Opened and operated a station at the Local Assistance Fire Recovery Center for two weeks, including evenings and weekends, to provide more than 600 copies of vital and official records at no cost to those directly affected by the Thomas Fire. A very special thank you to the following Clerk-Recorder, Registrar staff who volunteered their time at the center to aid those in need: Jessie, Laurie, Kristi, Eder, Jeff, Chiupin, Laura P., Robert, Laura R., Irma, Preston, David H., Kim, Monica, Mitch, Jason, Jessica, Christina O., and Lawrence. Thank you for your compassion!
The County Clerk-Recorder, Registrar of Voters underwent an audit of the Social Security Truncation Program by the Auditor-Controller for the period July 1, 2013 through November 30, 2017. Our outstanding Fiscal Division's comprehensive recordkeeping contributed to a smooth and efficient audit process. Audit results verified the funds generated by the fee were used only for the purpose of the program as described in Government Code §§ 27300 through 27307.
Processed, evaluated, and coordinated the hiring process of 368 applications and filled 86 extra-help positions in the 2016-17 fiscal year to assist with the 2016 Primary and General Presidential Elections.
Completed all 2016-17 fiscal year budget targets ahead of schedule and within allocated appropriations.
Initiated an electronic performance management program to modernize the employee review process and increase efficiency for supervisors and staff.
Completed a comprehensive examination of agency Deputy Appointments and Oaths of Office filed with the Clerk and Recorder; communicated with numerous County agencies to request revocations and revisions as necessary, to bring records current to date.
Participated in High School Voter Educations Weeks April 17-28, 2017, by visiting 25 local high schools to promote civic education and participation on campus and foster an environment that cultivates lifelong voters and active citizens.
Opened the first Clerk and Recorder East County Office (located at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza) after a successful three year pilot-project in partnership with the Thousand Oaks City Clerk's Office to provide Clerk and Recorder services locally to the 40% of our customers who reside in the East County and to reduce the time and vehicle trips required to drive to the Government Center in Ventura. The added space allowed the Clerk and Recorder to expand its East County services to include wedding ceremonies and public search stations.
Installed a vinyl vehicle wrap on the Elections van to provide outreach to encourage citizens to register to vote and recruit nearly 2,000 volunteers needed to staff over 360 polling places on Election Day.
Collaborated with the County of Ventura Public Information Officer and the Ventura County News Channel to film the video "Counting the Vote" to offer an inside look behind the scenes at the Elections Division and highlight the voting process in Ventura County and answer the common question, "what happens to my ballot?"
Redesigned the Poll Worker Training Program to incorporate election clerk feedback and provide nearly 2,000 poll workers that volunteer their time with the tools they need to successfully manage their assigned polling place and facilitate election procedures in compliance with California Elections Code.
Implemented an Elections Call Center to streamline the influx of calls received during peak election cycles.
Partnered with a local artist to design and paint a Trompe L'oeil mural capturing the landscape of Ventura County in the Clerk and Recorder wedding room to provide customers with a spectacular backdrop for wedding ceremonies.
Increased number of registered voters in Ventura County to record high of 442,951 during the November 8, 2016 Presidential General Election as a result of targeted community and media outreach.
Mark Lunn participated in 2014 and 2016 Newbury Park High School mock elections to encourage civic engagement in local students.
Opened a new voting room to allow all registered voters an opportunity to vote up to 29 days before an election.
The Ventura County Clerk and Recorder Elections Division worked collectively with the California Secretary of State's Office to launch VoteCal, a centralized voter registration database, in Ventura County two months ahead of schedule. VoteCal is the first step in the future of voting in California.
Ventura County Elections Officials received the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund's "Smart Voter Award 2015." The award was presented in recognition of their vital role in providing data for SmartVoter.org and for delivering personalized, nonpartisan information about candidates and measures to voters in Ventura County.
The Ventura County Clerk and Recorder's Office worked in conjunction with the Ventura County District Attorney's Office on a landmark voter fraud case that led to the first voter fraud conviction in Ventura County for the last 30 years. The recent conviction sends a clear message - do not commit voter fraud in Ventura County.
Constructed a wedding room in 2015 with soundproof walls that allows for more private and intimate ceremonies. The new room can accommodate 23 guests; the smaller room it had replaced had a maximum capacity of eight guests.
Completed a Military Service Records Assistance Project to reduce the time required for veterans to obtain their needed benefits. Many of the original military records that these veterans needed to document their right to receive benefits had been completely destroyed during a 1973 fire at the Overland, Missouri National Records Center. To help replace these records, the Clerk and Recorder retrieved more than 32,000 individual military service discharge records that had been recorded in Ventura County from 1905 through 1999. These records will allow those veterans to document their service to our country and to finally receive the benefits that they have sacrificed so much to earn.
Increased the number of permanent Vote By Mail (VBM) voters by more than 16,000 in one quarter as a result of an extensive direct mail effort.
Mark Lunn received the Registered Election Official (REO) designation by completing The Election Center's intense and challenging certification program specifically tailored to teach election requirements and procedures of individual states.
Developed a 10-year office space plan to align with current and future business needs and objectives. The Clerk's office was reconfigured to promote efficiency and increase productivity in daily operations.
Launched the VC Elections Mobile App in 2014 which allows users, at no cost, to view real-time elections information via smartphone or tablet. Information and links available within the app provide both registered and non-registered voters access to: voter registration, election night results, candidate filing schedules and forms, poll worker opportunities, and resources for voters serving in the military or overseas. The app also features a countdown clock which tracks the number of days remaining before the next election, the last day to register to vote, and the first day to request a Vote By Mail ballot. In 2015, the VC Elections App was recognized as part of the County of Ventura's innovative use of technology awarded by the Center for Digital Government.
Mark Lunn was selected to be a member of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials (CACEO) Secretary of State Transition Committee which works closely with Secretary of State Alex Padilla.
Mark Lunn is a member of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials (CACEO) Legislative Voting Opportunities Committee which is exploring future voting opportunities.
Ventura County Board of Supervisors unanimously requested on July 27, 2010, that newly-elected County Clerk and Recorder Mark Lunn get to work immediately on his plans for revitalizing and modernizing the County Clerk and Recorder's Office - five months prior to the official start of his four-year term of office as the 19th elected Ventura County Clerk and Recorder.
The Ventura County Clerk and Recorder partners with National Voter Registration Day, held on annually on the fourth Tuesday of September, to help raise awareness about voter registration.
Mark Lunn was unanimously elected Treasurer of the County Recorders' Association of California for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2016.
Mark Lunn presented at the 2015 Property Records Education Partners (PREP) Seminar held in Riverside, California. PREP provides a forum for stakeholders of the property records industry to work together more effectively.
The Ventura County Clerk and Recorder has agreed to use its office in the Ventura Government Center as a public drop-off location for worn American Flags. The Flag Retirement Program, implemented by the Ventura County General Services Agency, accepts worn flags which are then collected by local Boy Scouts and presented to veterans for proper retirement.
Mark Lunn designated by the National Elections Center as a "Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA)," the first Ventura County official to earn this certification. This designation required completion of a 12-course curriculum at Auburn University. This is the highest professional designation available to elections and voter registration officials and has been achieved by only 3% of elections officials nationwide. Mark Lunn completed additional courses and workshops to renew his CERA designation in 2015.
Mark Lunn identified the new core mission of the County Clerk and Recorder's Office as "Preserving History and Protecting Democracy" for the customers, voters, and taxpayers of Ventura County.
Returned to the County General Fund and taxpayers a cumulative total of $8 million in budgeted net cost savings since 2010.
Launched a redesigned County Clerk and Recorder integrated website with improved access, information, and customer service features. This included a first-ever "Election Night Reporting" feature to offer enhanced and customizable election results information, precinct reporting maps, and graphing capabilities to provide transparency and efficiency to Ventura County voters and local media.
Implemented Ventura County's first "Electronic Recording system" for real estate documents to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Implemented Ventura County's first "Elections Voter Fraud Program" to identify, investigate, refer for prosecution, and deter all cases of potential voter fraud discovered during the voter registration, petition-circulating, and vote-casting process.
Negotiated contract for new campaign finance website, launched in November 2013, offering a new Campaign Finance Online Filing software program with improved campaign finance reporting and online search capabilities for candidates, committees, and the public.
Automated elections process with state-of-the-art ballot processing equipment (signature verification/sorter and envelope opener/extractor) to reduce time and labor costs required to verify and process Vote By Mail ballots during an election. Mark Lunn's personal testimony before the California State Voting Modernization Board to request available State funding reimbursement for this equipment resulted in significantly higher savings than anticipated for local taxpayers.
Certified 27 federal, state, and local elections, including a record seven elections in a single year-2013.
Installed integrated security camera system throughout the Clerk and Recorder and Elections offices to enhance customer and staff safety, prevent identity theft, and track movement of ballots and voting equipment during election periods.
Redesigned County Clerk and Recorder official seal to reduce ability to counterfeit and to more accurately depict the three major divisions of the office: Clerk, Recorder, and Elections.
Mark Lunn unanimously elected to the Board of Directors of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials and as Secretary of the County Recorders' Association of California, to further represent the interests of Ventura County citizens on a statewide level.
Mark Lunn is a member of the Ventura County Real Estate Fraud Advisory Team (REFAT), a partnership of community leaders and experts dedicated to preventing and combating real estate fraud in Ventura County. Recent actions by the Clerk Recorder, in collaboration with the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, to combat real estate fraud have included: (1) mailing letters to homeowners alerting them about fraudulent loan modification services; and (2) mailing Quitclaim Deed Notices to homeowners notifying them when a change of ownership document has been recorded to protect homeowners from potential real estate fraud.
Implemented Online Voter Registration Program.
Participated in 82 community outreach events to register voters, recruit volunteers to work at the polls, and foster an awareness of elections and voting opportunities.
Implemented new office policy to require individuals to present valid identification when requesting certified copies of vital records (birth, marriage, and death certificates) to protect citizens from identify theft.
The Clerk's Office set an all-time record by performing 46 wedding ceremonies on Valentine's Day 2015, including two vow renewal ceremonies. The previous record of 44 ceremonies was reached on February 14, 2014.
Clerk and Recorder's Office implemented new debit/credit card option for customers in both our main Ventura and East County offices. For a nominal $2.50 fee for transactions up to $1,500, customers may use their MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or VISA (debit only at this time) cards to charge for services. This new service provides our customers added convenience and savings and is an enhancement of our existing "VitalChek" system which allows online debit/credit card purchases.
Connected the County Clerk and Recorder's Office with the online communities of Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube to provide 21st Century social media interface to Clerk and Recorder services and upcoming events.
Installed Vote By Mail "drop-off box" outside the Ventura County Government Center Hall of Administration to allow voters the convenience of returning their voted ballots 24/7 without the need to park or schedule their visit during regular working hours.
Implemented ongoing historical restoration project to preserve official and vital records and ensure public access to these rare documents dating back to the 1800s.
Mark Lunn met with the County Superintendent of Schools to identify additional opportunities for local high school students to acquire public work experience by volunteering as poll workers during elections.
Expanded Spanish voice mail access capabilities for our Spanish-speaking customers.
Reduced time to 10 business days required for customers to receive their official recorded documents in the mail.
Implemented new changes allowing uniformed (including our military) and overseas voters to request to receive their Vote By Mail ballot by e-mail (in addition to US Mail and FAX).
Redesigned a more modern and open Clerk and Recorder lobby area to encourage easier access and reduce waiting times for our customers.
Introduced online marriage and fictitious business name applications for customers.
Revised legislative, district, and precinct boundaries to conform with 2010 Census data.
Introduced outdoor wedding ceremonies for larger wedding parties.
Registered three new "domain names" to facilitate public online search for recording and elections information: (1) VenturaClerkRecorder.org; (2) VenturaVote.org; and (3) ClerkandRecorder.com.
Strengthened security procedures for all visitors to Clerk and Recorder and Elections offices, including comprehensive video surveillance and new visitor identification badges and visitor log.
Mark Lunn spoke at the Legal Clerk's night on January 14, 2014, at the Wedgewood Banquet Facility in Ventura. Mr. Lunn discussed recent legislative changes that affect the County Clerk and Recorder's office and our customers.
Mark Lunn and Supervisor Kathy Long co-introduced a new domestic partnership program at the Ventura County Board of Supervisors during the first of two public hearings on January 28. This new program will close the last-remaining gap by ensuring that all residents of Ventura County are afforded the full domestic partnership/marriage services available to them by law.
Mark Lunn participated in the "Voter Accessibility/Voters With Disabilities" seminar at the San Francisco Elections Center on January 30, 2014.
Community Outreach Events
2017
Oxnard Earth Day Festival (April 15)
Simi Valley Youth Employment Service Job and Career Expo (April 22)
Latino Business Expo (May 4)
Family Care & Resource Fair (May 25)
Oxnard Juneteenth Festival (June 17)
Oxnard College Expo (August 30)
Ventura Farmers Market at Pacific View Mall (September 13)
Constitution Day at Moorpark College (September 18)
Constitution Day for Ventura Adult Education (September 18)
Partnership with Ventura College Constitution Day (September 18)
Simi Valley Madir (September 22)
Moorpark College National Voter Registration Day (September 25)
National Voter Registration Day (September 26)
Make a Difference Day (September 30)
Oxnard Multicultural Festival (October 7)
Santa Paula Senior Center (October 11)
Oxnard Farmers Market (October 12)
Latino Business Expo (October 26)
Wilson Senior Center Voter Outreach (November 9)
2016
Oxnard Earth Day Festival (April 9)
Latino Business Expo (April 28)
Oxnard Juneteenth Festival (June 18)
Moorpark College Constitution Day (September 15)
National Voter Registration Day (September 27)
Oxnard Multicultural Festival (October 1)
Conejo Chinese Culture Association Seminar (October 15)
Thousand Oaks Street Fair (October 16)
Latino Business Expo (October 27)
2015
Oxnard Earth Day Festival (April 4)
Simi Valley Youth Employment Service Job and Career Expo (April 11)
Thousand Oaks Arbor Earth Day Festival (April 18)
Latino Business Expo (April 23)
Simi Valley Street Fair (May 9)
Oxnard Revival Center Health & Job Fair (June 6)
Oxnard Juneteenth Festival (June 20)
Camarillo Fiesta & Street Fair (July 11-12)
Welcome Home Military & Veteran Expo (August 15)
Oxnard Multicultural Festival (October 3)
Thousand Oaks Street Fair (October 18)
Latino Business Expo (October 29)
10th Annual Senior and Caregiver Conference (November 21)
Oxnard Tamale Festival (December 5)
2014
Oxnard Earth Day Festival (April 5)
Thousand Oaks Arbor Earth Day (April 5)
Latino Business Expo (April 24)
Simi Valley Youth Employment Service Job and Career Expo (April 26)
Simi Valley Street Fair (May 10)
Camarillo Fiesta and Street Fair (July 11 - July 13)
Santa Paula Citrus Classic Balloon Festival (July 25 - July 26)
Oxnard Multicultural Festival (October 4)
Thousand Oaks Street Fair (October 19)
Latino Business Expo (October 23)
Oxnard Tamale Festival (December 6)
2013
Oxnard Earth Day Festival (April 6)
Thousand Oaks Earth Day Festival (April 13)
Simi Valley Street Fair (May 11)
Santa Paula Citrus Classic Balloon Festival (July 27)
Latino Business Festival Elections Outreach (September 26)
Oxnard Multicultural Festival Elections Outreach (October 5)
Thousand Oaks Street Fair Elections Outreach (October 20)
Oxnard Tamale Festival (December 7)
2012
Latino Business Expo (April 12)
Oxnard Earth Day Festival (April 14)
Camarillo Earth Day Festival (April 21)
Thousand Oaks Earth Day Festival (April 28)
Simi Valley Youth Job and Career Expo (May 5)
Latino Business Expo (September 27)
Oxnard Multicultural Festival (October 6)
2011
City of Oxnard Earth Day Festival (April 9)
Latino Business Expo (April 28)
Thousand Oaks Earth Day Celebration (April 30)
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Conference (May 21)
Santa Paula Citrus Classic Balloon Festival (July 29 and 31)
Latino Business Expo (September 29)
Oxnard Multicultural Festival (October 1)
2010
Santa Paula Citrus Balloon Festival (July 30-31)
Latino Mobilization Action 2010 (August 25)
Latino Business Expo (September 23)
Oxnard Multicultural Festival (October 2)
KKZZ 1400AM “The Dr. Bunny Show” (October 6)
Area Board 9 Voters With Disabilities (October 12)
Moorpark College Student Civic Day (October 14)
Elections Certified
2017
Oak Park Unified School District Election (May 2)
Ventura County General Member Retirement Election (May 30)
2016
Ventura County Community Facilities District No. 2015-01 Election (January 26)
Presidential Primary Election (June 7)
Presidential General Election (November 8)
2015
Ventura County Waterworks District No. 38 Election (May 5)
Thousand Oaks Special Municipal Vacancy Election (June 2)
UDEL General Election (November 3)
Ventura County Retirement Board General Member Election (November 30)
2014
Gubernatorial Primary Election (June 3-scheduled)
Gubernatorial General Election (November 4-scheduled)
2013
Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association General Member Election (February 19)
Landowner General District Election (May 7)
Oxnard Special Municipal Vacancy Election (June 4)
Casitas Municipal Water District-Community Facilities District-2013-1 (Ojai) Election (August 27)
45th Assembly District Special Primary Election (September 17)
Consolidated General Election (November 5)
45th Assembly District Special General Election (November 19)
2012
Presidential Primary Election (June 5)
Presidential General Election (November 6)
2011
Special Primary Election for the 17th Senatorial District (February 15)
Landowner General District Election (May 3)
Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association General Member Election (July 1)
Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association Safety Member Election (July 1)
Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association Retired Member Election (September 23)
Consolidated General Election (November 8 )
2010
Gubernatorial General Election (November 2)