Elrawd MacLearn
| Candidate Name | Elrawd MacLearn |
| Position Sought | Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor |
| Website / Social Media | www.elrawd.com |
| Why are you running for office? | The Clerk-Recorder-Assessor is a position that maintains the County’s vital records, assesses real property value, and manages the elections countywide. Of those three roles, overseeing our vote is the most critical to our Republic, because our voice is our vote. I ran for the SBUSD School Board in 2020 and became concerned after claims were made that 3,000 student ballots were cast from an empty UCSB dorm. I began to research our county’s voter data and found that in multiple voter precincts, there was over 100% voter turnout in the 2020 election. I am still waiting for an explanation from the incumbent. Since my phone calls, emails, letters, and visits to the Clerk-Recorder- Assessor’s office has been ignored, I am holding our elected official accountable to the voters and the voices of our votes. If we don’t have an honest election, we don’t have honest elected officials. Lastly, integrity is lacking in the office. The County Clerk counts, certifies the ballots of the election that he’s contested in and never has he once recused himself from counting his own ballots. Seems to me like the fox is guarding the henhouse. |
| What makes you qualified for the job? | -  I am 100% qualified under CA law. The only qualification required is a temporary assessor’s certificate that is granted to me upon winning the election. There is then a process set forth that guides me to earning my permanent assessor’s certificate. -  Volunteered in multiple positions for the registrar of voters for 9 years. -  UCLA graduate with degree in Biology -  Goleta Planning Commissioner -  Personal Integrity -  Small Business Owner |
| What are your two main priorities if you win? | -  To restore trust in the election process. If voters don’t have faith in our process, they’ll have no other recourse, but to protest in the streets and I never want someone to feel like they’re not being heard. -  Santa Barbara County has a growing diverse community that must be represented in our local government. For too long, politics here in Santa Barbara County have been a past time of a privileged few. For too long, county officials have been appointed to elected positions. For too long, the county has been dictated by handshakes and favors. It’s been far too long since we’ve had positive change and I am bringing that change here and now to our county. Additionally, there are economic barriers to anyone who wants to participate in our local government as it costs upwards of $1,000 - $10,000 in fees to run for office. I will either reduce or eliminate those costs so lower income candidates can participate and run for office. |
| How will you collaborate with other governments? | One of my first major acts in office will be to update the voter rolls and develop a process that is accurate and secures the suffrage of all legal voters. To update the voter rolls, it requires the cooperation from the DMV, USPS, and the coroner’s office. Somehow, there is a disconnect on how these agencies communicate currently and in office, I will determine the breakdown in the communication process and establish systems to update the voter rolls as soon as the voter’s information changes. |
| What are the next two issues that are most important to you? | -Â Â To restore transparency and make the office public again. A public office is to serve the public and is public; meaning, nothing should be hidden from the public. -Â Â Protecting Proposition 13 and assess property values as low as legally possible. |
