Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder-Elections

October 03, 2007

Contact:
Warren Slocum
Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Phone: (650) 363-4988 Fax: (650) 363-1903 E-mail: wslocum@smcare.org

Alternate:
David Tom
Phone: (650) 312.5222 E-mail: dtom@smcare.org

Newly Launched Blog: Inside Elections

The Blog Behind the San Mateo County Vote

The San Mateo County Elections Office has introduced a new blog to its Web site, www.shapethefuture.org, to give the public an informal, inside view of the behind-the-scenes preparations that take place at the Elections Office before, during and after an election. It may just be the first of its kind in the country.

“We are inviting the public in with our blog in an effort toward greater election transparency and as a way to educate voters about what goes into conducting an election,” said San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum. “In looking at elections from this vantage point, people may be surprised at the variety of tasks underway, at the attention to detail, and at the very, very human process of conducting an election. An incredible level of coordination and person power is involved in making it possible for every citizen to exercise their right to vote.”

To date, the blog called Inside Elections, features an introductory message and posts about the Poll Worker Academy II Graduation on Sept. 27, the mandatory training classes for poll workers that commenced on Monday, and the new online signup procedures that poll workers are using. Today’s post will be on Logic & Accuracy testing, a process critical to ensuring the accuracy of the vote totals on Election Night.

The blog features the people, activities and scenes of the Elections Office and explains the purpose of each aspect of election operations in an informal, easy-to-read manner. Rather than just providing voters with information, the blog also aims to engage voters in the world of elections, inviting comments, questions or even an RSS feed subscription to keep up with the latest news.

“We’re hoping to put a human face on all the processes that go on at Elections,” Slocum said. “If that encourages more participation, then that’s wonderful! And, if we’re really lucky, more people will want to serve at the polls on Election Day and take part in their democracy in a brand new way!”

View the blog online at http://insideelections.shapethefuture.org.

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