The meeting on November 17 covered a wealth of information.
Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer for San Mateo County, gave a comprehensive look at the challenges on the 2020 ballot: 245 candidates, 11 measures, 12 state propositions, hundreds of ballot styles, and more. San Mateo County remains the gold standard for election management! San Mateo County voters have a lot to be proud of: with a historic high turn-out of 86% of eligible voters. 91% of votes were mail-in ballots. Well done San Mateo!
Following that presentation, two leaders in the Leadership Now Project, Meghann Curtis, COO, and Mairin Macaluso, Director of Membership, gave a national perspective. Leadership Now has the ambitious goal of “fixing democracy.” Thie organizations's top priorities include:
- Voter participation and protection
- Competitive, fair and secure elections
- Data and transparency in politics
- Innovation and ideas for a modern democracy
Members heard tthat there is still a lot of work to be done. Trust in government is at an all-time low. While pro-democracy initiatives passed in some states, we have a long way to go for meaningful change.
