New program to provide City Hall drop off for those who vote by mail

September 24, 2008
Santa Paula News

To prepare for what County Clerk/Recorder Philip Schmidt wrote promises to be a history-making event with a record high turnout, a new program for those who vote by mail is being launched in time for the November 4 Presidential Election.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesTo prepare for what County Clerk/Recorder Philip Schmidt wrote promises to be a history-making event with a record high turnout, a new program for those who vote by mail is being launched in time for the November 4 Presidential Election. October 6 will start the Vote by Mail Ballot Drop Off program, and Santa Paula Deputy City Clerk Lorena Alvarez said mail voters will appreciate the convenience of not having to mail their ballots, but rather just drop them off at City Hall up until 8 p.m. November 4.Alvarez is enthusiastic about the new program: “We have a lot of people drop the ballots off here anyway, and we just forward them to the county. I think it will be a good thing, a service to the community” for those who want to “feel safer” that their ballots will make the count on time.Vote By Mail voters can drop the completed ballot off at City Hall at any time after the secured ballot box is installed, and forego worries about a late mailing that might miss the must be received by the county deadline of 8 p.m. on Election Day. A County Elections Division staffer, who will hold the only key, will pick ballots up weekly from the padlocked ballot box. Another bonus is that those who vote by mail won’t have to pay the 79 cents postage for mailing the ballot.
In announcing the new program, Schmidt wrote to City Clerks throughout Ventura County that “The Presidential Election of 2008 promises to be a history-making event,” and that the Elections Division “joins many Americans in anticipation and excitement at watching democracy work.” Voter turnout, he added, is “expected to be a record high.”The new program is to “ensure that the citizens of Ventura County enjoy a smooth and efficient election by participating in” the new program. Those registered to vote by mail - formerly known as absentee voters - continues to rise, with about 50 percent of Ventura County registered voters opting for the mail-in ballots.Santa Paula also has a high number of those who prefer to vote by mail: in the June Primary Election, more city residents voted by mail than by going to the polls, a trend reflected countywide. The last day to register for the November 4 Presidential Election is October 20 and, according to Alvarez, registration forms are available at City Hall.



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