Absentee voting is a great way to make your voice heard in the San Diego County elections without having to go to the polls on election day. It allows you to cast your vote before the election by mail or mailbox, and it's becoming increasingly popular in California. In the March primary elections, a record 72 percent of the votes were cast by mail. Here's what you need to know about absentee voting in San Diego County.
Requesting an Absentee BallotVoters can request an absentee ballot from their county election official 7 days before the election. This can be done by completing the vote-by-mail request included on the sample ballot, which is mailed to voters before each election. Alternatively, ballots can be requested in person at the county elections office.
Verifying Your Identity
When the county election official receives a ballot, they will compare the signature on the return envelope to the signature(s) on the voter registration.Additional forms of identification may be requested, such as a recent utility bill, the county voter information guide, or any other document from a government agency (e.g., passport, driver's license, student ID).
Tracking Your Ballot
Section 3017 (c) of the California Election Code requires county election officials to establish procedures to track and confirm receipt of vote-by-mail ballots and make this information available through an online access system or toll-free telephone number.Voting In Person
Voters who prefer to vote in person can do so at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters office starting Oct. 5.The Civic Design Center has provided updated USPS templates (PDF), InDesign templates for shipping (ZIP) and return (ZIP) envelopes, and an updated USPS brochure (PDF) for counties to use in implementing this updated universal design.Voter Education ResourcesVOTE411 is committed to ensuring that voters have all the information they need to successfully participate in every election. The Secretary of State's office encourages counties to use resources provided by the Center for Civic Design to help successfully implement mail-in voting. This includes uniform guidelines that can help voter education efforts across the state, ensure that voters receive their materials on time, and help them understand the materials being sent to them.
Contacting San Diego County Elections Office
If you have any questions about absentee voting in San Diego County, you can contact the San Diego County General Information at (85) 694-39002-1-1 or contact the San Diego Board of Supervisors and Department of Media Information.All valid vote-by-mail ballots are counted in every California election, regardless of the result or close contest.
