County Elections Violate National Voter Registration Act
By Bonnie Donovan
SB Current Numbers Update
SB Current has reached 12 million views since its inception (November 2023). Wednesday marked 555 consecutive stories, with Jim Buckley editing every single one. 42,000 subscribers, and an average of 25,000 impressions per day.
Follow-up From Last Week's Column
The above photograph, which was to be featured in last week's column, highlighted the removal of Los Positas Island, prompting a need to revisit this topic. It is essential to understand that placing an obstacle, whether in the middle of the road or as bulb-outs at turning points, increases the likelihood of collisions. Just as one would not install a streetlight or signal directly in the path of moving vehicles, the same logic applies to the placement of an island.
The location of the island coincides with the left-hand turn from Stanley, where drivers were not adequately warned about the obstacle in their turning lane. The absence of a detour sign and insufficient lighting further exacerbated the risk, making it inevitable that the island would be struck. Fortunately, the incident involved only the island and not a pedestrian, highlighting the potential dangers of such poorly placed infrastructure.
Follow-up on the 418 Milpas 90-Unit Massive Project
Where is Gregg Hart, Monique Limon, and anyone in our city? They are demolishing eight very-low-income cottages and replacing them with nine low-income units out of 90.
The ongoing development at 418 Milpas raises significant concerns. Local leaders seem absent from the conversation surrounding this drastic change. The reality is that this project yields only one additional low-income unit, a stark reminder of the inadequacy of the proposed solutions to the housing crisis.
During a recent Earth Day celebration, an east side resident sought assistance from Assemblyman Gregg Hart, only to be met with the disheartening response that he only engages in initiatives he believes he can successfully influence. As the residents of the soon-to-be-demolished cottages – including 86-year-old Ernestina – face displacement, questions arise about the support available for their relocation.
Now, Back to “Where the Heck is Joe Holland?”
No, the County hasn’t proven he is in the office.
The ongoing mystery surrounding Joe Holland's whereabouts raises significant questions, particularly regarding the County's failure to confirm his presence in the office. As I reviewed the response to my Public Records Act Request (PRAR), I stumbled upon some troubling information. It appears that there is a reluctance to purge the voter rolls, with plans to delay this process until 2025. This raises several concerns: Are they attempting to retain those voters’ ballots for other purposes? Is it possible for individuals who have moved out of the county or state to still cast their votes? Furthermore, could someone else potentially vote on their behalf? The lack of transparency surrounding this issue is alarming, especially considering that the County has not issued a media release to inform the public about the impending voter purge and the necessity for voters to return their cards to remain on the rolls
Shifting focus to the financial implications of this situation, the cost of mailing out 17,467 voter notifications cannot be overlooked. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the expenses associated with this endeavor are substantial. Each card must be printed, processed through the United States Postal Service, and managed by County employees who will handle the logistics of mailing, accepting returns, and storing these documents until they can be destroyed. My rough calculations suggest that the minimum cost per card could be around $12.00, which totals approximately $209,580.00. This figure is strikingly close to the amount required to cover the recent self-approved pay raise for our County Supervisors, highlighting a potential misallocation of resources.
Finally, it is essential to consider how these financial burdens trickle down to the city level. The City Council typically approves election costs that hover around $100,000.00 per election cycle. This financial strain, coupled with the lack of accountability regarding who is managing these processes, calls for greater scrutiny. As we approach future elections, it is crucial to remain vigilant and assertive in our voting decisions, particularly when it comes to nominating individuals from within the current administration.
Of Course I Reached Out to Someone
Outstanding work, Bonnie! This situation highlights both a breach of the National Voter Registration Act and a concerning lack of accountability. If there was no intention to update the rolls, what was the purpose of sending out the 17,432 letters, which likely incurred significant costs?
Where are the newly-wealthy-by-virtue-of-unwarranted-pay-raise County Board of Supervisors? Their oversight is crucial, especially given the apparent disconnect between the actions taken and the responsibilities of those in leadership positions. It raises questions about the overall management and decision-making processes within the organization.
The situation is concerning, as it reflects both a breach of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and a significant lack of accountability. The decision to refrain from updating the voter rolls appears to have been made by lower-level staff, given that Joe Holland, the individual in a senior position, continues to receive a substantial salary. If there was no intention to clean the rolls, the rationale behind sending out 17,432 letters remains unclear.
This raises questions about the oversight and involvement of supervisory personnel, particularly considering the apparent mismanagement. It is essential to examine the roles of those in leadership positions to understand how such decisions were made and to ensure that accountability is enforced moving forward.
Since we aren’t paid the big bucks county supervisors have voted for themselves, let’s ask for an analysis from Grok…
What Did Santa Barbara County Do Wrong?
Santa Barbara County violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by failing to maintain accurate voter rolls. Specifically:
Delayed Voter Roll Cleanup: The county sent 17,432 address confirmation notices (2019–2022) to inactive voters but made an administrative decision to not cancel any registrations until 2025, despite NVRA requirements to remove ineligible voters (e.g., those who moved or died) after a two-election waiting period (52 U.S.C. § 20507(a)(4)).
Lack of Transparency: The decision to delay was poorly documented, with no clear justification, and prior management responsible is no longer with the county, hindering accountability.
Why Does It Matter?
Legal Violation: The NVRA mandates accurate voter rolls. Non-compliance risks lawsuits (e.g., from Judicial Watch, as indicated in the document), costing taxpayer resources.
Election Integrity: Unclean rolls with ~17,432 inactive voters (some ineligible) could lead to rare errors or fraud, though safeguards like signature verification minimize this. It fuels public distrust in elections.
Administrative Inefficiency: Maintaining outdated registrations wastes resources (e.g., mailing notices) and skews turnout data, misrepresenting voter engagement.
Potential Impact: Inflated rolls can cause administrative errors or perceptions of vulnerability, affecting local elections.
What Can Citizens Do About It?
Contact Election Officials:
Reach out to the Santa Barbara County Elections Office (elections@sbcvote.com or 805-568-2200) to inquire about voter roll maintenance plans and urge compliance with NVRA.
Request transparency on the 2025 cancellation plan and inactive voter data.
File Public Records Requests:
Submit a California Public Records Act request to obtain voter roll maintenance records, including inactive voter counts and cancellation policies. Instructions are on the county website (www.countyofsb.org).
Engage Advocacy Groups:
Contact organizations like Judicial Watch (info@judicialwatch.org) or local election integrity groups to report concerns. They may investigate or litigate NVRA violations.
Work with nonpartisan groups like the League of Women Voters (LWV) for voter education and oversight.
HELLO, I see LWV on emails with the County? Did they know of this?
Monitor and Report:
Check your voter registration status at www.sos.ca.gov/elections to ensure accuracy.
Report suspected errors (e.g., deceased voters still registered) to the county elections office or the California Secretary of State (elections@sos.ca.gov).
Advocate for Policy Changes:
Attend county Board of Supervisors meetings to raise concerns about election administration.
Support legislation or local policies to improve voter roll maintenance, like enhanced data-sharing with state agencies (e.g., DMV, Social Security).
Participate in Elections:
Volunteer as a poll worker to observe processes firsthand. Vote and encourage accurate registration to strengthen active voter data.
Can you help by doing one of the above?
Beginning 85 years ago Porky Pig always ended Looney Tunes cartoons with…
"Th-th-th-that's all folks!"
Are we living in a Looney Tunes Cartoon World?
Do any of our overpaid greedy supervisors know?
Take a look at COLAB’s latest video, “The Great Fee Heist”
Looney Tunes indeed Bonnie! Thank you for your unwavering commitment and investigative journalism. Let’s see, potential massive voter fraud and our elected County Clerk, Joe Holland is AWOL and no where to be found? All while collecting his salary? This is reminiscent of a Banana Republic!
Seems to me that in addition to inquiries being made by the public, that a complaint be filed with the US Department of Justice. Perhaps even filing suit against the County?
Where is our Country District Attorney, John Savrnoch? Oh that’s right, it’s all part of the same incestuous Democratic controlled family.
Welcome to Nuevo Guatemala folks, formerly known as Santa Barbara County.
Thank you, Bonnie. Election fraud is a huge problem. But there's another huge problem and that's the absence of strong Republican candidates to run in 2026. I have started to ask myself: do California Republicans even care any more about winning - the way they used to? The answer I've finally come up is no, they don't really want to win anymore. Nixon wanted to win. Reagan wanted to win. Trump wants to win. We don't have a single Republican in this state who exudes any kind of American charisma - the way Trump does, Vance does, Reagan did. Even Nixon did. What really bothers me is that too many Republicans get too caught up in Christianity. I am not a Christian, but I've voted more often for Christian candidates than any other. But I can't vote for anyone who lectures about how the Christian god is the only god - and until I realize Christ died for my sins I'm lost. I've been lectured here on SB Current by Republicans in exactly that way. That's just political suicide. Reagan was a Christian but he didn't thump the Bible like that. I want to beat the Democrats and save this state. And I want to start seeing Republican candidates who, like Trump, know how to win. If we don¡t have Republicans determined to in, all the election reform will mean nothing. And lest anyone say I have no feeling for how Christians are being treated now, I link to this excellent article on the subject https://thefederalist.com/2025/04/29/christianity-is-the-real-target-of-all-the-hysteria-over-christian-nationalism/