Election 2022: Q&A with candidates for Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters

Incumbent Ryan Ronco faces off against Amanda Cofran in the race for the Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters position in the June 7 primary election. The position entails more than just overseeing local elections. The Clerk-Recorder-Registrar also is the steward of important information and records such as birth and marriage certificates. In the primary, the candidate who earns 50 percent of the votes plus one will win the seat and begin a four-year term in 2023. The Auburn Journal reached out to each candidate and asked four questions pertaining to the job of Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters. Their answers follow: Ryan Ronco Occupation: Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters Experience: 6 years in this position, 29 years in the Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Office, 5 years of restaurant management, 2 years of writing/researching for a taxpayer watchdog group. Contact/website: roncoswork@sbcglobal.net, ryanronco.com Why are you running for the position of Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters? I am running because Placer County residents deserve a well-run, transparent Clerk-Recorder-Elections Office, and I have a proven track record in this regard. Placer's voter turnout percentages are among the highest in the state. That doesn't happen by accident - we keep the voter rolls clean and the voters well informed. Similarly, recording a property deed or filing a marriage certificate can be daunting and government offices can be intimidating or impersonal. The public is often pleasantly surprised at how well they are treated in person or over the telephone when they interact with my team. I strive every day to provide the high level of service I would want and expect from county government. I have lived in Placer County almost continuously since the age of 9, so I care deeply about how well our government works and how responsive we are to our constituency. How does the Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters serve the people of Placer County? My position oversees three very distinct government functions: the Clerk is the keeper of vital records, the Recorder is the guardian of property records, and the Registrar is the manager of elections. It's an elected position, therefore I answer to the people and not a county bureaucrat. Likewise, the public provides a direct and critical oversight role in what my office does. During the pandemic, we never closed our doors - we found ways to safely continue vital services that the public needed, like obtaining birth certificates or conducting weddings. I also serve the public outside of the office by giving my time to local nonprofits. I sit on the board of directors for multiple local nonprofit organizations; I emcee charity events; I help out at fundraisers; etc. As a countywide elected official, I believe I have a responsibility to serve our community both inside and outside the office. How can the office improve how it serves the public? While I believe the office already operates at a very high level, there's still more work to do. I would like to create an "Elections Academy" where the public can sign up to take a deep dive into learning about all aspects of election preparation and administration. I believe the participants would be happy to learn about the various controls we have in place to safeguard elections. I would also like to upgrade the Clerk-Recorder's data management system. While the current system is good, there are improvements that could be maximized by bringing in a newer system. Finally, we can provide more online services. The county's internal network has limited my ability to offer services like completing marriage license applications online. However, recent developments are going to open up new opportunities for my office to explore. With the integrity of the election process brought forth in the past few election cycles, what can the Clerk-Recorder-Registrar do to bring trust into the process? There is a tremendous amount the Registrar can do to instill or repair trust in elections. First off, I believe that most Placer County voters have trust in my office. We would not see high turnout in our county if the majority of the public thought their votes do not count. Secondly, no matter the personal bias or political leanings of the individual, the Registrar must be a neutral, nonpartisan arbiter of every election. Furthermore, the Registrar must be welcoming to individuals or groups who want to question the process. You can ask the local political parties, the Freedom Coalition, Election Integrity Project CA, or the 2020-2021 Grand Jury and you'll find we get great accolades in this regard. Finally, the Registrar must be ready to go to anywhere and speak authoritatively on election integrity issues. Nothing ruins confidence more than non-answers or lack of knowledge. Amanda Cofran Occupation: IT Business Analyst Experience: USAF combat veteran; served as election official in Placer County, Sacramento County and San Joaquin County; worked for the Federal Government in Human Resources and Equal Employment Opportunity Contact/website: www.acecofran.com; ace.cofran@gmail.com Why are you running for the position of Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters? I am running for the Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters to bring integrity and transparency to the county elections; to bring humanity back to this county office by respecting the employees and allowing them to have flexible work schedules; to meet the needs of our community by providing accessibility and flexibility during elections and in the services offered by the county office; to improve the participation of this office in the community by attending events and offering mobile voter registration; to enhance our data and cyber security to protect your privacy; to ensure people have a choice when it comes to this elected office. How does the Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters serve the people of Placer County? As an elected official, the Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters is a servant leader to the public. The position requires someone who can put aside their personal agenda, their friendships and connections, their own career aspirations to serve the people and provide clear, non-partisan and fair oversight to the operations of the office, including elections. This position has a duty to the public to protect taxpayers dollars from mismanagement in the office budget, to ensure our data is protected, and as the head of the Clerk, Recorder and Election departments there is an obligation to serve the county employees. As a United States Air Force combat veteran, I know what it means to serve. I know what it means to be a leader that puts the mission and your unit before your own personal interests. The Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters office is crucial to our democracy and a vital part of our everyday lives. I am honored to be in the running and look forward to serving as your Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters. How can the office improve how it serves the public? As a nation, we have knocked down walls of how businesses could operate and how we could reach the public during the pandemic. We boosted our ingenuity to reach our customers and allowed our workforce greater flexibility than ever before. Let us not go backwards to the way things were. We need to leverage that flexibility we have become accustomed to, to best serve the residents and communities of Placer County. When offices are relocated to Rocklin, we need to secure satellite offices for the communities up the hill. We need to increase the electronic offerings of services to boost accessibility and let our communities reach the office in the way that best serves them. The Clerk-Recorder-Elections office needs to be more involved in the community with robust outreach programs to encourage voter participation but also provide access to services and increase education of operations. With the integrity of the election process brought forth in the past few election cycles, what can the Clerk-Recorder-Registrar do to bring trust into the process? I believe to build back trust the Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters office needs to first recognize there is an issue. From there, it will take transparency, education and time for the community to start having a restored faith in the integrity of our election process. This will not happen overnight. For example, the office needs to show more transparency in the release of votes being counted and show them in a timely manner. Many counties with fewer resources than Placer County have more sophisticated and robust systems showing nearly live updates of ballot counting. We have an obligation to the people of Placer County, and becoming more transparent in the operations will build back their trust. I plan to increase accessibility to ask questions and get answers by providing chatbox support, especially during election season, and monthly live Q&As online. I plan to push for special elections so the people have a voice instead of allowing decisions to fall to the Board of Supervisors. I plan to increase the office presence both on social media and in the public to be available for questions and increase the educational opportunities to the public about the office services and elections.