Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee

The Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC) is an advisory committee to the Yolo County Elections Office.

The Yolo County Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee (VAAC) assists and advises the Yolo County Elections Office on voting accessibility matters affecting seniors and individuals with disabilities. The Yolo County Elections Office and the VAAC are dedicated to identifying and finding solutions to improve access to voting. The VAAC provides a forum for voicing concerns, providing advice, and creating opportunities for collaboration and outreach within the community.

All meetings are open to the public and public participation is encouraged. Currently, VAAC meetings are held via Zoom on the third Wednesday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 pm. Log-in information is listed here.

Members of the VAAC are volunteers. There is no stipend or reimbursement for participating in the VAAC.

About

The Yolo County Elections Office will pursue opportunities and suggestions provided by the VAAC. These recommendations may lead to actions such as the creation of new voter education and outreach materials, the revision of existing materials, in-person presentations, virtual meetings, or the distribution of educational materials to organizations serving people with disabilities. Other topic areas include:

informational materials and website
Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail (RAVBM) System
voter education and outreach materials
community group engagement
election worker diversity, recruitment, and training
ADA compliance or usability of voting locations
sensitivity and inclusion
physical barriers to voting
informational barriers to voting
best use of social media and multimedia resources
promotion of voting accessibility initiatives and events
initiatives and events to promote voting
disseminating information to local communities

Pre-Election Preparation

Prior to each major election and in collaboration with the VAAC, Yolo County will conduct voter education workshops to provide information about:

the Voter's Choice Act voting model
voting equipment accessibility and demonstrations
electronically accessing RAVBM and demonstrations of RAVBM
Ballot Drop Box and Vote Center information
successfully voting by mail
- signing with a mark rather than a traditional signature (witnessed by someone 18 years or older)
- authorizing someone to return your ballot
- signing by power-of-attorney on behalf of the voter is not acceptable and does not count
limitations on conservatorships and power of attorney relationships
how to "cure" challenged vote-by-mail ballots missing signatures or signatures not matching

Invitation to Interested Members of the Public

We encourage you to consider becoming a committee member. If interested or to find out more, please get in touch with the Yolo County Elections Office at (530) 666-8133 or [email protected]

Desirable Qualifications:

able to serve at least one year
able to attend meetings (currently virtual)

and

experience with accessibility advocacy, outreach, or technology
understanding of barriers faced by voters with disabilities

Committee membership is limited; however, all interested voters and advocates are invited to attend and participate.

Other VAAC and LAAC Committees across California

Local Voting Accessibility Advisory Committees and Language Accessibility Advisory Committees across California provide a forum for voters with disabilities, senior communities, diverse language voters, their representatives, and advocates to discuss issues they encounter in the voting process while fostering cooperation and building confidence in the election process. VAAC and LAAC members can recommend accessibility improvements to polling places, voter materials, websites, and county election procedures. Committee members can also provide feedback on polling locations, voting systems, and other accessible matters like voter outreach, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Local VAAC and LAAC committees help election offices open lines of communication with local residents ensuring elections officials can address issues directly and minimize misunderstandings, preventing misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. Local VAACs and LAACs are also a great resource for recruiting diverse poll workers.

Below is a link containing a list of the counties that have established local VAAC and LAAC advisory groups and their corresponding meeting information.

https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/laac/local-laac-vaac