Natalie Adona, whose career includes has 17 years of intensive elections experience in several Northern California counties, is the County of Marin’s choice as its next Registrar of Voters. She will replace Lynda Roberts, who is retiring at the end of June.
On June 9, Adona takes over the Marin County Elections Department after serving as the County Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters in Nevada County, which is based in Nevada City. She served as the department’s assistant for three years before being elected to lead the department in June 2022.
Marin County Executive Derek Johnson said Adona’s background with elections and passion for voting rights made her the top candidate among 64 who applied.
“Natalie stood out because of her deep experience and reputation statewide and even nationally in the field,” Johnson said. “She is a hands-on leader who will continue Marin’s widespread recognition for ensuring fair, transparent, and accessible elections with integrity and a commitment to voter outreach.”
A native of Vallejo, Adona previously worked for the City and County of San Francisco and the County of Alameda where she trained poll workers. She has also worked in the nonprofit sector with election administrators and political scientists to improve elections and voting policies. During her time with Nevada County, she was elected secretary of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials in July 2024 and co-chaired the Ballot Design Advisory Committee established by the Secretary of State. She has been an adviser and featured speaker for several national organizations as well.
Adona has deep experience with California election laws, managing budgets and grants, cross-departmental collaboration, and community feedback. Adona described elections work as “a calling” and commended Marin for consistently ranking among the counties with the highest voter turnout statewide.
“That is an achievement that speaks to both the community’s deep civic engagement and the elections team’s expertise in meeting voters where they are,” Adona said. “I’m honored to build upon the strong foundation established by Lynda Roberts and the entire Marin County team. I look forward to carrying the baton forward and continuing to deliver exceptional service to voters and candidates. Being close to family in Vallejo and serving in elections in beautiful Marin County is truly a dream come true.”
Adona has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley plus a law degree and a master’s in public administration from The American University in Washington, D.C. While at American, she served as a student attorney in the Women and the Law Clinic for 10 months, representing low-income clients in the local superior court, and for elections-related nonprofits. She then spent more than five years with the Democracy Fund as a senior researcher and learning associate overseeing elections-related projects and grantmaking.
The Marin County Elections Department has a staff of 11.6 full-time equivalent positions year-round but often grows to a total team of 200 during busy election seasons. The department had an annual budget of $4.48 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Nevada County had 74,991 registered voters and an estimated population of 102,037 as of October 2023; Marin had approximately 170,000 registered voters and a population of 254,407.
Adona’s starting annual salary will be $218,192 with benefits comparable with other County department heads. She will be appointed by the Board of Supervisors May 20 and her first day will be June 9.
Roberts, who has led Marin’s Elections Department since July 2014, announced her scheduled retirement in January.
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