Although San Joaquin County voters will have access to 26 ballot boxes for the November General Election, Delta College will not host one after supervisors rejected a request from the college for an additional location.
According to Tom Patti, District 3 Supervisor, the State mandates the installation of at least 13 ballot boxes throughout the county. San Joaquin County currently has 26 spread across various locations.
“Without much deviation and in spite of the regular public requests to remove and reduce, we the board have left in place what we had in the primary election to be consistent with what is in place for the general election,” Patti said.
Delta College made a formal request to install a ballot box on campus by the end of May 2024.
At the time, Associated Students of Delta College (ASDC) President Viviene Fabro and Student Trustee Dylan Myers submitted a letter to the Registrar of Voters. Ricky Gutierrez-Maldonado, director of Student Life at Delta College, also sent a letter to the registrar’s office, reinforcing the need for an accessible ballot box for the college community.
“We believe that having a ballot drop box on campus will greatly benefit our student body and the wider community in several ways. Firstly, it will provide greater access to voting for our students, many of whom juggle work, family, and educational commitments, making it challenging to find time to visit traditional polling places. The convenience of a drop box on campus will encourage more students to participate in the electoral process, enhancing civic engagement among our student population,” the letter explained.
During summer, the campus was surveyed for a potential ballot box by county representatives, according to Gutierrez-Maldonado.
During the Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Aug. 13, the request was officially denied but left open to reconsider in the next election cycle.
During the meeting, Patti said he was concerned the proposal would mean removing one of Lodi’s two ballot boxes (Lomeli Gardens) to bring it to Stockton, which he wasn’t in favor of, and even questioned the Registrar Of Voters procedures for box locations.
“[Considering the change] At the request of Delta College and the South Stockton community, that is what I am supposed to be doing. Putting the 25 ballot boxes where they better serve the community,” Hale objected.
“It delegates to the Registrar Of Voters to make the decision. It is an appointed position. The board has some influence, but the Election code delegates this decision to the Registrar of Voters,” said Edward Kierman, County Counsel, in support.
District 4 Supervisor Steve Ding addressed the decision, citing timing concerns.
“The Board of Supervisors received the request for the Delta College Drop Box location at the Aug. 13 meeting, which is within 90 days before the election. We want to avoid making changes that close to the election, in consideration of both the candidates, who have already developed their ‘Get Out the Vote’ plans, and the voters who should be able to count on consistent locations for drop boxes and polling locations,” said Ding via email.
Accessibility was a key component in Delta’s ask for a ballot box.
Saira Sheikh, a business administration major, said not having a ballot box on campus might make it harder to encourage or motivate people to vote.
The campus community is encouraged to utilize the nearby options listed on the ROV website or to vote in person on election day.
For a complete list of ballot box locations and more information on voting, visit the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters. https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place
