HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-25-2021 Ltr - BOS - Fair Elections, Harassment of Elections Official amd Process InquiryOffice of the City Council
990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249
805 781 7114
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June 25, 2021
Chair Compton
San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors
1055 Monterey St. D430
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Re: Fair Elections, Harassment of Elections Official and Process Inquiry
Dear Chair Compton,
On behalf of the City of San Luis Obispo, I am writing to state the City's position on County Elections
and the recent harassment of Mr. Gong the County Elections Official, as well as to inquire about
the appointment process for the next County Elections Official.
Transparent, neutral, fair and equal access to and administration of our voting process, as you know, is the
basis of our democracy and County government. Voting is a fundamental right, no matter which political
party or candidate a voter may support. We appreciate the excellent job that Mr. Gong and his staff have
done in running past elections for the County and our City, always following State and Federal law. We
stand strongly against the recent targeting and racist harassment against Mr. Gong, an Asian American
leader, during a recent Board of Supervisors' meeting. We were surprised and shocked that there was not
a clear and unanimous rebuke of discriminatory treatment by the entire Board of Supervisors. His decision
to resign his position and move out of our County, however understandable personally, now leaves it up
to the Board of Supervisors to appoint a successor to fill out the remainder of his term. Notably, this
includes the election of three Supervisors in 2022.
The absence of unanimous support of Mr. Gong raises deep concerns about how and, in particular, what
professional skills and qualities a successor must possess in order to be appointed. Specifically, what
skills, background and qualifications will be weighed as part of the appointment process? What process
will the Board take in selecting the next County Elections Official? How will you safeguard the process
to make sure that it is nonpartisan, fair, impartial and conducted in a manner to promote public trust in our
local elections process?
The City of San Luis Obispo urges the Board to set a process that will result in the appointment of an
individual who is not only non-partisan and qualified, but also is an outstanding member of the
community. He or she must be qualified to carry out the election process professionally and according to
State and Federal law, as did Mr. Gong and his predecessor Julie Rodewald. Under their leadership,
every eligible voter in our County was confident they were able to exercise their right to cast their vote
and have their vote accurately collected and counted. This must unquestionably be the case for the next
County Clerk.
County residents expect the Board of Supervisors to establish and follow a process with safeguards in
place to assure voters that your appointee will uphold the duty to conduct elections fairly, impartially and
in a nonpartisan m anner. County residents , including the residents of the City of San Luis Obispo, deserve
nothing less. We look forward to your response to our questions and concerns.
Heidi Harmon
Mayor
CC : Board of Supervisors
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