RulesCommunications Highlights 2010 0323

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Registrar staff and -City officials have numerous contacts with the local media and already have fielded interest by reporters about the shift to Ranked Choice Voting in November 2010. It is expected that there will be some media interest in the topic in early to mid-2010, as preparations solidify surrounding the shift to Ranked Choice Voting. Based on the media interest surrounding RCV so far, it is expected that there will be ample media interest in RCV in Alameda County in the weeks preceding the November 2010 election. At that time, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters and officials in the three RCV cities will have staff available to explain RCV to reporters on camera and in interviews in person and/or over the telephone. Furthermore, outreach materials discussed earlier - such as the Flash Media presentation and the Voter Education Video -should prove to be appealing to reporters in all media as they look for ways to enhance their reporting on RCV. Additional innovative efforts to aid voters in understanding RCV - Signage at Polling Places - Extra Poll Workers at Polling Places The Alameda County Registrar of Voters will also take several steps on Election Day in November 2010 to help those voters who arrive at polling places to vote but who still lack understanding of the shift to Ranked Choice Voting. The Registrar of Voters and the three cities that will use. Ranked Choice Voting - Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro -are planning to enlist at least one additional poll worker in each polling place whose assignment will be to explain RCV (and how to properly mark the RCV ballot) to voters. Alameda County already employs four poll workers per polling place on average. These workers help voters with various steps in the voting process, and already are trained to assist with questions about how to vote properly. By employing an additional poll worker whose focus is on explaining Ranked Choice Voting, voters should have adequate resources at their disposal at the polling place to ensure a successful voting experience. In addition, Alameda County plans on posting ample signage at each RCV polling place that will provide voters with visual step-by-step explanations on how to mark their ballots correctly using Ranked Choice Voting. These signs will include larger signs in the areas where voters line up to receive their ballots, and smaller educational signs inside the voting booths themselves. Furthermore, materials such as the tri-fold brochure explained earlier in this outreach plan can be made available to voters at the polling places should they need a more in- depth explanation of RCV. Page ~ 11