As the Democratic Party chair in Yolo County and one very interested in
these issues, I'd love to hear a dialog on this.  I've reviewed the
Elections Code, and haven't found the provision setting standards for
all-mail precincts.  (Elections Code sec. 4000 et seq. has many provisions
for all-mail ballots, but they don't appear to apply.)

Interestingly, mail-only precincts aren't just used in rural areas of the
county.  There is one here in Davis, which is in a lower income precinct
that regularly has low turnout.  I don't know if shifting to an all-mail
ballot helps or hurts the vote in this area, as the campaigns usually write
off the precinct because of the perception that no one votes, largely
created by the county's designation of it as mail-only.

Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-election-law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu
[mailto:owner-election-law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu] On Behalf Of
ban@richardwinger.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 7:02 PM
To: election-law_gl@majordomo.lls.edu
Subject: another equal protection problem in Calif.

My sister lives in rural Yolo County.  She has lived
there for 30 years and always votes.  For the first
time ever, her precinct has become a mandatory
all-mail precinct.  Everyone in her precinct will get
a genuine ballot (not just a sample ballot) in the
mail automatically.

This is not true of other nearby rural precincts in
Yolo County.  She has friends and neighbors in other
precincts, so she knows.

My sister says, if treating all voters alike is so
important, how is it possible that some voters have
the luxury of getting a ballot in the mail (without
lifting a finger to request an absentee), whereas
other voters in neighboring precincts don't have this
treatment.  My sister feels turnout will be higher in
her precinct, since the ballot comes automatically and
the county pays the return postage.

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