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Pre-Election Day Services
Election Day Voting Services
AN ELECTION GUIDE FOR THE VOTER OUTREACH PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES
We consider our senior citizen and disabled population to be two of the most valuable groups in this county who exercise their right to vote. They keep up to date on political issues and have been faithful voters throughout the years. In order to keep their registrations current, we have implemented an outreach program for those senior or disabled citizens who have moved into senior residential homes or assisted care homes. Elections officials, community leaders, and Elections staff assist these voters with completing voter registration cards and offer permanent Vote by Mail voter status. Elections personnel can determine if the voter is registered at their current residence by looking at the registrations rolls. This innovative outreach program has been very successful and rewarding.
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WHAT IS THE LAW?
Three federal laws are of special importance to disabled and elderly voters - they are:
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 - Any voter requiring assistance may receive it from a person of the voter's choice, other than the voter's employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter's union.
THE VOTING ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE ELDERLY AND HANDICAPPED ACT OF 1984 - Promotes the fundamental right to vote by requiring, "access for elderly and handicapped individuals to registration facilities and polling places in federal elections."
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990 (ADA) - Requires public entities to provide auxiliary aids and services where necessary to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in, and enjoy, the benefits of service, program, or activity conducted by a public entity.
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WHAT ARE OUR GOALS?
100% participation of eligible voters in all elections,
100% polling place accessibility, and options for all voters who seek independent and private voting.
In compliance with federal and state law we provide services to voters with disabilities including:
- Accessible polling places wherever possible
- Wheelchair accessible voting booths
- Large-type voting instructions and magnifying devices at polling places
- Voting pens with attachable grip adapters for voting ease
- Cassette tapes with state and county ballot measures available at the Elections Office
- Vote by Mail and permanent Vote by Mail voting options
- Poll worker assistance at any precinct polling place
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PRE-ELECTION DAY SERVICES
GENERAL INFORMATION
Information regarding voter registration and elections is available from the Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder / Registrar of Voters . The Elections Office is located at 1021 “I” Street, Suite 101, Modesto, CA 95354, at the corner of 11th and “I” Streets. Citizens can contact the office for information by calling 209-525-5200, or 209-525-5230 for assistance in Spanish. The office is open 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.
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TDD SERVICES FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED
The California Secretary of State's Office provides a telecommunications device (TDD) to take calls from individuals with hearing impairment. The TDD number for hearing impaired voters who would like registration or voting information is 209-525-5245.
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CASSETTE TAPE RECORDINGS
Cassette tape recordings of information printed in ballot pamphlets for state and county measures for primary and general elections are available to all voters. The tapes are available approximately six weeks before an election and may be obtained from the Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder / Registrar of Voters by calling 209-525-5200, and 209-525-5230 for assistance in Spanish.
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EARLY VOTING OPTIONS
Any registered voter may apply for a vote-by-mail-ballot, also called an Vote by Mail ballot. The sample ballot pamphlet contains the application for an Vote by Mail Voter's Ballot on the back cover. You may mail the request to our office, or you may write or fax a letter to Elections Office requesting the Vote by Mail Voter Ballot. Our fax number is 209-525-5210.
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PERMANENT Vote by Mail VOTING
Due to changes in law effective January 1, 2002, any voter may apply for Permanent Vote by Mail Voter status. The application to become a permanent Vote by Mail voter is part of the regular Vote by Mail voter's ballot application found on the back cover of the sample ballot pamphlet. Once the voter’s request is received the Elections Office will send the voter an Vote by Mail ballot. If a voter fails to return the Permanent Vote by Mail Voter ballot in any statewide Primary or General Election, state law requires the Elections Office to delete the voter’s name from the list of permanent Vote by Mail voters. If the voter wishes to be reinstated as a Permanent Vote by Mail Voter, that voter would need to reapply. Further information can be obtained by calling 209-525-5200, or 209-525-5230 for Spanish assistance or writing to the Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder / Registrar of Voters, 1021 “I” street, Suite 101, Modesto, CA. 95354.
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EMERGENCY Vote by Mail VOTER BALLOTS
If, in the 7 days prior to the election a voter finds that he or she will be unable to vote in person on Election Day due to illness or disability resulting from confinement to a hospital, nursing home, place of residence, or due to conditions resulting in the voter's absence from the voting precinct on Election Day, that voter may still pick up an Vote by Mail ballot at the Elections Office at 1021 I Street, Suite 101, Modesto. The request must be in writing, signed under penalty of perjury, and deliver it (or have it delivered by a person authorized by the voter) to the Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder / Registrar of Voters located at 1021 “I” Street. Suite 101, Modesto, corner of 11th and “I” Streets. You may designate your spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, or a person residing in your household to return the ballot to the Elections Office or to any polling place within Stanislaus County.
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NEIGHBORHOOD PRECINCTS
California law specifies that the number of registered voters in each precinct shall not exceed 1,000 to ensure the continuation of the neighborhood voting policy advocated by the State legislature. This practice enables voters with disabilities to vote in familiar, comfortable, and secure surroundings.
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ELECTION DAY VOTING SERVICES
ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES
The international symbol of access is used on every sample ballot pamphlet to inform the public about polling place accessibility for voters in wheelchairs. Presently 95% of Stanislaus County polling places are accessible. If your polling location is not accessible, you may vote your ballot outside your polling place (see Curbside Voting Section below), OR at an accessible polling place location where your same ballot type is voted OR at the Stanislaus County Elections Office located at 1021 “I” Street, Suite 101, Modesto, corner of 11th and “I” Streets. To find the nearest accessible polling place that has the same ballot as your precinct or for directions to the Elections Office call 209-525-5200, or 209-525-5230 for assistance in Spanish.
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VOTERS WITH WHEELCHAIRS
Designated wheelchair accessible voting booths are available at every Stanislaus County poll location.
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HELP AVAILABLE FOR CASTING YOUR BALLOT
Under California law, any voter who needs help in casting a ballot is entitled to request assistance. A poll worker can provide assistance or the voter may select a person of his or her choice.
If for some reason you are unable to mark your ballot yourself, you can choose up to two people to help you cast your vote. The person(s) may not be your employer, your employer's agent, your labor union leader, or labor union agent.
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CURBSIDE VOTING
Any voter who cannot reach the voting area at the polling place because of architectural barriers or physical limitations may request to vote "curbside" (outside of the polling location). A poll worker will qualify the voter, bring a ballot, a data vote ballot punch, and secrecy sleeve to the voter, assist the voter as necessary, and then place the voter's ballot in the ballot box.
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VOTERS WITH VISION IMPAIRMENTS
Each polling place in Stanislaus County displays voting instructions in large type. Magnifying devices are also available for voters who may have difficulty reading the ballot (See Cassette Tape Recording Section above.
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Disclaimer: The information contained in these pages was valid at the time of publication. The Clerk-Recorder / Registrar of Voters reserves the right to modify, update, change or make improvements at any time, without notice, and assumes no liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of errors, omissions or discrepancies.
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