Election Connection – Special Ep 5 CACEO 2025 – The Roots of Integrity - Why We Serve Elections

Welcome to Election Connection, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of the democratic process to meet the people who make elections possible. In this special episode recorded at the CACEO 2025 conference, we sit down with Natalie Adona, the Registrar of Voters for Marin County, to explore her "origin story" in election administration.

From her early days as a student poll worker to her influential research in Washington D.C., Natalie discusses the roots of integrity that guide her work and her journey back home to the Bay Area.

Timestamp Outline
0:00 – Conference Kickoff: Discussion on CalPEAC courses and learning the history of voting machines

0:42 – The History of the Ballot: Exploring the etymology of the word "ballot" ("little ball") and the ancient practice of negative voting using stones

1:20 – Guest Introduction: Meeting Natalie Adona, Registrar of Voters for Marin County

1:35 – Passion for Elections: Why Natalie chose this career and the experience of being "bitten by the bug"

1:55 – The Origin Story: Natalie’s start as a UC Berkeley poll worker and her early research into poll worker training

2:44 – First Professional Role: Training poll workers in San Francisco during the 2008 election 

3:40 – The Research Track: Natalie’s work with organizations like MapLight, Voters’ Edge and Project Vote during the financial crisis

4:25 – Moving to Washington D.C.: Working at the Democracy Fund to implement recommendations from the Presidential Commission on Election Administration

5:38 – Returning to California: How a chance interview at a Rolling Stones concert led to a role in Nevada County

6:20 – Coming Home to the Bay: Natalie’s transition to Marin County and the fulfillment of returning to her roots