County elections office honored for veteran poll worker participation
– Vet the Vote recognized the San Luis Obispo County Elections Office with its first-ever Bronze Award, citing veteran participation among local election workers during the November 2025 Statewide Special Election.
According to the organization, at least 15 percent of poll workers and staff for the most recent election were military veterans or military family members. A total of 118 individuals who worked in San Luis Obispo County qualified for the recognition.
Vet the Vote is a national campaign that focuses on registering veterans and their families and recruiting them to serve as election workers. The organization states that veterans and military family members are well-suited for public-facing election roles because of their service backgrounds and representation across communities.
“We’re tremendously grateful that so many local veterans and military family members join us each election to work here in our office and out at the polls,” said Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano. “Supporting elections work is a big act of service, so it makes sense that veterans and those who love them are pitching in here at home.”
Vet the Vote operates as a project of We the Veterans and Military Families and encourages veterans to vote, volunteer, and support election participation. Project coordinators estimate that up to 30 percent of election workers nationwide have a military affiliation and are working with local officials to document participation.
The San Luis Obispo County Elections Office invites interested veterans to learn more about voting and poll working at SloVote.gov.
The Elections Office will also join San Luis Obispo County Veterans Services at the Veterans Resources Fair in Oceano on Jan. 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide information and resources related to voting, poll working, and voter education and engagement.
More information about Vet the Vote is available at vetthe.vote, and details about San Luis Obispo County Veterans Services are available through the county’s veterans services department.
