Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder Kristin Braun Connelly will answer voter questions about ballot security at a free webinar on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Connelly and Helen Hutchison, past president of the League of Women Voters of California, will appear on the 2 p.m. Zoom panel hosted by the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley. The session, titled "Get the Nuts and Bolts of Voting Safety and Security," will cover election security, ballot protection and the processes used to count every eligible vote accurately, according to the Contra Costa Herald.

The webinar arrives ahead of a busy election season in Walnut Creek. On Nov. 3, city voters will choose two City Council members and a City Treasurer and weigh in on Measure T, regarding the treasurer position, and Measure U, regarding a proposed senior housing site. Vote-by-mail ballots and official drop boxes become available Monday, Oct. 5, according to the city.

Connelly, first elected in 2022, leads an office focused on voter access, election transparency and combating misinformation. Her department's "Elections – More Secure than Ever" campaign earned the Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America in May 2025, according to a county press release. The campaign, funded by a national grant awarded to 16 jurisdictions nationwide, increased trust in the county's election system by 12%. Forty-five percent of previously skeptical voters said they gained a fact-based understanding of how elections work.

"There's so much misinformation and disinformation out there, I can understand why voters may have questions about how our elections are administered …" Connelly said in an October 2024 statement announcing the county's election observer program.

The webinar is free.

Registration is available through the Contra Costa County Library website, and Zoom access information will be emailed to registrants 24 hours before the program. Spanish interpretation will be available during the session, and the county library will provide closed captioning. Co-sponsors include the League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa County Library and Contra Costa Television.

A recording will be posted to the Contra Costa County Library and League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley YouTube channels after the event. Residents needing special accommodations should contact the library at least 72 hours in advance or email [email protected].