Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

(Redwood City, CA) The ballot application period opens January 3 and will remain open through Election Day for military and overseas voters participating in the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election. “Our goal in every election is to ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast their ballot, no matter where they are,” said Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder.

Eligible San Mateo County voters include:

• Members of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine on active duty;
• A spouse or dependent of a member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine on active duty; and
• U.S. citizens living abroad, who may register and apply for a ballot by completing a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).

The FPCA form is available at your local U.S. Embassy or the Federal Voting Assistance Program website www.fvap.gov. You may also go to the California Secretary of State’s website www.registertovote.ca.gov to register as a military or overseas voter.

When you register, you may choose to receive your ballot by: 1) email, 2) fax, or 3) postal mail. Pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, San Mateo County will send your ballot between 60 and 45 days prior to Election Day.

The final day for registered overseas voters to request a mailed ballot is February 18, 2020. Applications for faxed or emailed ballots may be submitted up to and including Election Day.

All-Mailed Ballot – Vote Center Election Model for the March 3, 2020 Election
The March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election will be the fourth election San Mateo County conducts under the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) model. It is the first Presidential Primary Election to be held under the VCA.

Traditional polling places have been replaced by Vote Centers, which will be open for voting for an extended period, and which will offer expanded voter services, including voter registration, multilingual assistance, and disabled access voting options. Every registered voter will also receive a Vote by Mail Ballot, which voters can return with no postage required in any mailbox or into secure county ballot drop boxes located throughout the county.

For more information, call 650.312.5222, visit www.smcacre.org or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @smcvote.