Elections official defends vote‑center model after busy 2024 cycle; 84% turnout in general election

Registrar of Voters Linda Webster told the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 5 that the county successfully ran two federal elections in 2024 under the vote‑center model and managed a high turnout level and complex ballot processing tasks.

Webster said the county mailed about 136,167 vote‑by‑mail ballots for the general election and processed roughly 114,023 ballots with an overall turnout of about 84%. She told supervisors that about 1,037,000 signature verifications were processed (the number differs from turnout because in‑person vote‑center signatures are handled under different rules). The office also handled roughly 192 candidate filings for primary and general cycles and trained about 161 vote‑center workers for the general election.

Why it matters: As a vote‑center county, El Dorado mails ballots to all registered voters and operates multiple vote centers across the county for several days before Election Day. Webster said the 11‑day vote‑center requirement remains a local cost point and has been the subject of statewide feedback; the county is permitted to reduce a mandated second mailing if it can show substitute outreach activities.

Upcoming deadlines and planning: Webster said the county will update its election administration plan and explore ballot‑tabulation system certification work in a February review; she noted the county’s registration count may soon cross a 140,000 threshold that would require an additional vote center under state rules.

Ending: Webster thanked IT and other county staff for website and tabulation support, and asked the board to note the department’s continuing need for resources tied to vote‑center operations and compliance requirements.