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CERRITOS COUNCIL TO CONSIDER ALL-MAIL BALLOTS 

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By Brian Hews

The Cerritos City Council is considering an ordinance changing Cerritos municipal elections from a combination of polling places and vote by mail to complete all-mail ballots.

Sources have told HMG-CN that the Council will likely approve the ordinance.

An all-mail ballot election will be conducted by mailing an official ballot and voter information guide directly to each registered voter in Cerritos.

According to the city clerk’s office, there is over 32,000 registered voters in Cerritos.

Voters will have the choice of mailing that ballot back to the city clerk’s office, dropping the ballot off at the city clerk’s office, or dropping the ballot off at drop off locations throughout the city on Election Day.

Residents can also vote in person at the city clerk’s office 29 days before the election, March 13 to April 11, or they can vote provisionally in person at the city clerk’s office on Election Day.

The staff report cites that all-mail ballot cities have seen an increase in voter turnout and a reduction in costs.

The report also indicated that the city would see a decrease in liabilities pertaining to the Voting Rights Act, electioneering, training and monitoring workers, and transporting ballots from the 11 ballot locations.

Finally, ballots can be counted quicker so with the change it is likely that semi-official results of the election will be available by 9 PM on Election Night.

Studies show that over the past several election cycles there has been a significant increase in the number of Cerritos voters casting their ballots by mail.

In the past six election cycles, the majority of voters have cast their ballots by mail rather than at the polls.

The chart below graphically illustrates the approximate number of voters who went to the polls and those who voted by mail.

 

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Chart graphically illustrates the approximate number of voters who went to the polls and those who voted by mail. Blue represents po ll voters, red represents vote by mail.

 

 

Crunching the numbers further reveals a huge trend in favor of voting by mail.

In 2009, 32% more residents voted by mail than went to the polls; in 2011, 46% more residents voted by mail; in 2013, 61% more residents voted by mail; and in 2015, 63% more residents voted by mail marking an almost 100% increase in all-mail ballots over that time span.

One observer told HMG-CN, “the transition to vote by mail will logically give more people the opportunity to cast their ballots. This increase has been seen in other cities who have transitioned to complete vote by mail. It is also much cheaper and potential liabilities are removed using vote by mail.”