Former Orange County, California, election official tells story of protecting the vote in 2020

The leadup to the 2020 election was marked by widening partisan polarization, raging wildfires in California and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the middle of that turbulence was Jackie Wu, who was working at the Orange County Registrar of Voters as a community outreach manager in charge of executing a voter outreach plan and assisting with proofing all election materials.

That year, voter turnout in Orange County was 87.3%, one of the highest in the state. An incredible feat on its own, it was even more impressive given the circumstances surrounding the election, Wu wrote in her recently published memoir, “On the Front Lines of Democracy: An Election Official’s Story of Protecting the Vote in 2020.” Her book, which came out in August, provides a glimpse into her experience working as a manager at the election administrator’s office during a pivotal year in politics.

The election had its share of setbacks, including fake voting locations and ballot drop boxes, bomb threats at voting locations, delayed mailings due to the U.S. Postal Service being overwhelmed and “changing nearly every aspect of in-person voting and ballot processing due to COVID-19,” she wrote.

Going into the election cycle, Wu said she already knew it was “going to be a lot.” For one, Orange County was moving away from polling places and toward vote centers and ballot drop boxes. It was a big step toward voter accessibility, she said, but one that came with challenges like upgrading complex voting equipment.

“That was a huge change to the way that elections were run in Orange County,” said Wu, a Tustin resident. “We had to upgrade not only our voting equipment but our voting model because simply one day of voting in more than a thousand polling places just wasn’t aligned with voter behavior in today’s age where people prefer convenience in their very busy lives.”

A 2016 law passed by the state legislature opened up the opportunity for counties to allow voters to cast a ballot at any vote center within their county for several days preceding Election Day or mail in their ballot — versus assigning people to traditional neighborhood polling places to vote on Election Day. Orange County was an early adopter in the state and made the change to vote centers in 2020.

But significant events of that election year, like the Silverado and Blue Ridge fires, which closed some vote centers and ballot drop boxes, had elections officials, like Wu, rethinking how to make voting accessible.

“On the Front Lines of Democracy” is more than just a recounting of her experience — it also is meant to provoke thought on how elections and voting rights could be strengthened for future generations, Wu said.

For Wu, that looks like offering voting resources to local residents without the formality that comes with being an election official.

After leaving the registrar’s office in 2021, Wu started J Wu Consulting, a consulting firm based in Newport Beach, and began to help Cal State Fullerton with its Ballot Bowl competition, a state program where colleges compete to register the most students to vote by Election Day.

So far this year, Cal State Fullerton is second in the running among all Cal States with 143 students registered. Cal State Long Beach, with 302 students registered so far, is first.

“We’ve engaged all the different departments on campus and have made a really big effort to have lots of branding materials and hosting informational events, getting student government and student clubs involved to work towards registering as many folks,” she said.

With ballots for the 2024 general election going out to millions of California voters in a matter of weeks, Wu said she hopes her book will encourage more trust in voting and inspire everyday individuals to do their part in supporting a healthy democracy.

The book is also a way for Wu to pay homage to the thousands of election workers all across the country. Prior to working as an election official, Wu said she didn’t think twice about the ballot and voter information guide that appeared in her mailbox every two years.

“Now, when I receive it, I know lots of hours went into that to make it even possible for me to receive this ballot and voter information guide,” she said.

Of Wu’s book, California’s Secretary of State Shirley Weber said, “I deeply appreciate the dedication and hard work of election officials, especially during such a crucial and challenging time” as the 2020 election. The book “provides a meaningful account of the resolute efforts and sacrifices made by election officials,” she said.

Neal Kelley, the former Orange County registrar, said the book is a “testament to the resilience and adaptability of our staff in overcoming unprecedented challenges while ensuring a smooth and inclusive electoral process,”

Orange County, Wu said, already does an exceptional job of making voting accessible. She said that’s done through working with high schools to pre-register students to vote, employing a community engagement team to reach unregistered residents during election season, providing nonpartisan voter information and employing full-time staff who can speak various languages other than English.

“Whether people choose to serve as an election worker, sign up to be a vote center customer service representative or even do simple things — like saying something if they see misinformation being spread on social media or at family gatherings or in conversations with friends or acquaintances — there’s something that we all can do to support democracy,” she said.

Wu’s memoir can be found at major booksellers, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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