About Francisco Diaz

On June 7, 2022, Francisco became the youngest elected County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters in the County of San Benito. At the age of 35, he is the youngest acting Registrar of Voters in the State of California. Francisco holds certifications from the California State Association of Counties, County Recorders Association of California, and the National Association of Election Officials.

Francisco grew up in the central coast in a working-class immigrant family. His father was a carpet cleaner, who single handedly put his wife and three sons through college. His mother became the owner of a small business, and everyone pitched in for the family business growing up.

He received his undergraduate degree in political science and history from Saint Mary’s College of California. Francisco attended college on a working scholarship, interned at the International Institute of the Bay Area, United States Congress, and the Lasallian “Christian” Service Ministry.

Francisco began his professional career with the County of San Benito. In the span of ten years, he was promoted from Bilingual Senior Deputy to Staff Analyst, then Assistant County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters to County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department Head.

While working full-time, Francisco earned a master’s degree in Public Administration with concentration in fiscal management from the oldest private-military college, Norwich University. He graduated with honors in 2017. 

Francisco took a break from public service in 2017. He served as the Labor Relations Representative for the California School Employees Association (CSEA) in Stockton, California. As a union organizer, Francisco championed blue-collar worker rights, expanding the right to good pay, decent work-family balance, and fought against age discrimination.  

Francisco returned to public service in 2019. As the Assistant County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters, he initiated risk limiting audits, implemented a ballot pickup ride along program, and established a bipartisan voting security task force.

He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Services Development Corporation (CSDC), Coalition of Bay Area Election Officials (CBAEO), and San Benito County Toastmasters.