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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2016
Voter Tips for June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary Election
SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla provided a list of election-related tips for voters to review while preparing for the June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary Election.
"Election Day is less than one week away," Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. "Californians should know their voting rights. The Secretary of State's office provides materials for California voters to know their rights and make informed choices. You can read the Voter Information Guide, review the Voter Bill of Rights, and even lookup your polling place all online.”
The following list of tips provides voters with key information for the June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary Election.
• You Can Vote Early or Drop Off Your Vote-by-Mail Ballot in Person
Counties offer locations to vote in person or drop off your vote-by-mail ballot in person ahead of Election Day. The Secretary of State’s website has a list of early voting locations and ballot drop-off sites by county: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/june-7-2016-presidential-primary-election/county-early-voting/
• Plan for Election Day
The polls will be open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm on Election Day. If you are in line at 8:00 pm when the polls close, you have a right to cast a ballot. If you have a vote-by-mail ballot, you can drop it off at any polling place in your county on Election Day.
• Find Your Polling Place
You can look up your polling place on the Secretary of State’s website: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place/
• No Party Preference Voters
Voters registered with no party preference can request a ballot with Democratic Party, American Independent Party, or Libertarian Party presidential candidates. No Party Preference voters who vote at the polls and wish to participate in a partisan presidential primary may request one of these ballots from a poll worker. No Party Preference voters can also bring their vote-by-mail ballot to an early voting location or to the polls on Election Day and exchange it for a ballot with presidential candidates from the Democratic Party, American Independent Party, or Libertarian Party.
IMPORTANT: No Party Preference voters who do not request a partisan ballot, will receive a nonpartisan ballot with no presidential candidates.
• Need Time Off to Vote?
State law allows workers up to two hours off, without a loss of pay, to vote if they do not have enough time to do so in their non-work hours. The law requires workers to give their employers two working days’ notice before the election if they will need to take time off to vote: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/time-vote-notices/
• Respect the Polling Place
In California it is illegal to impede or interfere with anyone’s right to vote. Do not campaign for votes, wear campaign materials, coerce, influence, discourage, or interfere with any voter within 100 feet of the polling place.
• Be Informed
The Voter Information Guide is mailed to every voting household in California and is available in ten languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Khmer, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. You can view the Voter Information Guide online at: http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/
• Know Your Rights
The California Voter Bill of Rights is printed in the Voter Information Guide, which was sent to every voting household in the state, and will also be posted in every polling place on Election Day. The Voter Bill of Rights is available online in ten languages: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-bill-rights/
• Check the Status of Your Vote-by-Mail or Provisional Ballot
A voter who casts a vote-by-mail ballot can find out if the ballot arrived at his/her county elections office, if the ballot was counted, and, if not, the reason why it was not counted. Each county elections office allows voters to check the status of their vote-by-mail or provisional ballots either through the county website, by telephone, or both. The Secretary of State’s website has a list of web tools and phone numbers to check ballot status: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-status/
“Whether you're heading to the polls on June 7, voting by mail, or making the trip to an early voting location—what is most important is that you cast your ballot." Padilla added.
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