Building a Network for Impact Astrid Ochoa, Executive Director @FutureCAElect Prepared for iGO Conference July 2018

Election officials Civil Rights and Civic Engagement Groups Reform Advocates

Civil Rights and Civic Engagement Groups Future of California Elections (FoCE) works to modernize elections and expand participation Election officials Civil Rights and Civic Engagement Groups Reform Advocates FoCE builds collaborations and implements strategies for impact

FoCE members

FoCE members develop annual priorities In 2018, FoCE will work to implement and disseminate best practices for Pre-registration of 16/17-year- olds Student voter registration California’s new Motor Voter Law Same Day Registration  Language access Improved voter information Improved Vote-by-mail envelopes   Voter’s Choice Act (SB 450) futureofcaelections.org

What does the FoCE network model have to do with Improving Design and Language of Elections Documents & Communications?

FoCE members and partners bring diverse perspectives and expertise Election administration Community Contacts Regulations Legislative developments Language Access Plain language Voting Rights Language review Design ADA Compliance Demographic analysis

FoCE members collaborate to develop multiple resources for the field Toolkits Research Reports Plain language sample text Educational webinars Voters Choice California Annual Conference futureofcaelections.org

FoCE Launched the Voter’s Choice California project in Spring 2017 The VCC supports counties and communities implementing the VCA We convened local partners in the 5 counties to create local hubs and convened statewide Coalition Developed Grants program Partner closely with the Office of the California Secretary of State to develop VCA language glossaries Steering Committee: ACLU of California Asian Americans Advancing Justice-ALC Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA California Common Cause Disability Rights California League of Women Voters of California NALEO Educational Fund Cathy Darling, CACEO representative

Voter’s Choice California developed resources to support the field Website has performed above industry standards showing users are engaged with the material 3min 23s average time on site, industry standard is 2-3 min 2.29 average pages per visit, industry standard is 2 Most visited pages are for general information and resources What is the Voter’s Choice Act? (1,584 total, 1,244 unique) Tools for Organizers (1,244 total, 907 unique) voterschoice.org

Voters Choice California became the go to resource for many communities Voter’s Choice California provided coordination of strategies, plain language materials, elevated effective practices and connected partners Local leaders were better positioned to support their communities with culturally relevant materials Counties were better positioned to connect with community partners as required by the Act

FoCE Annual Conference aims to build the capacity of the elections field Convenes nearly 300 participants Sample of Workshops: Best practices for to serve voters with disabilities, limited English proficient voters, youth, and plain language Save the Date – Sacramento April 2019

Using the FoCE network model to improve election materials Assess the challenges you are trying to address in your materials Invite diverse partners to join you in addressing the challenges Listen to new perspectives, be open to change Define a collaborative strategy to address the challenge Meet deadlines Election officials Civil Rights and Civic Engagement Groups Reform Advocates

Let me know how it goes! Astrid Ochoa, Executive Director astrid@futureofcaelections.org @FutureCAElect futureofcaelections.org voterschoice.org