- What can you share with voters about the November 4th Special Election, for starters — what is it, and what makes it different from a regular election?
People have asked me, “What’s so ‘Special’ about this election – why’s it called that?” and I can understand that the terminology is a little confusing!
It’s called a “special election” because it is off from the regular cycle of primary and general elections that are held in even-numbered years. Special elections can be held for different reasons – to fill a vacancy, to vote on a recall – in this case, it’s to vote on a proposition.
This election was called by the California Legislature and the governor to consider a statewide ballot measure, Proposition 50. And that’s probably the first difference people will notice about this election – that the ballot is much shorter than usual, just one question!
There are a few other less obvious differences for voters that are more relevant for my team: we are dealing with a significantly shorter timeframe for this election. With it being a special election, fewer vote centers are required. For this election there will be 18 Vote Centers open across the county, when we usually have more than 50. And with the fewer sites, we don’t have to hire as many temporary workers as usual.
- What steps is your office taking right now to prepare for the Special Election and ensure everything runs smoothly?
There is a huge amount of work involved in gearing up to conduct each election and we’ve had to hit the ground running with this one. We always need to locate vote center sites and then design the setup layouts for each one. We perform reliability testing on every piece of equipment that will be used in the election. We recruit, train, and assign the small but helpful group of temporary election workers who will be helping us implement all the election requirements. And, of course, we need to prepare all the ballots, voter guides, required notices, and other materials – each needing proofing, translating, and printing in time for mailing to the voters. We use these mailings, along with website updates and social media posts, to help keep voters informed, and we implement a fully-staffed call center to assist voters with their questions and concerns.
This is just a basic overview of our preparations but there are literally hundreds of boxes that need to be checked on our election preparation checklist. Even “smaller” elections like this one require full mobilization by our office. I’m extremely proud to work with the dedicated, seasoned professionals that make up our elections team. And the rest of our staff – from the clerk/recorder division and even our personnel and fiscal teams – pitch in as well. Everyone rolls up their sleeves to help get the job done well!
- What options are available for voters who prefer to vote by mail, and how can they track their ballot once it’s submitted?
The majority of voters do prefer to use their vote by mail ballot. Every active, registered voter receives a ballot nearly a month before Election Day, making it convenient and straightforward to complete their ballot in the comfort of their own home, secure it in the return envelope, and place their signature in the designated space.
Then they have three options to return their ballot: 1) Deposit it in an official Ventura County Elections drop box; 2) Bring it to a Vote Center (including the Government Center); or, 3) Drop it in the USPS mail, which is always postage free. One important caveat for mailing – on Election Day, we strongly advise voters NOT to use the mail. In order to count, the mail ballot MUST be postmarked on or before Election Day – but mail deposited on Election Day might not be postmarked until the following day, which invalidates the ballot. On Election Day, please use one of the other return methods by taking your ballot to an official ballot drop box or to a vote center before 8 PM.
A full list of all drop box and vote center locations is available on Vote.VenturaCounty.gov
We encourage anyone who votes by mail to track their ballot by signing up for the free ballot tracking service, BallotTrax. Voters who use BallotTrax are sent a notification when their ballot is on the way to them in the mail. Then, after they’ve sent the ballot back, voters get a notification when it’s been received by the Elections office and accepted for counting. Voters can select to receive email, text, or phone notifications. Getting a BallotTrax notification that your ballot has been received feels almost as good as wearing that “I Voted” sticker on your shirt!
Sign up for BallotTrax at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov
- Where can voters cast their ballots, and how do Ventura County’s vote centers make voting more accessible?
People who prefer voting in person can go to any vote center site in their home county that’s convenient for their location and schedule. There are some sites that open 10 days before Election Day (beginning Oct. 25) for early voting, and additional sites that open 3 days before Election Day (beginning Nov. 1). All sites are open 7 AM – 8 PM on Election Day. You must be in line no later than 8 PM to vote. We encourage people to take advantage of the early voting opportunities when wait times will be shorter.
In addition to the in-person voting experience, voters can find many types of assistance provided at each vote center, including ADA curbside voting, accessible ballot marking devices, language assistance, and registration services.
Voters can find the best vote center location for them at Vote.VenturaCounty.gov
- What advice do you have for voters to make their Election Day experience quick and easy?
If you want a quick, easy Election Day, my best advice is to vote early! Once ballots are mailed, the Elections office at the Government Center is available for early voting even before the vote centers open. Once the 10-day vote centers open they provide two weekends of early voting, and allow for a voter to receive personalized attention and assistance. Later, when the remaining vote centers open 3 days before Election Day, voters still have the opportunity to find a location near them to vote in-person with little to no wait time. But folks who wait until Election Day to vote, especially in the evening after work, will find that the lines can get very long.
If don’t feel like going to vote, you can use your vote by mail ballot to vote early. In fact, the notification from BallotTrax that your ballot has been received will come through more quickly the earlier you return your ballot. The huge influx of vote by mail ballots that are submitted on or just before Election Day slows down ballot processing, therefore the notifications are slower too, sometimes by a few days. Voters who submit their vote by mail ballot early often get notified as soon as the next day!
My other bit of advice is if you have ANY problems, ANY questions or would just like general assistance, CALL US! We have a call center of people ready, able, and eager to assist you – please just reach out. Call the office at 805-654-2664, the Voter Hotline at800-500-3555, or email us at Elections@VenturaCounty.gov. We want to hear from you! Thank you for voting!
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