The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, with backing from the county Board of Supervisors and the County Counsel, has decided to let voters fill out voter registration forms using electronic signatures. See this May 14 San Jose Mercury News story. Santa Clara County is the most populous county in northern California, and includes not only San Jose, but the other smaller cities in the neighborhood that are collectively known to the world as “Silicon Valley.”

The initial eight voters whose electronic signatures were accepted used iPads, iPhones, and other mobile touch-screen devices. The article indicates that the California Secretary of State acknowledges that each California County Elections office has the authority to make this decision for its own county. Thanks to Blair Bobier for the link.