AP16:060
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2016
CONTACT:
Sam Mahood (916) 653-6575
Secretary of State Padilla Encourages Californians to Register to Vote for June 7, 2016 Election
SACRAMENTO – The June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary is 35 days away, and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is urging citizens to register to vote.
“If you are unsure of your voter registration status, you can verify your information with your county elections office,” Secretary of State Padilla said. “Some counties have online tools that allow voters to check their voter registration. A full list of contact information for county elections officials and links to county online voter registration status tools is available on the Secretary of State’s website at: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status/”
May 23 is the deadline to register to vote or update voter registration information for the June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary Election.
“If you’ve moved, changed your name, or want to change your political party preference—you’ll need to update your registration status by May 23. California citizens can quickly and easily update registration information online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov,” Padilla added.
Closed vs. Modified-Closed Presidential Primaries
Qualified political parties are holding their presidential primaries in one of two ways:
- Closed presidential primary, in which only voters indicating a preference for the party may vote that party’s presidential ballot. The Republican, Green, and Peace and Freedom parties are holding closed presidential primaries.
- Modified-closed primary, in which the party also allows voters who registered with no party preference (NPP) to request to receive and vote that party’s presidential ballot. These are referred to as cross-over ballots. The Democratic party, American Independent party, and Libertarian party are allowing NPP voters to vote their June 7 presidential primary ballot. (A voter may not request more than one party’s presidential ballot.)
How can voters with “no party preference” request cross-over ballots for a party’s presidential primary?
Voters with no party preference who vote at the polls can request a Democratic party, American Independent party, or Libertarian party ballot on Election Day from a poll worker.
Voters with no party preference who vote by mail were sent a post-card from their county elections office asking which cross-over ballot the voter would like to receive. Voters should return this to their county elections office as soon as possible. Voters can request a cross-over vote-by-mail ballot from their county elections office until May 31.
Click Here for a Vote-By-Mail Ballot Application
Click Here for County Elections Contact Information
Reminder: Voters who registered with a political party may only vote for a presidential candidate running in that party’s primary election.
Top-Two Primary Act
The Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act requires that all candidates for a voter-nominated office be listed on the same ballot. The voter-nominated offices on the June ballot are one member of the U.S. Senate, 53 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the 80 State Assembly members, and the 20 odd-numbered State Senate district members. Any citizen can vote for any candidate for a voter-nominated office, regardless of party preference.
The Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act does not apply to candidates running for U.S. president, county central committee, and local offices.
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