Have confidence in SLO County elections 

The League of Women Voters supports making voting as easy and accessible as possible for all registered voters. We were disappointed in the May 4 decision by the SLO County Board of Supervisors to not expand vote-by-mail and early voting. We were pleased that the supervisors voted to increase funding for ballot processing equipment, high volume drop boxes, and mobile vote centers for the more remote areas of our county.

The tone of public comment at the board meeting on May 4 was truly disheartening. We were dismayed to hear so much misinformation repeated and such hostility toward the dedicated public servants who maintain the integrity of our elections. We commend the three supervisors who spoke up for the county clerk-recorder and his staff. We regret that their colleagues on the board felt unable to support them.

We urge all voters to educate themselves about the election process, and to consider volunteering at the polls to see the process firsthand. We also encourage voters to request permanent vote-by-mail status. This doesn't prevent you from voting in person but it does ensure that you can vote if you can't make it to the polls on Election Day.

We continue to have great confidence in the integrity of elections in our county. Public trust in our democratic institutions is vital to maintain our freedoms. We hope that by educating voters about how voting actually works, trust will be restored, misinformation diminished, and participation in our democracy increased.

Cindy Marie Absey

Ann Havlik

co-presidents

League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County