By California Secretary of State
Contributed
Tuesday, May 12, 2020 is the Special General Election to fill the vacancy of the State Senate district seat that was left by State Sen. Jeff Stone who resigned to become the Western Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor.
To ensure the safety of all voters and elections officials during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order requiring county elections officials to mail every registered voter a ballot for this election.
You are strongly encouraged to fill out your ballot at your earliest convenience and return it in the mail. There will only be limited in-person voting opportunities for voters who need assistance.
Returning your ballot
Your vote-by-mail ballot comes with a prepaid postage return envelope. Simply fill out your ballot, seal it in the return envelope, sign the back of the envelope on the designated line and put it in the mail. For more information, watch the vote-by-mail ballot return video at https://youtu.be/LqLL-QGQVkw .
Your ballot must be postmarked on or before May 12. Ballots will be processed and counted as long as they are postmarked on or before May 12 and arrive to county elections officials no later than May 15.
Tracking your ballot
You can sign up to receive automatic email, text (SMS) or voice notifications on the status of your vote-by-mail ballot. You will be notified when your ballot is on its way to you, received by county elections officials and counted. Sign up at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov.
Due to extension of the vote counting period for the March 3, 2020 presidential primary, ballot notifications for this special election will not be sent out until April 25, 2020.
In-person voting assistance
There will still be an opportunity to vote in person on or before election day, but due to the pandemic, in-person voting opportunities and assistance will be limited. Please use in-person options only if you require assistance from elections officials.
For more information on in-person voting options, contact your county elections office at 951-486-7200 or https://www.voteinfo.net/.
