Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
(Redwood City, CA) On April 26, the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division will begin mailing the Sample Ballot & Voter Information Pamphlet to registered voters for the June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary Election.
"I encourage voters to review the election material carefully and to mark their choices on their sample ballot. If they are voting in person, it is helpful to bring the pre-marked sample ballot with them," recommended Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer and Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. “The extra preparation helps voters ensure that their choices are the ones meant to be selected,” added Church.
The Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet is a valuable resource for voters. It includes:
- A sample of your Official Ballot
- Information about candidates and measures on your ballot
- Voting options (Vote by Mail, Vote Centers, and Ballot Drop-off Locations)
- Voter resources (websites, email addresses, and phone numbers)
All voters eligible to vote in the June Election will receive a pamphlet in English. Spanish and Chinese versions of the election materials will also be mailed to voters who have requested them in their preferred language. Spanish and Chinese election materials may be requested at the time of registering to vote or at any time thereafter. Additional copies of the pamphlet are provided on request.
Visually impaired voters may request a copy of the county’s Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet on audiotape by calling the Registration & Elections Division at 888.762.8683.
In addition to the paper copy, any voter may view their pamphlet online in either PDF or accessible format by visiting www.smcacre.org/Voting and clicking on “Check My Registration/Access My Election Materials/View My Sample Ballot Pamphlet/Track & Confirm My Ballot.”
Voters may also join our Go Green! program to view their pamphlets online only. Voters can sign up by clicking on “Go Green!" on www.smcacre.org/Voting. After signing up, they will no longer be mailed a paper copy of the pamphlet and will be notified by email that their pamphlet is now available online.
In addition to the county pamphlet, registered voters will also receive an Official Voter Information Guide from the California Secretary of State.
“Voters should review both the county pamphlet and the state guide,” said Church. “These are not duplicate materials. The state guide contains the U.S. Senate candidate statements and information on the state propositions. The county pamphlet has candidate statements for other contests and information on regional and local measures.”
New Election Model for June 5, 2018
The June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary Election will be the first election conducted under the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA). The VCA will implement an All-Mailed Ballot/Vote Center model, with every registered voter receiving a Vote by Mail Ballot through the mail. The Vote by Mail Ballot may be returned by mail, dropped off at any Vote Center or Special Ballot Drop Box located throughout the county. Return postage will be prepaid for those voters wishing to return their ballots through USPS.
Vote Centers will replace traditional polling places and will be open for voting throughout the early voting period. Vote Centers will be providing expanded voter services such as voter registration, multilingual assistance, and disabled access voting options.
For more information on the California Voter’s Choice Act and the new All-Mailed Ballot/Vote Center election model, please call 650.312.5222, visit www.smcacre.org or follow us on Twitter @smcvote.