AP16:151
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2016
CONTACT: Sam Mahood
(916) 653-6575
Voter Tips for November 8, 2016 General Election
SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla has provided a list of election-related tips for voters as they prepare for the November 8, 2016 General Election.
"Election Day is less than one week away," Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “Whether you're heading to the polls on November 8, voting by mail, or making the trip to an early voting location—it is important to know your rights and the online resources available via the Secretary of State’s office. You can read the Voter Information Guide, watch a video on 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 November 8, 2016 General 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/general-election-november-8-2016/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/
- 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.
- Download our App
The Secretary of State’s office has launched the Vote California smartphone application (app), which is now available for iPhone and Android users. The free app will allow Californians to check their voter status, find their polling location and view the Quick Guide to Propositions. Voters can download the app by searching “Vote California” in the Apple Store or Google Play. - 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/
The Secretary of State’s office recently launched the new “Quick Guide to Props,” which provides voters a helpful list of the top ten campaign contributions, funding totals for each and every of the 17 statewide propositions, as well as brief nonpartisan analysis. The campaign finance elements are dynamic and are updated daily. The new tool was developed in partnership with MapLight, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, a nonpartisan research organization that tracks money in politics.
- 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/
The Secretary of State’s office recently released a video outlining the California Bill of Rights. Watch it in English: https://youtu.be/_m_Ge5uEd1c or Spanish: https://youtu.be/WQOtsjrOml4
###