognize that It’s Your Kids, Your Money and Your Choice!

Get Ready and Get Involved NOW!

I need not tell you that school choice is the hottest issue in the country.  It was the linchpin of at least two candidates in the recall election:  Larry Elder and Kevin Kiley.  Each endorsed our school choice initiative. You can understand why this is initiative is already driving bureaucrats and social engineers insane.  No matter what happened in the recall election, school choice is not going anywhere.  Thousands of supporters are now mobilizing to get it on the ballot and pass it.  Scores of candidates for statewide and local offices will make school choice the focal point of their campaigns.

This is why you need to get involved right now.  We don’t have a moment to lose.

Super Sunday – Happy Halloween!  Trick or Treat? 

As I mentioned above, we are not standing still for a moment.  We know we will be able to start gathering signatures a month from now.  We have been organizing and advocating for the last three years.

We want to hit the ground running.  That’s why we are pre-planning a major event for October 30-31.  Whether you call it Super Sunday or Halloween, you need to let us know what church or other venue you will be covering on that weekend.  Our goal is to calendar at least 1,000 events statewide.  Nothing will send a more powerful message than this.  Friends and foes alike will know we are serious about our freedom and the future of our children.

This campaign will run for the next 13 months, ending in victory on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

The following was provided by Stephen Smith:

Q1.  What about California’s public education system led to this grassroots effort for the initiative?

The reasons are legion.

  1. California schools can hardly be called an “education” system. Despite spending $20,000 per student per year – – that’s an average of $500,000 per classroom of 25 – – California schools rank near the bottom of the nation at 48th place. This has happened even though per pupil spending has almost doubled in the last decade.
  2. Increasingly, California schools preferred to indoctrinate rather than educate. In the face of vigorous parental opposition, social engineers (*1) disguised as “educators” continue their efforts to implement critical race theory. They also have frustrated efforts of parents to opt out of equally controversial “sex-ed” programs. (*2)
  3. Parents are outraged by the closure of the schools and mask mandates. Eighteen months after the start of the Covid panic, schools are still not fully reopened.
  4. Parents are frustrated by being ignored by school boards, teachers’ unions and politicians. They feel strongly – – and correctly – – that they are the parents and should be making basic decisions about the health, education and formation of their children. This is a basic human right that is frustrated daily by a leviathan system that cares little for them for their children. (*3)

(*1) https://freebeacon.com/coronavirus/la-teachers-union-president-there-is-no-such-thing-as-learning-loss/  “There is no such thing as learning loss,” the union president told Los Angeles Magazine. “Our kids didn’t lose anything. It’s OK that our babies may not have learned all their times tables. They learned resilience. They learned survival. They learned critical thinking skills. They know the difference between a riot and a protest. They know the words insurrection and coup.” Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)

(*2) https://capitolresource.org/ca-sex-education/

(*3) CPC report and polling data https://californiapolicycenter.org/new-polling-shows-covid-19-shifted-california-voters-opinions-on-schools-2/

Q2. How will the state provide the $14K per student?

  1. The principal source will be Proposition 98 tax revenues which, in the coming school year, will average approximately $14,000 per student. In fact, as noted above, the State spends approximately $20,000 per student per year.
  2. Ultimately, of course, parents, like every other taxpayer in California, will pay dearly for their own K-12 education as well as that of their children. Politicians and other advocates of centralized, inefficient, and incompetent government schools, never let on that under proposition 98, 40% of California state tax revenues are earmarked for what they are pleased to call “education.” As a practical matter, therefore, everyone in California will pay for K-12 education their entire lives. The only question is whether they get the education they pay for. Therefore, we say: It’s Your Kids, Your Money, and Your Choice.

Q3. Why do students and families need school choice?

  1. It should be recognized that what we call “school choice” is another way of describing parental choice. As discussed above, California schools, dominated by corrupt teachers’ unions and politicians have utterly failed to educate our children. This system particularly affects poor and minority communities who have no ability to escape the system. Therefore, they have no opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty and ignorance that so often characterizes our inner cities.
  2. It is not only that they need school choice. It benefits all of us. In California, indeed in America itself, real progress depends upon economic, social, and political mobility. The foundation of this mobility is a decent education without which our poorest citizens cannot hope to participate fully in our complex economy and our form of government. The current government school monopoly both creates and sustains a permanent underclass. This system is not only immoral, but also dangerous.  Therefore, our school choice initiative must first be understood as a preferential option for the poor.
  3. School choice is wildly popular among parents and citizens at large. There are several polls showing that approximately 70% of black and Latino Democrat parents desire some form of school choice.
  4. Another example is homeschooling. It is estimated that there were only 73,000 homeschooled children in 1973.  In the wake of school closures and the rapid decline in education, that number has swollen to as much as 5 million.  These parents are tired of arguing with the teacher unions and politicians.

Q4. Is this the first ballot initiative of its kind in the U.S.?

  1. This is not the first time that Californians have tried to get some form of school choice. There was an initiative on the ballot in the early 90’s and again in 2000.  Both failed.  That said, there are several states that have various forms of school choice that often include the ability of parents to choose a public school to attend but only within the system.  Other state programs do allow limited funds to attend a private school or provide funds for certain educational expenses procured outside the system.  Arizona and Florida are examples of each.  Some states have put Education Savings Accounts into place to implement parental choice.
  2. The Educational Freedom Act initiative goes further than any other proposal of which we are aware. It grants the right of any parent to request the creation and funding of an Education Savings Account that they can use to enroll their child in any accredited school of their choice and save anything left over for college or vocational training.  It is both simple and revolutionary.

Q5. Why does it need to happen through a voter referendum instead of the state legislature?

  1. This is simple. The politicians, special interests and the teachers’ unions have a monopoly on what millions of Californians say, think and do.  They also control for their own benefit 40% — over $100 billion – of the California budget.  They will not give up this power willingly.  We anticipate that the enemies of educational freedom will spend $100 – 200 million to defeat parents’ rights.

Q6. What is most important for people to know?

  1. The most important thing for people to know is that help is on the way. For the first time:
  2. Parents, not politicians, bureaucrats or zip codes, will determine how and where their children will be education.
  3. Because all schools, both public and private, will have to compete for students, ALL schools will get better.
  4. Because of competition, all schools will have to deal respectfully with parents who will be customers with a choice.
  5. Parents, including homeschoolers, will be able to shape their children’s education in a way best suited to their needs and talents, not the government’s.
  6. Because educational funding will now follow the student and empower parents, California will experience unprecedented innovation in education. California will once again lead the nation in educational innovation and excellence.

For more information visit www.CaliforniaSchoolChoice.org or our Facebook page.

Michael Alexander is President and Chairman of the Board and Stephen Smith is Vice President of Californians for School Choice.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Gubernatorial Recall Election results available Tuesday night

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Initial unofficial results for the Recall Election will be available shortly after 8:00 pm

By Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach/Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

The first unofficial results report for the Gubernatorial Recall Election will be released shortly after at 8:00 pm on election night, September 14 and posted to the Elections Division website www.cocovote.us immediately afterward. The initial posted results will be Vote by Mail ballots that are returned through Monday, September 13 and in person early votes from prior to election day.

The second report, with results from the polls, will be issued at approximately 9:30 pm with subsequent updates approximately every half hour until all poll precincts have reported. The final unofficial election night report is expected to be issued by 1:00 am.

The first interim report will be posted by 5:00 pm on Friday, September 17 and will contain results from timely Vote by Mail ballots received on and after Election Day. The second interim report will be posted by 5:00 pm on Friday, September 24. Additional results will be posted each Friday afternoon up to certification which is expected to be October 8. All results remain unofficial until certification.

The availability of updated reports will be communicated via Twitter and Facebook. Changes to the reporting schedule, if any, will also be communicated on these social media sites.

The Contra Costa Elections Division social media pages are:
https://www.Twitter.com/CoCoElections
https://www.facebook.com/ContraCostaElections/

 

Tips and reminders for voting safely in the September 14th Recall Election

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By Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach/Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

The Contra Costa Elections Division would like to remind residents that the Division is taking great steps to make sure that voting in the September 14th Recall Election is as safe as possible. Health officials have said that voting by mail is the safest option. Voters are encouraged to return their ballot by mail postmarked on or before Election Day or drop their ballot off at one of the County’s 36 official drop boxes.

“For everyone’s safety, we are urging voters to vote by mail and to reserve in-person voting for those that require in-person services,” said Clerk-Recorder-Registrar Deborah Cooper, the County’s top Elections Official. “Voting by mail protects voters, poll workers and our volunteers by limiting personal contact. In person voting locations will follow health protocols, which may cause delays and lines due to social distancing. The easiest and fastest way to vote in this election is to cast the ballot that we sent to you returning it by mail or into one of our official ballot boxes located throughout the County.”

In-Person Services

If you need in-person services to cast your ballot, Contra Costa County residents have early voting options at eight Regional Early Voting sites throughout the county as of Friday, September 10th.

All registered Contra Costa voters will be able to vote at any of the locations, which will be open Monday September 13 from 11 am to 7 pm.

The sites are:

  • Ambrose Community Center, 3105 Willow Pass Rd., Bay Point
  • Antioch Community Center, 4703 Lone Tree Way, Antioch
  • Brentwood Community Center, 35 Oak St., Brentwood
  • El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito
  • Fair Oaks Church, 1925 Risdon Rd., Concord
  • Hyatt House Pleasant Hill, 2611 Contra Costa Blvd., Pleasant Hill
  • Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond
  • San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church, 902 Danville Blvd., Alamo

Polling Places

Polling places will be open on Election Day, Tuesday September 14 from 7am to 8 pm.  Please check the back of your Voter Information Guide for your polling place or go to our website and check “My Voting Information”.

Additional Drop-off Options

In addition to the Official Drop Boxes and Regional Voting Center sites, vote-by-mail ballots can also be dropped off at the Elections Division “Pop-up” Trailer locations on Monday September 13 at the following sites during the following times:

  • Monument Crisis Center, 1990 Market St., Concord 9 am-10:30 am
  • Contra Costa College, 2600 Mission Bell Dr., San Pablo 11 am-1:30 pm
  • Richmond Civic Center, 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond 2 pm-3:30 pm

Drive through drop off will be available at the The Clerk-Recorder-Elections Offices on Saturday September 11th from 10 am-3 pm, Monday September 13th from 9 am-5pm and on Election day, September 14th from 7 am-8 pm.

Conditional Voter Registration

If you missed the voter registration deadline, you can still register and vote in person using Conditional Voter Registration. It is a one-stop opportunity to register and cast your ballot and is available at our office-555 Escobar Street in Martinez, Regional Early Voting sites, and all polling places on Election Day.

Accessible Voting Equipment and Additional Language Access

Official ballots and voting instructions are printed in English, Spanish and Chinese.  Voting equipment with accessible features are available at every in-person voting location for voters who may need assistance due to a disability.   Additional language resources are available through accessible vote by mail and ballot translation guides available online and at in person voting location.

Be Prepared

It helps to come prepared. Bring your Sample Ballot or Voter Information Guide to help you make your selections. Copies are also available at the polls and information is available online.

Leave the T-Shirts, Buttons, and Hats at Home

Please remember that voters have the right to cast a ballot free from intimidation or distraction. Electioneering, including wearing anything with a campaign slogan on it, is prohibited within 100 feet of any in-person voting location.  Anyone wearing such campaign slogans will be asked to remove or cover them while they are in the voting location.  Please help our poll workers by respecting the non-partisan nature of the voting locations.

Follow Safety Procedures

Protect your health and the health of other voters and election workers at voting locations by taking the following precautions:

VOTING LOCATION SAFETY CHECKLIST

For more information on voting options for the Recall Election, visit www.cocovote.us  or call 925.335.7800.

 

Voter registration for governor’s recall election closes Monday

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By Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach/Engagement Specialist Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Contra Costa County—Debi Cooper, County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters announced today that the close of registration for the upcoming September 14, 2021 Gubernatorial Recall election is fast approaching on August 30th. 

“This is the deadline for voters to register to be sent an Official Ballot in the mail and be provided their assigned polling place information if they choose to vote in person on Election Day,” she said. “After this date, voters will be required to register and vote in person.”

Register to Vote:

Voters can register to vote most conveniently online at https://registertovote.ca.gov, or complete a voter registration card available at most post offices, city halls, and libraries throughout the county.  Online registration must be completed before midnight.  Paper registration cards must be postmarked by August 30th. 

To be eligible to vote in this election, a registered voter must be a U.S. Citizen, at least 18 years of age by Election Day, a resident of the state, and not currently serving a federal or state prison term for the conviction of a felony.

You must update your registration if you have moved or changed your name (married, divorced, etc.).

You can check your voter registration status online at http://www.cocovote.us by clicking on the “My Voting Information” button.

After the August 30th registration deadline, new voters will be required to register and vote in person at one of the County’s early voting sites, the Elections Division in Martinez, or at a polling place on Election Day. Cooper’s advice: “Register early so you will receive a ballot in the mail. If you choose to vote in-person, already being registered will speed up the process at your polling place on Election Day.”

California Citizens Redistricting Commission to launch Communities of Interest virtual meetings

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SACRAMENTO, CA—On Thursday, June 10th, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) will launch the first in a series of Communities of Interest (COI) virtual hearings to capture community specific data that will help Commissioners to respect community boundaries to the best of their abilities when drawing district lines, as is mandated by California’s line drawing criteria.

When the Commission begins drawing maps using census data, they will need to follow this set of criteria, in this order, as outlined in the California Constitution.

  1. Districts must be of nearly equal population to comply with the U.S. Constitution.
  2. Districts must comply with the Voting Rights Act to ensure that minorities have a fair opportunity to elect representatives of their choice.
  3. Districts must be drawn contiguously, so that all parts of the district are connected to each other.
  4. Districts must minimize the division of counties, cities, neighborhoods, and communities of interest to the extent possible.
  5. Districts should be geographically compact such that nearby areas of population are not bypassed for more distant populations.
  6. Where practicable, each Senate District should consist of two complete and adjacent Assembly Districts, and Board of Equalization districts should consist of ten complete and adjacent State Senate Districts. This is known as nesting.

We can obtain the city and county information from those jurisdictions, but we need the neighborhood and communities of interest information from Californians directly.

“The Commission is excited to hear directly from Californians about their Communities of Interest during our initial COI input meeting on Thursday, June 10th from 12 – 8 PM. Although we have been accepting Communities of Interest submissions online since March, these virtual input sessions are yet another opportunity for communities to share with the Commission about their Communities of Interest,” stated Commission Chair Isra Ahmad.

During these input meetings, participants will be asked to describe their community and will be encouraged to consider highlighting the following:

  1. Begin with your county or city.
  2. Mention the street names and significant locations in your neighborhood to help us identify the parameters of your community.
  3. What are your shared interests?
  4. What brings you together?
  5. What is important to your community?
  6. Are there nearby areas you want to be in a district with?
  7. Nearby areas you don’t want to be in a district with? Why or why not?
  8. Has your community come together to advocate for important services, better schools, roads, or health centers in your neighborhood?

Registration is not required to participate in these public input meetings. The call-in number for public input on the day of each event will be (877) 853-5247.

For more information regarding the June 10th event, please visit our website at: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/june_10_mtg. To view a full list of upcoming meetings, please visit: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/meetings. Additionally, Californians can skip the line and provide their input online by visiting: https://drawmycacommunity.org/. The online COI tool is available in fourteen languages and includes tutorials.

Every 10 years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California must redraw the boundaries of its electoral districts so that the state’s population is evenly allocated among the new districts.

In 2008, California voters passed the Voters First Act, authorizing the creation of the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw new State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization district lines. In 2010, the Voters First Act for Congress gave the Commission the responsibility of drawing new Congressional districts following every census.

For more information, please visit WeDrawTheLinesCA.org.

 

League of Women Voters hosts Redistricting: Reading Between the Lines May 27

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Redistricting is required to comply with the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, ensuring “one person, one vote.” Every ten years local Contra Costa governmental bodies use the mandated Census to redraw districts’ lines to reflect population growth and shifts, affecting who will be elected to represent you.

Learn from a panel of current and former community leaders about what redistricting is, how the process works, how you can participate and how it affects you.

Date:  Thursday, May 27, 2021

Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Register for this zoom presentation:

https://ccclib.bibliocommons.com/events/6086ffd5b6f1714500ce77ed

Panelists

Helen Hutchinson, immediate past president LWV California

Board of Supervisors Chair Diane Burgis

David Twa, immediate past Administrator, Contra Costa County

Bobby Jordan, West Contra Costa Unified School District

Debi Cooper, Registrar of Voters, Contra Costa County

This panel discussion will help the community understand how local district boundaries are drawn and how community members can participate in creating equitable maps of Contra Costa districts. The new district lines will last for the next ten years, impacting our community into the future. Redistricting affects congressional, state senate, assembly, Board of Equalization and BART districts, as well as to the following local districts this year:

Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, Districts 1-5

City Councils

  • Antioch
  • Brentwood
  • Concord
  • Martinez
  • Richmond
  • San Ramon

School Districts

  • Contra Costa County Board of Education
  • Contra Costa County Community College District
  • Antioch Unified School District
  • Martinez Unified School District
  • Mt. Diablo Unified School District
  • San Ramon Valley Unified School District
  • West Contra Costa Unified School District

Special Districts

  • Contra Costa Water District
  • Diablo Water District
  • Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection

This panel discussion will be livestreamed on the Contra Costa Library YouTube channel, and broadcast on CCTV. A recording of this meeting will be available on the Contra Costa Library and the League of Women Voters Diablo Valley YouTube channels, as well as rebroadcast on local CCTV channels.

The program is sponsored by the Contra Costa Libraries, the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley and the League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County.

For More Information Contact Program@LWVDV.org.