Current Members
Appointed members serving from 2024-2025
Fred Nisen, Co-Chair (Disability Rights California)
- Fred Nisen is the Managing Attorney for Disability Rights California’s (DRC) Voting Rights Practice Group. DRC is California’s federally mandated protection and advocacy system. Mr. Nisen has been working for DRC for over 20 years. He began advocating for the voting rights of people with disabilities for almost 15 years and has been in a leadership role with DRC’s voting advocacy for approximately eight years. Under his leadership, DRC operates a busy Voting Hotline for voters with disabilities, trains voters with disabilities and election worker trainers, and improves voting accessibility by working with county elections officials and the Secretary of State’s office.
Veronica Elsea, Co-chair (Member of the Santa Cruz County VAAC)
- Totally blind, I have volunteered my time for election work wherever I've lived for the past 45 years.
- While serving on the SC County VAAC, I have participated on the poll worker training team, helping poll workers feel comfortable and ask questions about serving voters with disabilities. On election day I have worked on both public and internal hotlines, answering questions and explaining procedures. I have assisted with outreach, particularly related to helping explain accessible voting machines to Santa Cruz County residents who need to use them.
- I have attended state VAAC meetings for several years, participating in many discussions, most recently regarding accessibility of reading and signing petitions, voting by mail and other current issues.
- I look forward to increasing the visibility and reach of the State VAAC, listening to the needs of others and doing my best to help ensure a safe, accessible and joyous voting experience for everyone.
Aaron Nevarez
Mary Helen Gallegos
- Monterey County Elections
Mathew Ptacek
Mike Nguyen
- Mike Nguyen is from the San Francisco Bay Area and proudly serves on the State Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee with a mission to help California's voters be informed and have the opportunity to express their voice in democracy. Currently, he is a first-generation undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to his appointment to the Committee, Mr. Nguyen served in local office as Commissioner, representing nearly half a million youth in the County of Santa Clara. He also serves on the County Registrar of Voters' Language Accessibility and Voting Accessibility Advisory Committees, known as the LAAC and VAAC. As an advocate and scholar, his work has centered on improving public welfare through educational advocacy, civic engagement, and hunger awareness.
Rebecca Donabed
Roxana Castro
