A longtime Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters employee who started in 2004 as a temp worker has been appointed as the county’s top elections official.
The county announced on Monday that Matt Morales will be the next registrar of voters, making his yearlong position as acting registrar permanent.
“My commitment is to enable all eligible voters to access the voting assistance they need to cast their ballot in a way that best fits their lives and circumstances,” Moreles said in a news release. “At the same time, it is just as critical to promote transparency and showcase the many extraordinary steps we take to safeguard the integrity of our elections, so that every voter can have confidence that the election results truly reflect the will of the people.”
Morales, who had been assistant registrar since 2014, took over after his former boss, Shannon Bushey, retired last year due to medical reasons. Bushey had led the elections office for nearly three decades.
The office, under her tenure, faced harsh criticism and was subject to a state audit in 2017. The county told auditors that from 2010 to 2016, it had administered nearly 30 elections and made 26 errors that ranged from minor typos to sending voters the wrong ballots entirely.
Other issues emerged after the audit — including a case where some voters were unregistered.
Morales said his priority is to continue the county’s commitment to fair and accurate elections results while meeting the community’s needs for accessible elections.
County Executive James in a news release said Morales has “demonstrated throughout his years of service to our county that he has the expertise needed to run an effective, accessible and transparent election system that voters can depend on. In an era where election officials are all-too-often subjected to baseless attacks on their work, we are fortunate to have in Matt a dedicated public servant who is deeply committed to ensuring that our elections are conducted with the highest level of integrity and fairness, which is fundamental to the health of any democracy.”
