San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters Uses BallotMobile to Reach Unregistered Voters

by Breanna Reeves

With election day on the horizon, dozens of organizations and local governments are preparing to engage millions of registered and unregistered voters on Sept. 17, for National Voter Registration Day.

Across more than 20,000 square miles, more than 1.4 million San Bernardino County residents are eligible to vote, but just over 1.1 million were registered as of July 24, 2024. For the nearly 300,000 voters who are not registered, San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters hopes to reach them using the BallotMobile, a traveling voter education initiative.

Launched ahead of the primary election on March 5, the BallotMobile is a traveling voter education van that educates voters in the community.

“We did this so that we could get out into the communities and educate voters about their options to vote,” said Melissa Eickman, public information manager at the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters. “So, whether they vote by mail or in person at a polling place, we wanted to give them options to vote. We can also get them registered or re-registered.”

When the BallotMobile first launched, team members at the registrar of voters spent 55 days traveling 1,800 miles across the county to reach all 24 cities and several unincorporated communities, going as far as Needles, located near the California border with Arizona and Nevada.

According to Eickman, residents in Needles “were very appreciative” that the BallotMobile traveled to them.

Ahead of the general election on Nov. 5, the BallotMobile is headed back out on the road to share resources with registered and unregistered voters. Next week, the BallotMobile will travel to Victor Valley Community College for a Celebrate Your Rights event, California State University, San Bernardino on National Voter Registration Day and a Rock the Vote Concert at the San Bernardino Valley College Greek Theatre, among other events in October.

Follow this link to schedule the BallotMobile for your event 

A survey published by the Public Policy Institute in California in August found that young adults in the state (ages 18 to 34) make up 31% of the population, but only 21% of likely voters, while adults, ages 35 to 54, account for 34% of the population and 29% of likely voters.

However, following President Joe Biden’s announcement to withdraw from the presidential election, Vote.org registered more than 376,000 voters, who are mostly under 35, and many newly eligible voters.

On Sept. 4, Vote.org announced that they registered more than one million voters during the 2024 election cycle, including a “record-breaking percentage” of voters under 35 compared to the 2020 election cycle.

“As we approach National Voter Registration Day this month and enter a critical stretch in this election season, Vote.org is primed to build on this momentum and capitalize on our strategic partnerships and programs to galvanize even more voters across the nation,” stated Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, in a press statement.

Voter information guides will be mailed out in San Bernardino County beginning on Oct. 1 and voters will also receive guides from the secretary of state’s office. Starting on Oct. 7, county election officials will mail ballots to each active registered voter for the 2024 general election.

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 21. According to the California Secretary of State, in elections conducted by county election officials, an individual can “conditionally” register and vote at a county elections office after the 15-day voter registration deadline.

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.