Marin Candidate Files $158K Claim Over Flub at Elections Office
A Tamalpais Union High School District trustee has filed a $158,000 claim against the county, saying the elections office improperly allowed his home address to be circulated.

Kevin Saavedra, who is running for a third term in the Nov. 3 election, says the address and other contact information were distributed as part of a 48-page document sent to county officials and others.
Saavedra’s claim says part of the damages are to compensate him for “emotional distress, anxiety, loss of privacy, loss of security, inconvenience, disruption of his personal life, and continuing concern that his residential information may remain in the possession of persons who were not authorized to receive it.”
Saavedra said he was forced to relocate to a more expensive, $4,500-per-month apartment while paying moving costs and security deposits.
According to the claim, $108,000 of the $158,000 total is for 24 months of rent at the new apartment; $30,000 is for emotional distress and loss of security; and $20,000 is for loss of privacy, disruption and inconvenience.
Marin County Counsel Brandon Halter said the claim is under review.
“Because the matter involves potential legal action, we do not have further comment at this time,” Halter said.
Saavedra filed the claim on Sept. 8. The same day, he spoke about the incident during the public comment period of the Marin County Board of Supervisors meeting.
According to Saavedra, the incident happened in April after someone called the county elections office to ask about viewing Saavedra’s candidate nomination form for the 2022 election.
The staffer who answered the phone said the form could be viewed, but only in person, Saavedra said. The staffer said no copies would be allowed and personal information was to be redacted, he said.
However, when the unidentified caller or the caller’s representative showed up to view the form, a different employee was on duty and unfamiliar with the protocols. The different staffer handed the unredacted form to the visitor, who snapped a photo with a cellphone, Saavedra said.
Later, the personal information was included in a package of personal and business details on Saavedra that was distributed to county officials and others in Marin.
Saavedra said he was enrolled in the California “Safe at Home” program through the secretary of state’s office. Its website says the program is designed for people who feel they might be at risk or under threat to keep their “residence address confidential and out of the hands of someone who might want to harm them.”
Saavedra’s claim does not identify a potential suspect. It calls on the county to “promptly investigate the incident and engage in good-faith settlement discussions.”
Natalie Adona, the Marin County registrar of voters, acknowledged the breach of protocol in a May 22 email to Saavedra.
“Under the rules of the confidentiality program you were enrolled in, your contact information is not available when persons make a request for voter data,” Adona wrote. “I believe that, when our staff presented the nomination papers for viewing, though the document is public, your contact information should have been redacted or otherwise not viewable to the requester.”