Still haven’t turned in your ballot? Here’s your guide to last-minute voting in SLO County
The primary election is Tuesday, and if you’re like thousands of other registered San Luis Obispo County voters, you probably haven’t voted yet.
There is no need to panic, however:
To help all those procrastinators out there, The Tribune has compiled a handy guide to last-minute voting, including how and where to turn your ballot in, and how to register to vote.
I’m not registered. Can I still vote?
The deadline to register to vote was May 23, but California offers a safety net for residents.
Conditional voter registration, also often called same-day voter registration, allows you to register to vote up until close of Election Day.
You can do so by going to the San Luis Obispo County Elections Office, a polling place or a vote center. There, you’ll be asked to fill out registration forms and then be allowed to vote via a provisional ballot.
Your ballot will be processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.
What’s on the ballot?
The ballots include offices such as U.S. senator, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner, member of the state Board of Equalization, state superintendent of public instruction, U.S. representative in Congress, state senator, state Assembly member and local candidates, according to the SLO County Elections website.
Notably, there are two races for one of California’s U.S. Senate seats on the ballot this June: one for a full 6-year term that begins on Jan. 3, 2023, and another for a partial term ending that same day.
The partial term is due to a special vacancy, according to the Elections Office, and voters can select candidates in both contests. Sen. Alex Padilla was appointed to the seat vacated by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
Changes in traditional representation due to redistricting include
- U.S. Congress: San Luis Obispo County is now included in both the 19th and 24th districts, rather than just the 24th District.
- California State Assembly: What used to be the 35th District is now District 30 and 37.
- California State Senate: Some SLO County voters will now be in the 21st District, while others remain in the 17th District
Thanks to redistricting and the mid-term appointment of San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg, who replaced late Supervisor Adam Hill as the representative of District 3, some local voters may have the option of voting in both District 3 and District 4.
Voters residing within both the old District 3 and the new District 4 will receive a ballot including both contests.
How do I fill out my ballot?
Filling out your ballot is as simple as filling in the ovals next to the name of the candidate you wish to vote for. Just make sure to use a pencil or a pen with blue or black ink — no red or light-colored ink.
Once completed, put the ballot cards in the return envelope provided, seal, sign and print your address on the return envelope.
Because of the volume of candidates this election, your ballot is actually two cards. Make sure to fill out and return both in the same envelope. You cannot add a missing card after you have submitted your ballot.
Where and when can I vote?
All registered voters in San Luis Obispo County were sent ballots at the start of May. (If you did not receive your ballot in the mail, you’ll want to reach out to the county elections office to figure out your next steps.)
You can turn in your ballot at one of several designated drop-off boxes, or on Tuesday at your polling location.
A list of authorized ballot drop-off boxes is available at https://bit.ly/3zkrc4Y. Box hours vary by location.
All ballots must be turned in by 8 p.m. Tuesday to be counted.
If you want to vote in person, you can do so at your assigned polling location, which is printed on your vote-by-mail ballot stub.
If using this method, officials recommend that you bring your filled out vote-by-mail ballot to the polling place and drop it off there.
If you would rather fill out a ballot at the polling place, you can be provided with a provisional ballot.
Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. A list of locations is available at https://bit.ly/3zkrc4Y.
Have election questions?
Still have questions? Email them to Tribune reporter Kaytlyn Leslie at kleslie@thetribunenews.com, and she will answer them before voting closes Tuesday evening.
This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 1:20 PM.
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