AP16:070
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2016
Tips for No Party Preference Voters
SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla has provided the following tips for voters registered with no party preference planning to vote in the June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary.
“The June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary is fast approaching, but voters registered with no party preference still have time to request a partisan ballot with presidential candidates,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “There is still time for voters with no party preference to request a new ballot—even if they have already received a ballot in the mail."
The following parties allow no party preference voters to cast a "crossover" ballot in their presidential primary:
Democratic Party
American Independent Party
Libertarian Party
The following Q&A provides answers to frequently asked questions about options for voters with no party preference.
Q: I am a voter with no party preference, and I vote at the polls. How do I request a crossover ballot?
When you check in at the polls on Election Day, you can ask the pollworker for either a Democratic Party, American Independent Party, or Libertarian Party ballot.
Q: I am a voter with no party preference, and I received a vote-by-mail ballot with no presidential candidates. What can I do to request a ballot with presidential candidates?
Contact your county elections office no later than May 31 to request a vote-by-mail ballot with presidential candidates from the Democratic Party, American Independent Party, or Libertarian Party. Click Here for County Elections Contact Information; OR
Bring your vote-by-mail ballot to an early voting location or the polls on Election Day and exchange it for a ballot with presidential candidates from the Democratic Party, American Independent Party, or Libertarian Party.
NOTE: If you have lost your original vote-by-mail ballot, you will have to vote a provisional ballot at the polls—your vote will still be counted. More information on provisional ballots can be found here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/provisional-voting/
Click here to lookup your polling place for the June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary
Click here for California's Voter Bill of Rights
Q: Can a voter with no party preference cast a ballot for Republican Party, Green Party, or Peace and Freedom Party presidential candidates?
No. The Republican Party, Green Party, or Peace and Freedom Party are holding closed presidential primaries. In a closed primary, only voters registered with the party may vote that party’s presidential ballot. The deadline for voters to re-register and change parties was May 23, 2016.
Q: I am a vote-by-mail no party preference voter, why did I receive a ballot without presidential candidates?
Voters with no party preference who vote by mail were sent a post-card from their county elections office asking if the voter would like to receive a ballot with presidential candidates from the Democratic Party, American Independent Party, or Libertarian Party. Voters who did not return this post card will receive a non-partisan ballot without presidential candidates.
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