CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
DRAFT 2024- Voter Education and Outreach Plan
Table of Contents
I. Background and Outreach Objectives......................................2 II. Outreach Strategies and Timelines...........................................2 A. General Public..................................................................................3 III. Voter Outreach at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall & Other City Facilities .............................................................................6 IV. Voter Outreach on Election Day……………………………………………..6
V. Election Day Staff Support……………………………………………………..7
Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………..8
Appendix A- Newspapers………………………………..………………………….8
Appendix B- Social Media……………………………………………………………8
Appendix C- Community Partners……………………………………………….9
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
I. Background and Outreach Objectives
The mission of the City Clerk’s Office is to conduct all local elections in the City of Redondo Beach (the City) in a manner that is free, fair, and functional.
The City Clerk’s Office is responsible for administering a Voter Education and Outreach Plan in compliance with federal, state, and municipal laws, including the statutory mandates of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, the City of Redondo Beach Municipal Code Section Title 2, Chapter 2, and Charter Article XVIII.
With the ongoing goal of communicating general election information to City residents, the City Clerk’s Office Outreach Plan has one main objective; to equip voters with knowledge of choices in Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) contests for city elected city offices, with a focus on a new ballot design that will allow for voters to rank candidates for city elected offices in order of their preference.
The City held its General Municipal Election on March 7, 2023, conducted by an all-mail ballot.
The electorate successfully voted (by 76.67%) for Measure CA5, amending the City Charter Section 18.4, which replaces runoff elections for city elected offices with an instant runoff voting method.
While developing strategies for educating voters about the new voting method, the City Clerk’s Office sought to identify effective outreach practices from other jurisdictions, particularly those jurisdictions that have adopted instant runoff voting. In addition to adopting best practices of other jurisdictions, the City Clerk’s Office plans to build its 2024 RCV educational campaign.
Collaboration with community partners features prominently in the 2024 Outreach Plan.
II. Outreach Strategies and Timelines
The City Clerk’s Office is committed to reaching the community and voters in the City with relevant notices about a new way of marking the ballot for RCV contests. To meet this goal, the City Clerk’s Office will roll out a voter education plan that includes a wide variety of direct communications via print and digital media, as well as collaboration with community partners.
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
A. General Public
In developing communication strategies, the City Clerk’s Office will provide the City’s voters with information about the new voting method by utilizing the following strategies.
1. Print Media
Print materials remain an essential part of the City Clerk’s Office communications. The City Clerk’s Office will produce flyers, brochures, and posters, highlighting the features of the new voting method and the changes in ballot marking for the RCV ballot format.
Postcards – The City Clerk’s Office will send a postcard to every residential household in Redondo Beach containing specific information of the new voting method and the new RCV ballot.
A second postcard will follow reminding residents to vote. Both postcards will invite voters to call the City Clerk’s Office and use the City’s website, https://www.redondo.org/elections, to find more information.
Timeline: 1st postcard – Approximately two months before Election Day; “Don’t Forget to Vote” postcard – Approximately two weeks before Election Day
Voter Information Pamphlet & Vote-By-Mail (VBM) Packet – The March 2025 Voter Information Pamphlet to be mailed to approximately 50,000 voters, will devote significant space to information about the new voting method and proper ballot marking for RCV contests, with an emphasis on the effects of over-voting or under-voting. The Vote-By-Mail (VBM) packet will include a ballot, a postage-paid return envelope, and voting instructions. These instructions will illustrate proper marking of the ballot and provide a link to the webpage on https://www.redondo.org/elections with information about RCV, which may include an interactive practice RCV ballot.
Timeline: One month before Election Day
Newspapers – The City Clerks’ Office will place multiple notices in local newspapers, most of which also maintain a presence online. For a list of newspapers in which the City Clerk’s Office intends to place notices, see Appendix A.
Timeline: 1st run – Approximately three months before Election Day; 2nd run – One month before Election Day
Brochures and posters – The City Clerk’s Office will produce various materials that will be distributed throughout Redondo Beach such as community presentations, street fairs and
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
festivals, canvassing, and registration drives. All brochures and posters will also be made available for distribution to community organizations, with downloadable versions available on https://www.redondo.org/elections.
Timeline: Creation – Approximately Seven months before Election Day; Distribution- Approximately six months and up until one month before Election Day
Demonstration ballots – At all outreach events, City Clerk’s Office personnel will emphasize the new RCV ballot format. To reinforce verbal explanations of how to mark an RCV ballot with expanded rankings, presenters will use demonstration ballots to visually demonstrate how to rank a different candidate in each column. Additionally, demonstration RCV ballots will be distributed to participants to facilitate the opportunity to practice marking the ballot and to ask questions.
Timeline: Creation – Approximately Seven months before Election Day; Distribution – Approximately Six months and up until one month before Election Day
2. Digital Media
Website – The City Clerk’s Office will dedicate several pages on https://www.redondo.org/elections to information related to the new voting method and the new RCV ballot format. The website will host an interactive practice RCV ballot as well as answers to frequently asked questions on topics such as over-voting, under-voting, skipped columns, and much more.
Timeline: Rollout – Approximately seven months before Election Day Press releases – The City Clerk’s Office will issue a series of press releases to its media contacts, organizations, and ever-growing list of interested individuals. Press releases will be posted on the City Clerk’s Office’s website in order to reach individuals who prefer to obtain election information online.
Timeline: Periodically seven months and up until one month before Election Day Public Service Announcements – The City Clerk’s Office will produce and distribute a 30- second public service announcement (PSA) to air on local cable networks (Spectrum Cable Channel 8 & Frontier Communications Channel 41) about the new voting method and the new ballot format. The PSA will offer viewers a glimpse of the new system and highlight key differences between the old and new ballot formats.
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
Timeline: 1st run – Approximately three months before Election Day; 2nd run – One month before Election Day
Social media – The City Clerk’s Office will utilize, Facebook & Instagram to announce public events, forums, and public voting method demonstrations and to share partner updates with other City departments and community partners.
Timeline: Periodically starting seven months before Election Day RCV presentation – The City Clerk’s Office will develop an online RCV slideshow that describes the new RCV ballot format, illustrates how to rank up to 6 candidates for a single office, discusses the implications of marking an RCV contest incorrectly, and shows how votes are tabulated. This demonstration will be available on https://www.redondo.org/elections and presented at events throughout Redondo Beach.
Timeline: Rollout – Approximately seven months before Election Day
3. Community Partnerships
Presentations and events – The City Clerk’s Office will conduct educational presentations about the new voting method and RCV ballot format at a variety of City locations, such as community centers, schools, places of worship, and entertainment and meeting halls. The City Clerk’s Office’s community partners include non-profit organizations, community-based and private sector organizations, and other City departments and government agencies. At these events, participants will have the opportunity to practice marking demonstration RCV ballots and ask questions. For an ongoing list of community partners, see Appendix C.
Timeline: Periodically starting seven months before Election Day Content for community partners – In addition to providing in-person outreach throughout the City, the City Clerk’s Office will develop ready-made content available to community partners to share in their newsletters, blog posts, organizational websites, and social media accounts. This content will educate the City of Redondo Beach about the changes they will experience when casting their vote by mail or in person.
Timeline: Creation – Approximately seven months before Election Day; Distribution – Four months and up until one month before Election Day
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
III. Voter Outreach at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall & Other City Facilities
In preparation for deployment of the new voting method, the City Clerk’s Office will develop outreach and educational materials for use at the City Clerk’s Office and throughout City Hall.
These materials will include a new poster at the City Clerk’s Office public counter, a flyer for inclusion in the candidate filing documents packet, and slideshows for lobby monitors.
Poster at the public counter – In the weeks preceding each election, visitors to the City Clerk’s Office will be greeted by a “Did you know?” poster. The poster will indicate that Redondo Beach will debut a new voting method in the upcoming election and highlight that, among other benefits, the system is capable of providing up to 6 ranks in ranked-choice voting contests. The countertop poster will encourage visitors to “Ask us for more information” or visit https://www.redondo.org/elections
Timeline: Approximately seven months before Election Day Candidate packet – Many local candidates for the upcoming election will receive filing paperwork packets, with forms and documents to be submitted by various deadlines. In anticipation of this process, the City Clerk’s Office will create a section in the candidate filing packets that will provide information about the new RCV ballot format and explain the process of counting votes in RCV contests.
Timeline: Approximately four months before Election Day City Hall & Facilities Slideshow – Visitors to City Hall & Facilities will be able to view a slideshow of current election-related topics on large monitors. This slideshow will project announcements regarding important dates for the next election, announcements about the new voting method, and illustrations and information about the RCV ballot format.
Timeline: Approximately four months before Election Day IV. Voter Outreach on Election Day
The City Clerk’s Office will develop educational materials for various City facility locations featuring information about the new voting method and the expanded RCV ballot format.
Ballot instructions – In recognition of the importance of providing clear direction on how to mark the ballot, the City Clerk’s Office will develop ballot marking illustrations and instructions to be
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
featured on official ballots. These updated instructions will focus on how to properly mark the expanded RCV ballot format.
Instructional sheet – The City Clerk’s Office will create an instructional sheet to be placed at various City facility locations. This sheet, will explain the effects of an “under-vote”, “over-vote”, and skipped rankings. The instructional sheet will be written in a manner that permits voters to understand the RCV process and to decide themselves which course of action to take.
Timeline: Materials will be developed and made available at various City facility locations on Election Day
V. Election Day Staff Support
Election Day staff play an important role in not only administering voting on Election Day but also providing voters with the knowledge and resources they need to fully participate in elections.
Providing comprehensive training to Election Day staff is an important outreach method since City staff can provide direct voter education.
Email & Phone Calls– The City Clerk’s Office will develop and email election-specific informational materials to City staff prior to Election Day. These materials will serve as an introduction to the features of the new voting method and the new RCV ballot format. The materials will also provide notice to both new and experienced staff that some important aspects of Election Day procedure have changed and will require dedicated attention.
Timeline: 1st Email – Three months before Election Day; 2nd Email – One month before Election Day
Training materials – A staff election manual, covering every aspect of the new voting method and all mail ballots. The manual will also feature updated ballot issuing scripts, highlighting the new RCV ballot format and the new way of marking the ballot. Staff will receive the manual.
Timeline: Ongoing starting four months before Election Day
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
Appendices
Appendix A – Newspapers
Appendix B – Social Media
Appendix C – Community Partnerships
Appendix A- Newspapers
Organization Name & Website
Easy Reader https://easyreadernews.com/
Daily Breeze https://www.dailybreeze.com/
City of Redondo Beach Newsletter
Appendix B- Social Media
Platform
Facebook- Facebook.com/cityofrb
Instagram- @cityofrb
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
Appendix C- Community Partnerships
Organization Name & Website
AYSO https://ayso.org/
South Bay Sports League https://www.southbaysports.com/ Redondo Beach Little League- https://www.redondolittleleague.com/ AYSO South Redondo https://www.ayso34.org/
AYSO North Redondo https://www.ayso17.org/
BCHD https://www.bchd.org/
Redondo Beach Rotary Club https://www.redondobeachrotary.org/ Redondo Beach Elks https://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?LodgeNumber=1378 Redondo Beach Kiwanis https://redondokiwanis.com/
Redondo Beach Woman’s Club https://redondowoman.org/
American Legion https://post184.com/
South Bay Galleria https://www.southbaygalleria.com/
Superbowl 10K https://redondo10k.com/
Farmer’s market https://www.rivieravillagefarmersmarket.com/ Chamber of Commerce https://www.redondochamber.org/
League of Women Voters https://lwvc.org/
Riviera Village Association https://rivieravillage.net/ North Redondo Business Assoc. https://nrbba.org/
King Harbor Yacht Club https://khyc.org/
Redondo Beach Yacht Club https://kingharbor.com/discover/redondo-beach-yacht-club/ Port Royal Yacht Club https://pryc.us/
Pier Assoc. https://redondopier.com/
USPS- Post Offices https://www.usps.com/
Heritage Pointe https://www.heritagepointeredondobeach.com/ Silverado Beach Cities https://www.silverado.com/locations/beach-cities/ Thrive Boutique Senior Living https://thrivebsl.com/
The Kensington https://thekensingtonredondobeach.com/
Redondo Union PTSA https://www.redondounion.org/apps/pages/RUHS_PTSA South Bay Adult School https://www.southbayadult.org/
School District https://www.rbusd.org/
Beryl Heights PTA https://berylpta.com/
Alta Vista PTA https://altavista.rbusd.org/
Birney Elementary PTA https://birney.rbusd.org/
Jefferson Elementary PTA https://www.dolphinpta.com/
Lincoln Elementary PTA https://lincoln.rbusd.org/
Madison Elementary PTA https://www.madisonpta.org/home
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
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Tulita Elementary PTA https://tulita.rbusd.org/apps/pages/pta Washington Elementary PTA https://sites.google.com/explorerspta.org/explorerspta/home Adams Middle School PTSA https://www.adamsmiddle.org/apps/pages/AdamsPTSA Parras Middle School https://www.parrasmiddle.org/apps/pages/ptsa Jewish Community Center https://www.jccmb.com/
The South Redondo Jewish Center https://www.jewishbeach.org/ SeaCoast Church of Redondo https://www.seacoastredondo.com/ Journey South Bay Church https://www.journeysouthbay.org/ First United Methodist Church https://fumcrb.org/
Saint James Catholic Church https://www.saintjames.church/ St. Lawrence Martyr Church https://www.stlm.org/
Redondo Beach Church of Christ https://redondochurchofchrist.com/ Church of Redondo Hills https://www.redondohills.net/
Riviera United Methodist Church https://www.rivieraumc.com/ St. Paul’s United Methodist Church https://stpaulsrb.org/ St. Andrews Presbyterian Church https://www.sntandrews.org/home Coastline Covenant Church https://coastlinecovenant.com/ Sovereign Grace Bible Church https://sgbcrb.org/
One Faith Church in Christ https://www.1faith.church/
Breakwater Church https://www.breakwaterembassy.org/
Redondo Beach Center for Spiritual Living https://www.redondocsl.org/ The River Church of the South Bay https://riversouthbay.org/ Grace Missionary Baptist Church No Website (2217 Belmont Ln, Redondo Beach, CA 90278) Immanuel Lutheran Church https://www.immanuelrb.com/
St. Andrew’s and Christ Episcopal Church https://www.andrewandchrist.org/ South Bay Community Church of the Brethren https://www.andrewandchrist.org/ Church of Religious Science No website (907 Knob Hill Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277) South Bay Bible Church No website (1016 S Prospect Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277) South Bay Unitarian Fellowship https://www.sbuf.org/
Jesus Center https://www.jesuscenter.com/
South Bay Adventist Church https://southbaychurch.net/South_Bay_Church/Home.html St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church https://www.stkatherinegoc.org/ Resurrection Lutheran Church https://www.resurrectionlutheranchurch.org/ Grant Avenue Baptist Church No website (2215 Grant Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90278) St. James Catholic Church https://www.saintjames.church/ Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness https://www.jw.org/en/ Temple Menorah https://www.templemenorah.org/
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saintshttps://local.churchofjesuschrist.org/en/us/ca/redondobeach Whole Foods Market 405 N Pacific Coast Highway Redondo Beach, Ca 90277 Ralph’s 1413 Hawthorne Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
CITY OF REDONDO BEACH ELEANOR MANZANO, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
Vons 1212 Beryl St, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Trader Joe’s 1761 S Elena Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Smart & Final Extra! 1516 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Grocery Outlet 2115 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278 Spouts Farmers Market 1515 Hawthorne Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278 Vons 245 Palos Verdes Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Smart & Final Extra! 615 N Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Vons 4001 Inglewood Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Redondo Food Mart 529 S Catalina Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Shell 1200 Beryl St, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Shell 1700 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Shell 3601 Inglewood Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
ARCO 2730 Marine Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Mobil 2714 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Speedway Express 1890 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Chevron 1500 Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Chevron 1630 S Elena Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Chevron 3705 Inglewood Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
76 247 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
76 2118 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278