Board selects career staffer as new registrar

Editor’s note: See the accompanying interview with Mr. Tinoco, the new Riverside County registrar of voters.

At its Dec. 12 meeting, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors appointed Art Tinoco as the registrar of voters (ROV). He has been the interim county registrar since Rebecca Spencer resigned as registrar at the end of September. Tinoco’s first election to manage will be the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary.

“After conducting a recruitment, it became clear that we could rely on Art to continue leading the department into the future,” said board Chair Kevin Jeffries in the county news release. “Art is a committed public servant, who knows how to conduct complex elections, with up to dozens of contests and measures on a single ballot. He is also moving the department towards more timely results, building enhanced community outreach and trust with the community.”

The county’s recruitment process lasted about one month. “There were four applicants who interviewed for the position,” wrote Brooke Federico, the county’s director of communications. “The recruitment was done in-house, so there were no additional costs.”

“Voting is fundamental to our democracy, and I am honored to do this work on behalf of all of our residents,” Tinoco said in the news release. “I look forward to continuing the preparations for our 2024 Presidential Primary and General Elections and ensuring all eligible citizens in Riverside County have access to register and cast their ballot.

“My team is committed to meticulously constructing and refining processes to ensure every step from inception to completion is conducted with care and commitment for our community,” he added in a separate email.

Tinoco has been the assistant ROV for eight years and has been with the Registrar’s Office for more than 21 years. He started his career as a temporary employee in October 2001 and four months later was hired as a full-time employee in the ROV office.

When Spencer left, her settlement was about $800,000. She was on administrative leave and then resigned. During the summer there was an investigation of the Registrar’s Office.

There are about 44 full-time ROV office staff. But during countywide elections with temporary assignment employees, this grows by a factor of 20 to more than 900 people.