Local Election Official Armando Salud-Ambriz is Helping Strengthen Democracy from the Ground Up

Investing in community-rooted leaders is core to strengthening democracy in California and nationwide. That’s why the Haas, Jr. Fund has made leadership support a longtime and central focus of our Democracy program. It’s also why I’m so excited to meet young Californians who are leading boldly and inclusively, and who are finding the support they need to make a difference.

I recently had the opportunity to catch up with one such leader, Armando Salud-Ambriz, the Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters in Nevada County, a rural county located northeast of Sacramento. At the age of 35, Armando is one of the youngest people in our state to hold a senior role in managing elections. He also participated in the inaugural cohort of an annual Leadership Academy that Haas Jr. supports for elections officials across our state.

In California and across the country, local election officials are playing a crucial and often under-appreciated role in upholding democracy and voting rights at a time when core democratic principles are under threat. In our conversation, Salud-Ambriz shared how he is building trust and ensuring fair and accessible elections, while exemplifying the best in public service.

An Immigrant’s Journey to Running Elections

When Salud-Ambriz thinks about elections and voting, he doesn’t take any of it for granted. He was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States at the age of 8 months with his parents, who worked long days in demanding jobs as farmworkers so he and his sister who came after could find a better life.  

“At no point in time were there any conversations in our family about democracy or voting,” he recalled.  

It wasn’t until Salud-Ambriz enrolled as an undergraduate at Sacramento State University, where he found an opportunity to work in the office of the California Secretary of State, that's where he began to think about what it really means to participate in the democratic process. Yet even as he worked in the state office responsible for elections, he still could not vote. He ultimately earned his U.S. citizenship and voted for the first time in the 2016 election. He was 26 years old.  

“I was working over four years in the Secretary of States office, and that whole time I was never able to fully exercise my civic duty and responsibility,” he said. It’s an experience he has since translated into a career focus: ensuring that all eligible voters can access the ballot and find reliable information about where, when and how to vote.

“Representation Matters”

After he left the Secretary of State’s office, Salud-Ambriz moved into county election administration—first in Sacramento County and then in Yolo County. He was appointed to his current role in Nevada County’s elections office in September 2025 at the age of 34 and recently elected to a four-year term this June. In the middle of all of his work in elections, Salud-Ambriz found the time to earn a master’s degree in public administration from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 2024.  

For Salud-Ambriz, running elections is not just about managing the systems and processes that make it possible for people to vote. It’s about making sure those systems and processes reflect the needs and priorities of the communities they serve.

“Representation in leadership matters,” he said. “When we have people who reflect the lived realities of the communities we serve, the opportunities are transformative.”

That perspective shapes how Salud-Ambriz approaches his work. For example, he cares deeply about expanding access to elections for non-English speakers and ensuring that people with disabilities can vote.

“If there is someone with a disability, if there is someone with a language barrier, I want to remove those barriers so that person can participate—because it’s their democracy too,” he explained. “Voting is one of those very few moments when everyone has an equal voice, regardless of language or disability or income or background.”

“Not Alone Anymore”

Salud-Ambriz’s story is a reminder that strong public institutions depend on strong leaders who bring diverse experiences, cultural understanding, and a deep commitment to service. But leaders can’t be expected to succeed solely on their own; they also need skills and networks that support them to have an impact.  

Supporting county elections officials to strengthen their skills and networks, especially those from underrepresented communities, is the focus of a Leadership Academy that the Haas, Jr. Fund helped seed in 2023. Now in its third year, the academy is organized by the UC Davis Graduate School of Management in partnership with the California Assessor’s Association, the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, and the County Recorders’ Association of California.

As a participant in the inaugural Leadership Academy in 2023, Salud-Ambriz participated in four days of presentations, panels, and networking with 29 others in similar roles from counties across the state. One of the academy’s greatest strengths, he said, is breaking down silos. “Many of our roles are very siloed but now I have colleagues I can call for advice. I’m not alone in this space anymore.”

Salud-Ambriz credited the Leadership Academy with helping him expand his perspective on what it means to lead in complex, high-stakes public roles. He said the Leadership Academy also emphasizes authenticity and reflection. “It was about being unapologetically, authentically myself,” he said of the training. 

Building Trust in a Challenging Environment 

If there is one word that defines Salud-Ambriz’s approach to overseeing elections, it’s trust.

“Trust, trust, trust,” he said. “That’s the foundation of everything we do.”

In an era of misinformation and growing skepticism about elections, building trust requires constant effort. For Salud-Ambriz, that means clear communication, proactive outreach, and a willingness to meet people where they are—literally.

Instead of waiting for residents to come to his office, for example, he launched a series of community meet-and-greets across Nevada County. “Not for folks to come to me—for me to go to them,” he said. “I want to hear you, where you’re at.”

Election administration today comes with real challenges. Misinformation and disinformation are rampant. New laws and responsibilities often arrive without the resources needed to implement them. Small counties like Nevada County must do more with limited staff.

At the same time, Salud-Ambriz sees opportunity and purpose in assuring that elections are fair and that everyone who is eligible has the opportunity to vote.  “It’s an honor to be an immigrant turned citizen, giving back to the community I call home,” he said.