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YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE IS IMPORTANT TO US!
THE ELECTIONS OFFICE CREATED THIS INFORMATION TO EXPLAIN THE ELECTION PROCESS AND YOUR RIGHTS AS A VOTER.
#1 - The Right to Vote
You may vote in a scheduled election if you are a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by the time of the election, not currently in prison or on parole for a felony conviction, live within the boundaries of the district conducting the election, and give us a completed voter registration card at least 15 days before the scheduled election. There are a few exceptions to these rules, so contact the Elections Office for details.
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#2 - The Right Not to Vote
State law no longer requires that a voter vote in every election in order to stay registered. If none of the candidates interest a voter by Election Day, that voter can skip the election and will not be penalized.
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#3 - The Right to Vote by Vote by Mail Ballot or Permanent Vote by Mail Ballot
Whether you are sick, out of town, or just like the convenience of voting from home, all California voters now have the option of voting by Vote by Mail ballot. Your written request must be received at least one week before the election in order to allow us enough time to process and mail your request. For best results, use the application on the back of your Sample Ballot booklet. You may also become a permanent Vote by Mail voter simply by completing the application that comes with your Sample Ballot (meaning your ballot will always be mailed to you and you will not have to go to the polls on Election Day).
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#4 - The Right to Request Another Ballot
Mistakes happen. If you make a mistake when voting your official ballot, you may return your spoiled ballot and receive a new ballot from a polling place worker (or from the Elections Office if voting by Vote by Mail ballot). State law allows us to receive no more than two spoiled ballots per voter.
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#5 - The Right to Skip Races
Don't know all the candidates for the local school board? Not sure how to vote on a state proposition? If your ballot has multiple issues, you are not required to vote on every contest. Blank sections on your ballot will not affect any of the other votes you have cast.
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#6 - The Right to Unbiased Political Information
Many people are so frustrated by negative political campaigning that they decide to stop voting. While we cannot stop negative campaigning completely, we will not allow it to occur in our Sample Ballot. To the best of our ability we will enforce our "No Negative Attacks" policy for Candidate Statements printed in this booklet.
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#7 - The Right to Contact the Candidates
Can't find out how a candidate stands on an issue? The Elections Office requires each local candidate to provide at least one public telephone number so you may have your questions answered.
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#8 - The Right to Watch Ballots Being Counted
Counting ballots is a public process. 7 days prior to Election Day, the Elections Office begins the process of opening and preparing the Vote by Mail ballots to be included in election night totals. For years we have invited the public to come to the Elections Office to observe election night activities. Voters are also allowed to watch what goes on at the polling places Election Day. For rules on how to be an election night or polling place observer, please contact the Elections Office.
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#9 - The Right of Public to Observe the Canvass
The Election Canvass process is an internal audit and is required by state law to ensure the accuracy of election results. California Election law allows 28 days for the conduct of the official Canvass of final election results. Historically, Stanislaus County begins their Canvass at 8:00 a.m. the day after the election. All aspects of the Canvass are open to public inspection. During the Canvass, Vote by Mail and provisional ballots not counted on election night are researched to validate eligibility, write-in votes are tallied, the number of ballots cast are balanced against the number of ballots issued and a hand count of 1% of all ballots cast in each race is performed to verify the machine count.
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#10 - The Right to Hold Office
At each November election Stanislaus County has over 200 local offices up for election. As many as 50 of those seats may be vacant each election due to lack of candidates filing for the positions. Someone has to fill the office - why not you? If you are a registered voter and live in a district going to election, you are most likely eligible to hold that office.
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#11 - The Right to Make a Difference
Ready to get involved but are not sure how to start? We are here to help you. We conduct candidate workshops roughly six months before every major election, which will walk you through the candidate filing process (watch your local newspaper or call us for dates and times). We can also answer your questions one on one so you can decide if running for office is the right thing for you to do.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
STANISLAUS COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE AT
209-525-5200
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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