Election coming! Consider convenient
vote-by-mail for Nov.4 contest
Published:  October 08, 2014

More and more voters are staying home on Election Day... because they’re voting-by-mail or better yet, just dropping off their completed ballots at City Hall well in advance of the election.

All voters have the option to vote by mail, a method that allows voters to vote from home at their convenience.

With 430,565 registered voters in Ventura County as of Friday October 3, just under 50 percent are registered to vote-by-mail. 

According to Tracy Saucedo of the Elections Division, “Historically, we have been running at that same percentage,” of those who would rather use a vote-by-mail ballot.

Saucedo said Santa Paula had 11,991 registered voters as of September 5 when such information is compiled for state reporting.

Vote-by-mail ballots for the November 4 election were available as of October 6, according to County Clerk Recorder/Register Mark Lunn, who noted, “Voters are encouraged to return voted ballots as soon as possible. Ballots should be mailed by the Tuesday before the election (October 28) to ensure on-time delivery.”  

Although vote-by-mail voters can drop ballots off at any Polling Place on Election Day, they do take longer to process and can hold up results until verification is complete.

But more important is that any ballot received by the county later than 8 p.m. Election Day will not be counted at all, which is why mailing them a full week early is recommended.

Voters can drop off ballots before Election Day at the County Government Center Elections Division or in the 24-hour ballot drop box in front of the Hall of Administration, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura. Ballots can also be dropped off at City Halls - including Santa Paula - where special locked Blue Ballot Boxes are now available.

Registered to vote but not by mail?

Don’t worry... voters who are not on the permanent Vote-By-Mail ballot list and want to vote-by-mail should complete and return the application on the back of the Sample Ballot booklet they should have already received by mail, or on the Elections Division website 

http://venturavote.org

Voters can apply for permanent Vote-By-Mail status by submitting a permanent application that can be found on the website on the Forms menu. Voters may also apply in person at the Ventura County Elections Division no later than Tuesday, October 28, 2014. 

The website contains important voter information that can be accessed from any electronic device with an Internet connection.

And don’t forget: if you have moved you must re-register to vote by the October 20 deadline; you also must re-register if you have changed your address and/or mailing address, changed your political party or changed your last name.

To become a registered voter, you must complete and return a Voter Registration Form. You can obtain this form from many state and local government offices including the DMV. 

You may also visit the Government Center or call (805) 654-2664 and a form will be mailed to you. Additionally, you may register to vote by visiting http://recorder.countyofventura.org/elections/voter-information/voter-registration/ and clicking on the Register to Vote “button”.

If you’ve never registered before you must be a US citizen and Ventura County resident who will be at least 18 years old by Election Day and not be in prison, on parole, serving a state prison sentence in county jail or on post release community supervision. You also cannot register if you have been found mentally incompetent by a court of law. 

For more information, call 654-2664.




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