To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Registrar of Voters
Staff Name and Phone Number: Evelyn Mendez, (707) 565-8564
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Recommended Action:
Title
Adopt a Gold Resolution Recognizing September 15, 2026, as National Voter Registration Day
End
Executive Summary:
In spite of successful efforts by the State of California to increase voter registration, there are still many Sonoma County residents who are eligible to vote but remain unregistered. On September 15, 2026, volunteers and organizations from all over the country - including Sonoma County - will participate in National Voter Registration Day in an attempt to increase public awareness about registering to vote.
Discussion:
Over the past 15 years, California has made great strides in removing obstacles to voting, implementing policies and programs including online voter registration (2012), preregistration for 16 and 17 year-olds (2014, 2009), conditional voter registration (a.k.a. “same-day registration”) (2017), and automatic voter registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles (2018). The result has been a surge in voter registration across the state. In Sonoma County, the number of registered voters jumped from 245,136 in May of 2010 to 320,619 in May of this year - an increase of over 30%.
Nevertheless, each year millions of Californians face challenges voting because they are not properly registered. Common reasons for this include forgetting to update one’s registration after a move, not knowing how to register, or not even being aware that one is eligible to register in the first place. In Sonoma County, the California Secretary of State estimated in May that there are over 35,000 residents who are unregistered but eligible to vote.
On September 15, 2026, volunteers and organizations from all over the country will “hit the streets” for National Voter Registration Day with the purpose of reaching out to these voters.
Prior Board Actions:
On September 16, 2025, the Board adopted a gold resolution recognizing September 16, 2025, as National Voter Registration Day (Resolution 25-0437)
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
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