Here’s everything you need to know about voting in SLO County this election
As Election Day creeps closer, it’s time to start getting your ducks in a row and make sure you are prepared to cast your vote in what promises to be a pivotal election.
Because the process can be a little confusing, The Tribune has compiled a handy guide to everything you need to know about how to vote in San Luis Obispo County.
The guide addresses procedural questions for first-time or infrequent voters such as how to check if you are registered to vote, as well as some 2020-specific questions for experienced voters such as what’s happening with mail-in voting, why that’s an option and tips for coronavirus safety at the polls.
Do you have another question you would like addressed? Let us know in our online form. We’ll update this list with more information as other questions arise.
How do I check if I’m registered?
Your first step should be making sure you are registered to vote in San Luis Obispo County.
The process is easy. Just use the voter status look-up tool on the California Secretary of State’s website at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Just fill in your first and last name, date of birth, driver license or ID number and the last four digits of your Social Security number and — voila — your voter registration status is revealed.
This site offers a wealth of other information as well. On it, you can check if and where you are registered to vote, your political party preference, language preferences for election materials, your polling place and the status of your vote-by-mail ballot.
If you’re already registered, you’re good to go.
But if your address does not match your registration, you need to change your address with the San Luis Obispo County Election Department. To do this, you must either complete a new registration form online (registertovote.ca.gov), mail your address change request in writing to the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder office or update your voter information at the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
How do I register to vote?
If you aren’t registered to vote, your next step is simple. Fill out a form on the California Secretary of State’s website, registertovote.ca.gov.
You’ll need your name, birth date, driver license or ID number and the last four digits of your Social Security number. (If you don’t have a California driver license or California identification card, you can still use the form to apply to register to vote, but there will be extra steps to completing your registration.)
Once you’ve filled out the form, wait 24 hours before checking the status tool, to give time for the system to update.
Even if you miss the deadline to register to vote, you can still vote in the election. You’ll just need to conditionally register to vote and fill out a provisional ballot at a Voter Service Center.
Key registration deadlines:
To register online: Oct. 19
To register by mail: Postmarked by Oct. 19
To register in-person: Election Day, Nov. 3
Do I need to sign up to vote by mail?
You may have noticed there’s some intense discussion about voting by mail this election.
Amid concerns about in-person voting and the potential for spreading the new coronavirus, many states have opted to making voting by mail more accessible to voters, though some opponents say that voting by mail increases voter fraud and question the safety of ballots going through the U.S. Postal Service.
In the past, local voters were required to request or sign up for mail-in ballots if they wanted to opt out of in-person voting, but in California this year, all registered voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot — no request necessary.
San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong announced Tuesday that San Luis Obispo County’s first round of vote-by-mail ballots have been dropped off at the U.S. Postal Service’s Goleta distribution center, and should begin arriving in people’s mailboxes soon.
According to Gong, approximately 179,000 VBM ballots were dropped off for delivery. Subsequent mailings of VBM ballots for later registrations will begin next week.
What’s in my vote-by-mail packet, and how do I fill out the ballot?
You can begin to fill out your vote-by-mail ballot as soon as you receive it.
Inside the packet is a ballot, a voter information guide containing local candidate statements and measure information for contests on the voters’ ballot and a voting instruction page.
To fill out your ballot, just completely color in the ovals next to your candidate choice or choices for races you are voting in, using a ballpoint pen with dark-colored ink (no red ink).
You do not need to vote in all contests. Your other votes will still count even if you choose not to select a candidate in specific races.
Once you’re doing choosing, crease and tear off the enclosed ballot stub to keep, then fold your ballot, seal it in the return envelope provided and sign your name in the space provided.
This year, all vote-by-mail ballot packets will include an “I Voted” sticker, normally only available to those who vote in person.
“If voters typically turn in their ballots in person to receive their ‘I Voted’ sticker, I included it along with their VBM ballot for added convenience,” Gong said in a news release.
How do I turn in my ballot?
Once you’ve filled out your ballot, you are ready to turn it in.
You can return it one of three ways: by sending it in the mail, leaving it at certified drop-boxes around the county or taking it to a Voter Service Center between Oct. 31 and Election Day. (Don’t worry about postage; it’s covered by the county.)
If you choose to mail in your ballot, the U.S. Postal Service recommends you do so by Oct. 27 if you want it to arrive at the county election office by Nov. 3, Election Day.
Mailed ballots will be accepted up to 17 days after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked before or on Nov. 3.
If you aren’t able to return your ballot by Election Day, you can designate someone to drop it off for you. They just have to print and sign their name to the back of the return envelope.
Once you send it in, you can track the status of your ballot by signing up for automatic text alerts via “Where’s My Ballot?” Go here to sign up.
If you are registered and haven’t received a ballot by Oct. 9, contact the elections office to request a replacement at 805-781-5228 or elections@co.slo.ca.us.
Key vote-by-mail deadlines:
Return by mail: Postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3 (USPS recommends by Oct. 27)
Return in person: End of Election Day, Nov. 3, by 8 p.m.
Can I still vote in person?
There won’t be any traditional polling places in San Luis Obispo County this year, but there will be 23 Voter Service Centers open around the county offering a variety of election services.
This is where you can drop off your VBM ballot, receive a replacement ballot, use a ballot marking device for voters with disabilities, update your address and vote in person.
You can also conditionally register to vote and receive a provisional ballot at one of these locations if you missed the deadline to register to vote.
For a list of Voter Service Center locations, check out the county clerk-recorder’s website at https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Clerk-Recorder/Forms-Documents/Elections-and-Voting/Current-Elections.aspx.
Key voting dates:
- Voting Service Centers open: Oct. 31 through Nov. 3
- VBM Drop-off Locations open: Oct. 5 through Nov. 3
- Election Day: Nov. 3
What is SLO County doing about coronavirus at voter centers?
The new Voter Service Centers will be configured to “ensure the safest voting experience possible for those voters who choose to vote in person,” according to a FAQ on the county’s website.
When voting at one of the centers, you’re encouraged to wear a mask, bring your own black or blue ballpoint pen and maintain physical distancing.
Workers will be wearing protective face coverings and have barriers between them and voters.
Voting booths will be spaced 6 feet apart and will include privacy barriers and hand sanitizer. The area will be regularly disinfected, and people will have the option to drop off their vote-by-mail envelopes outside the actual center rather than going in.
The number of voters actually allowed inside a vote center will be limited, so expect delays if you need to go inside.
The county is also advising you to use the centers in the days before Election Day to help beat the rush. Voter centers will open on Oct. 31.
I have another question you haven’t answered — where can I get help?
For any election-related questions, you can contact the San Luis Obispo County elections office at 805-781-5228 or elections@co.slo.ca.us. It also has a number of election-related tutorials and frequently asked questions available on its website, www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Clerk-Recorder/All-Services/Elections-and-Voting.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat is Outspoken?
The Tribune launched Outspoken, a special grant-funded project, as a way to amplify the voices of young San Luis Obispo County voters during the November 2020 election.
So often, we hear that local city council or government meetings are dominated by the concerns of older residents, who tend to be more engaged in local governance. Outspoken aims to change that, by increasing awareness of issues of major concern for younger voters in the region and pushing those to the forefront of the conversation. Through the project, we hope to increase turnout among millennial and Gen Z voters and help them become more engaged in their local governments.
Click on the arrow in the upper right for more.
How we reported this story
SLO Tribune reporters Cassandra Garibay and Kaytlyn Leslie began working on the Outspoken project along with former Tribune reporter Monica Vaughan in March, just before the first positive case of coronavirus in San Luis Obispo County was reported.
The project is possible thanks to a grant and support from Renewing Democracy, an initiative of the Solutions Journalism Network.
In April, Garibay, Leslie and Vaughan conducted a virtual listening session with local stakeholders to gather preliminary direction on what issues might be of concern to young voters in the county, and how best to perform outreach to gather more information.
With the onset of the pandemic and Vaughan’s move from The Tribune to Fresnoland, a reporting and engagement lab with the Fresno Bee, the project was briefly put on hold as the newsroom pivoted to covering coronavirus in the community.
In July a Google Form survey was sent out to those initial stakeholders and shared on social media and The Tribune’s website. Between July 7 and Aug. 13, The Tribune received 209 unique responses to the survey. The responses spanned almost all of San Luis Obispo County, from Nipomo to San Miguel, and covered a broad range of issues.
In early September, Garibay and Leslie began examining the results from the survey to condense into a citizens’ agenda that would present the top issues for young SLO County voters. The five topics presented in this agenda were the issues the most respondents in the survey indicated they were interested in hearing more about from candidates this election.
Reporting based off of these findings is currently underway. To contact either Leslie or Garibay regarding the project, you can email them at kleslie@thetribunenews.com or cgaribay@thetribunenews.com.
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This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 11:05 AM.
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