Watchdogs Weigh In To Force Clean-Up Of Bay Area Voter Rolls
Judicial Watch has once again taken legal action to force 21 California counties to remove ineligible voters from their voter rolls. Targeted counties in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas include Alameda, Solano, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and San Benito.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California seeks to compel California to implement the 2018 settlement agreement between Judicial Watch and both the California Secretary of State and the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters to remove voters who fail to respond to a residency notice sent by the county registrar and then fail to vote in two federal elections.
From November 2020 to November 2022 the five Bay Area counties listed above removed just one voter pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
By contrast the Santa Clara County Registrar confirmed in a letter to the Santa Clara County Republican Party (SVGOP) that it had removed approximately 204,000 inactive voters from its rolls in compliance with the requirements of the NVRA. That action followed letters sent by the SVGOP in July 2020 and August 2023 demanding that the county remove ineligible voters from its rolls.
In February 2023, Los Angeles County confirmed to Judicial Watch that it had removed over 1.2 million ineligible voters from its rolls since the year before.
As a part of the 2018 settlement agreement, the California Secretary of State issued a new California NVRA manual to county registrars in March 2019. The new manual contained detailed instructions regarding the removal of inactive voters. Each county registrar in California has the responsibility to follow those instructions to implement the required clean-up of the voter rolls on a regular basis.
The Judicial Watch lawsuit followed correspondence in which the State of California admitted that 21 counties removed five or fewer registrations pursuant to the NVRA between November 2020 and November 2022.
The inescapable but unsurprising conclusion from these events is that constant vigilance is required in order to achieve fair and honest elections. Individuals interested in participating in election integrity activities can volunteer through the CAGOP website or their local Republican County Central Committee. In addition, many counties will hire temporary workers to help run the fall election. There is no better way to ensure integrity in the election process than to become a part of the team conducting the election.
County Republican Parties may also follow the example of the SVGOP by contacting their local county election officials to ask how they are complying with the NVRA. The BayAreaGOP.com Election Integrity page lists the SVGOP correspondence with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters along with the original 2018 settlement agreement. These documents can provide a template for communicating directly with local county election officials.
Inquiries to BayAreaGOP.com are also welcome via the Contact Us page on this site.
Watchdogs Weigh In To Force Clean-Up Of Bay Area Voter Rolls
Judicial Watch has once again taken legal action to force 21 California counties to remove ineligible voters from their voter rolls. Targeted counties in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas include Alameda, Solano, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and San Benito.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California seeks to compel California to implement the 2018 settlement agreement between Judicial Watch and both the California Secretary of State and the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters to remove voters who fail to respond to a residency notice sent by the county registrar and then fail to vote in two federal elections.
From November 2020 to November 2022 the five Bay Area counties listed above removed just one voter pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
By contrast the Santa Clara County Registrar confirmed in a letter to the Santa Clara County Republican Party (SVGOP) that it had removed approximately 204,000 inactive voters from its rolls in compliance with the requirements of the NVRA. That action followed letters sent by the SVGOP in July 2020 and August 2023 demanding that the county remove ineligible voters from its rolls.
In February 2023, Los Angeles County confirmed to Judicial Watch that it had removed over 1.2 million ineligible voters from its rolls since the year before.
As a part of the 2018 settlement agreement, the California Secretary of State issued a new California NVRA manual to county registrars in March 2019. The new manual contained detailed instructions regarding the removal of inactive voters. Each county registrar in California has the responsibility to follow those instructions to implement the required clean-up of the voter rolls on a regular basis.
The Judicial Watch lawsuit followed correspondence in which the State of California admitted that 21 counties removed five or fewer registrations pursuant to the NVRA between November 2020 and November 2022.
The inescapable but unsurprising conclusion from these events is that constant vigilance is required in order to achieve fair and honest elections. Individuals interested in participating in election integrity activities can volunteer through the CAGOP website or their local Republican County Central Committee. In addition, many counties will hire temporary workers to help run the fall election. There is no better way to ensure integrity in the election process than to become a part of the team conducting the election.
County Republican Parties may also follow the example of the SVGOP by contacting their local county election officials to ask how they are complying with the NVRA. The BayAreaGOP.com Election Integrity page lists the SVGOP correspondence with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters along with the original 2018 settlement agreement. These documents can provide a template for communicating directly with local county election officials.
Inquiries to BayAreaGOP.com are also welcome via the Contact Us page on this site.
LIST OF UPCOMING GOP EVENTS
- Log Cabin Republicans of SF: August Meeting featuring Gage West and Liz Lawler
Wednesday, August 28, 2024 / 6:30 pm – Sausage Factory, , San Francisco
- South County Biz Alliance: August Luncheon featuring Mayor Mark Turner and Johnny Khamis
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 12:00 pm – Odeum, 17500 Depot Street, Morgan Hill
- Kevin Kiley for Congress: Evening Reception
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 5:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Santa Cruz
- Tyler Smith for Morgan Hill School Board: Meet and Greet
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 5:30 pm – 220 Sage Ave, , Morgan Hill
- Leadership Institute: GOTV and Ballot Harvesting Workshop
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 6:00 pm – SpringHill Suites The Dunes On Monterey , 215 10th St , Marina
- Republican Club of San Francisco: Trump Trials featuring John Yoo
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 6:00 pm – The Spinnaker, 100 Spinnaker Drive, Sausalito
- Southern Monterey County RWF: September Luncheon featuring Dalila Epperson
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 / 11:30 am – King Kora, 611 Canal St. , King City
- James Gallagher and Joe Patterson invite you to the San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 / 11:00 am – Oracle Park , , San Francisco
- Foundation for American Innovation: The New Reality – Gala Dinner (SOLD OUT)
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 / 5:00 pm – Fort Mason , Gallery 308, San Francisco
- FAI’s Reboot24: The New Reality Conference with Keynote by Garry Tan
Thursday, September 5, 2024 / 8:00 am – Fort Mason, Cowell Theater, San Francisco
- East Bay Republican Club: Fall Reception featuring Joel B. Pollak
Thursday, September 5, 2024 / 4:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Alameda
- Foundation for American Innovation: Bottlenecks Summit
Friday, September 6, 2024 / N/A – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , San Francisco
- Commonwealth Club: Risks and Returns featuring Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross
Monday, September 9, 2024 / 11:30 am – Commonwealth Club, 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco
- Palo Alto RWF: China’s Global Expansion, Past & Future featuring Nan Su
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 / 11:30 am – Baylands Golf Links Cafe, 1875 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto
- Liberty Forum of Silicon Valley: The Bulletproof Mind featuring Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 / 6:15 pm – IFES Portuguese Hall, 432 Stierlin Road, Mountain View
- Silicon Valley Biz Pac: Hitting The Streets
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 / 5:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , San Jose
- Mt Diablo Republican Club: Annual Fundraiser featuring Tom Del Beccaro
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 / 5:30 pm – Zio Fraedos, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill
- Leadership Institute: GOTV Training (Fairfield)
Saturday, September 14, 2024 / 9:30 am – Jelly Belly Factory, 1 Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield
- Mid-Peninsula RWF: September Luncheon featuring Vicki Nohrden
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 / 11:30 am – Divino Ristorante , 968 Ralston Avenue , Belmont
- Monterey County Republican Party: Annual Reagan Dinner featuring Adam Carolla
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 / 5:00 pm – Salinas Sports Complex , 1034 North Main Street , Salinas
- SPARC and CCR: Vote Smart: Decoding November Ballot Measures featuring Tino Rossi
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 / 6:30 pm – Online (Via Zoom), ,
- Lamorinda RWF: September Luncheon featuring Local Republican Candidates Sonia Ledo, Katherine Piccinini, and Joe Rubay
Thursday, September 19, 2024 / 11:30 am – Zio Fraedos, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill
- Vallejo Navy League: Sunset Cruise Fundraiser for Wreaths Across America
Friday, September 20, 2024 / 6:30 pm – Angel Island Tiburon Ferry, ,
- Pacific Research Institute: Annual Sir Antony Fisher Dinner featuring Kimberley Strassel
Saturday, September 21, 2024 / 6:00 pm – Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley , 2050 University Ave, East Palo Alto
- San Ramon Valley RWF: Election Integrity and Counting Your Vote in Contra Costa County featuring Julie Mobley
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / 11:30 am – Black Bear Diner, 807 Camino Ramon, Danville
- San Mateo Republican Party: Annual Reagan Dinner featuring Brian Sussman
Thursday, September 26, 2024 / 6:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, ,
- Republican Club of San Francisco: Steve Garvey in conversation with Lanhee Chen – SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 / N/A – Jacuzzi Family Vineyard, , Sonoma
Hon Lien’s American Story
by Roger Riffenburgh
While Hon Lien is now a successful businesswoman, active in community service, and a Milpitas City Council member running for mayor, her backstory began long ago and far away.
Hon Lien grew up in Bac Lieu, a coastal city in the southern part of South Vietnam. Her father was from China and married her mother in Vietnam, and they had eleven children. They escaped from Vietnam by boat in 1978. Lien says, “My family spent 13 months in a Malaysian refugee camp and resettled in the United States on December 26, 1979. That evening, having delivered my family to freedom, my father suffered a stroke and died shortly after.” Hon began work at age 14 to help support her family as she attended George Washington High School in San Francisco. After graduating, she attended San Francisco City College for two years.
In 1987 Hon Lien co-founded Sunnyvale Seafood Corp., which distributed seafood throughout the Bay Area and California. By 2003, it had 55 employees and $60 million in revenue. She has started many businesses and been successful in most. In 2002, she started L&D Enterprise in Vietnam, which manufactures, packages and exports food products to the United States and Europe. Due to her business experience, she was asked to serve on the board for the Lincoln Law School.
After living in San Jose, Hon Lien moved to Milpitas in 2009 and began working in banking. Her business success allowed her to become active in the community and help others. She joined the Milpitas Rotary Club and served two terms as its President. She and her brother organized a project that has provided over 20,000 refurbished wheelchairs and hospital beds to clinics and hospitals in Vietnam.
Lien served as a member of the Milpitas Planning Commission and then six years on the Milpitas Unified School District board. In 2022 she won election to the Milpitas City Council with a strong first place finish among eight candidates.
Hon’s priorities as mayor will include improving public safety, where she wants to make sure that the police and fire departments have the resources to do their jobs properly. She will also work to increase affordable housing and restore confidence in the city government. The latter is much needed in a council notorious for discord in recent years. She will emphasize improving transparency and cooperation.
Hon Lien says, “I am determined to repay our nation for the opportunity to have a good life. I believe in the American dream and that is why I have decided to dedicate myself to serving our community.” Hon and her husband have four adult children – a son who lives with them and three daughters out on their own. You can learn more about Hon Lien’s campaign for Milpitas mayor on her campaign website, HonforMayor.com.
California Citizens Redistricting Commission – District Viewer
The Commission has developed a district viewer that allows you to more easily navigate visualizations and zoom in and out of geographic areas while layering congressional, State Senate and Assembly boundaries.
Hon Lien’s American Story
by Roger Riffenburgh
While Hon Lien is now a successful businesswoman, active in community service, and a Milpitas City Council member running for mayor, her backstory began long ago and far away.
Hon Lien grew up in Bac Lieu, a coastal city in the southern part of South Vietnam. Her father was from China and married her mother in Vietnam, and they had eleven children. They escaped from Vietnam by boat in 1978. Lien says, “My family spent 13 months in a Malaysian refugee camp and resettled in the United States on December 26, 1979. That evening, having delivered my family to freedom, my father suffered a stroke and died shortly after.” Hon began work at age 14 to help support her family as she attended George Washington High School in San Francisco. After graduating, she attended San Francisco City College for two years.
In 1987 Hon Lien co-founded Sunnyvale Seafood Corp., which distributed seafood throughout the Bay Area and California. By 2003, it had 55 employees and $60 million in revenue. She has started many businesses and been successful in most. In 2002, she started L&D Enterprise in Vietnam, which manufactures, packages and exports food products to the United States and Europe. Due to her business experience, she was asked to serve on the board for the Lincoln Law School.
After living in San Jose, Hon Lien moved to Milpitas in 2009 and began working in banking. Her business success allowed her to become active in the community and help others. She joined the Milpitas Rotary Club and served two terms as its President. She and her brother organized a project that has provided over 20,000 refurbished wheelchairs and hospital beds to clinics and hospitals in Vietnam.
Lien served as a member of the Milpitas Planning Commission and then six years on the Milpitas Unified School District board. In 2022 she won election to the Milpitas City Council with a strong first place finish among eight candidates.
Hon’s priorities as mayor will include improving public safety, where she wants to make sure that the police and fire departments have the resources to do their jobs properly. She will also work to increase affordable housing and restore confidence in the city government. The latter is much needed in a council notorious for discord in recent years. She will emphasize improving transparency and cooperation.
Hon Lien says, “I am determined to repay our nation for the opportunity to have a good life. I believe in the American dream and that is why I have decided to dedicate myself to serving our community.” Hon and her husband have four adult children – a son who lives with them and three daughters out on their own. You can learn more about Hon Lien’s campaign for Milpitas mayor on her campaign website, HonforMayor.com.
California Citizens Redistricting Commission – District Viewer
The Commission has developed a district viewer that allows you to more easily navigate visualizations and zoom in and out of geographic areas while layering congressional, State Senate and Assembly boundaries.
LIST OF UPCOMING GOP EVENTS
- Log Cabin Republicans of SF: August Meeting featuring Gage West and Liz Lawler
Wednesday, August 28, 2024 / 6:30 pm – Sausage Factory, , San Francisco
- South County Biz Alliance: August Luncheon featuring Mayor Mark Turner and Johnny Khamis
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 12:00 pm – Odeum, 17500 Depot Street, Morgan Hill
- Kevin Kiley for Congress: Evening Reception
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 5:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Santa Cruz
- Tyler Smith for Morgan Hill School Board: Meet and Greet
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 5:30 pm – 220 Sage Ave, , Morgan Hill
- Leadership Institute: GOTV and Ballot Harvesting Workshop
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 6:00 pm – SpringHill Suites The Dunes On Monterey , 215 10th St , Marina
- Republican Club of San Francisco: Trump Trials featuring John Yoo
Thursday, August 29, 2024 / 6:00 pm – The Spinnaker, 100 Spinnaker Drive, Sausalito
- Southern Monterey County RWF: September Luncheon featuring Dalila Epperson
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 / 11:30 am – King Kora, 611 Canal St. , King City
- James Gallagher and Joe Patterson invite you to the San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 / 11:00 am – Oracle Park , , San Francisco
- Foundation for American Innovation: The New Reality – Gala Dinner (SOLD OUT)
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 / 5:00 pm – Fort Mason , Gallery 308, San Francisco
- FAI’s Reboot24: The New Reality Conference with Keynote by Garry Tan
Thursday, September 5, 2024 / 8:00 am – Fort Mason, Cowell Theater, San Francisco
- East Bay Republican Club: Fall Reception featuring Joel B. Pollak
Thursday, September 5, 2024 / 4:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , Alameda
- Foundation for American Innovation: Bottlenecks Summit
Friday, September 6, 2024 / N/A – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , San Francisco
- Commonwealth Club: Risks and Returns featuring Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross
Monday, September 9, 2024 / 11:30 am – Commonwealth Club, 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco
- Palo Alto RWF: China’s Global Expansion, Past & Future featuring Nan Su
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 / 11:30 am – Baylands Golf Links Cafe, 1875 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto
- Liberty Forum of Silicon Valley: The Bulletproof Mind featuring Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 / 6:15 pm – IFES Portuguese Hall, 432 Stierlin Road, Mountain View
- Silicon Valley Biz Pac: Hitting The Streets
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 / 5:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, , San Jose
- Mt Diablo Republican Club: Annual Fundraiser featuring Tom Del Beccaro
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 / 5:30 pm – Zio Fraedos, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill
- Leadership Institute: GOTV Training (Fairfield)
Saturday, September 14, 2024 / 9:30 am – Jelly Belly Factory, 1 Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield
- Mid-Peninsula RWF: September Luncheon featuring Vicki Nohrden
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 / 11:30 am – Divino Ristorante , 968 Ralston Avenue , Belmont
- Monterey County Republican Party: Annual Reagan Dinner featuring Adam Carolla
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 / 5:00 pm – Salinas Sports Complex , 1034 North Main Street , Salinas
- SPARC and CCR: Vote Smart: Decoding November Ballot Measures featuring Tino Rossi
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 / 6:30 pm – Online (Via Zoom), ,
- Lamorinda RWF: September Luncheon featuring Local Republican Candidates Sonia Ledo, Katherine Piccinini, and Joe Rubay
Thursday, September 19, 2024 / 11:30 am – Zio Fraedos, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill
- Vallejo Navy League: Sunset Cruise Fundraiser for Wreaths Across America
Friday, September 20, 2024 / 6:30 pm – Angel Island Tiburon Ferry, ,
- Pacific Research Institute: Annual Sir Antony Fisher Dinner featuring Kimberley Strassel
Saturday, September 21, 2024 / 6:00 pm – Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley , 2050 University Ave, East Palo Alto
- San Ramon Valley RWF: Election Integrity and Counting Your Vote in Contra Costa County featuring Julie Mobley
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / 11:30 am – Black Bear Diner, 807 Camino Ramon, Danville
- San Mateo Republican Party: Annual Reagan Dinner featuring Brian Sussman
Thursday, September 26, 2024 / 6:00 pm – Location Provided Upon RSVP, ,
- Republican Club of San Francisco: Steve Garvey in conversation with Lanhee Chen – SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 / N/A – Jacuzzi Family Vineyard, , Sonoma