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AP20:034
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2020
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575
Update on Secretary of State Building Operations during COVID-19 Pandemic
SACRAMENTO, CA – Following directives from Governor Gavin Newsom and public health officials, the Secretary of State’s office is moving as many staff as feasible to telework. The Secretary of State’s offices in both Sacramento and Los Angeles will remain open, and critical functions and services provided by the Secretary of State will continue.
Members of the public are encouraged to use the Secretary of State’s online services or contact staff by email or phone for assistance. Public counters at offices will remain open, but with limited staff.
“The mission critical functions and services of the Secretary of State will continue during this pandemic and they must be done in a manner which is safe both for staff and for the public we serve,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “Over the past few years, many of the Secretary of State’s services have become available online. I urge anyone who needs to do business with the Secretary of State to check our online offerings first before visiting our offices in Sacramento or Los Angeles in person. Many business filing tools and documents; voter registration, registration updates, and status look-ups; campaign finance filings; and archival documents are available online or by contacting agency staff by email or by phone. Doing business online during this pandemic will keep things running as smoothly as possible while protecting everyone’s health and safety. I thank all Secretary of State staff for their service and professionalism, and I thank the public for their patience and understanding during this public health emergency. We will get through this together.”
Elections:
- To register to vote or update your voter registration, please visit: https://registertovote.ca.gov/
- To verify the status of your voter registration, vote-by-mail ballot, or provisional ballot: https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/
- 25 counties offer a service for voters to receive automatic notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot. For more information, visit: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-status/wheres-my-ballot/
Safe at Home:
Locate the enrollment agency for the Secretary of State's confidential address program nearest you by visiting: https://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home/where-find-enrolling-agency/
Business Programs Division:
Whether you are filing a financing statement pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code, searching for a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership filing or confirming the standing of an immigration consultant, the Secretary of State’s bizfile portal has all your online filing and search needs in one location. The following business transactions are available online at http://bizfile.sos.ca.gov/:
- Limited Liability Company (LLC) Formation, Statement of Information, and Termination.
- Corporation Statement of Information
- Trademark Registration and Trademark Modification
- Uniform Commercial Code
Archives:
- To view digital collections and online exhibits: https://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/california-digital-archives/.
- Archives staff are available to assist with your research request via phone, email, or mail. For assistance with research, you can email archivesweb@sos.ca.gov.
- For information about statewide records management, including filing Records Retention Schedules or guidance, you can visit: https://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/records-management-and-appraisal/ or email: calrim@sos.ca.gov.
Political Reform Division:
Cal-Access provides financial information supplied by state candidates, donors, lobbyists, and others: http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/
- Power Search provides quick and easy access to the source, recipient and amount of state campaign contributions and access to independent expenditures data. Campaign contribution searches provide useful summaries of information at the contributor, candidate, ballot measure and campaign committee levels with options for sorting and further exploring the data. To visit the PowerSearch website: http://powersearch.sos.ca.gov/quick-search.php
** Please note, not all transactions can be conducted online.
Individuals needing to conduct a transaction that is not available online and have concerns about visiting the Secretary of State’s office in person can call or email the following Secretary of State Divisions:
Elections: (916) 657-2166, email: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/contact/email-elections-division/
Business: (916) 657–5448, email(s): https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/contact/
Constituent services: (916) 653-6774, email: https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/contact-information/email-administration/
Safe at Home: Toll-Free: (877) 322-5227, email: safeathome@sos.ca.gov
Political Reform Division: (916) 653-6224, email: https://www.sos.ca.gov/campaign-lobbying/contact-us/email-political-reform-division/
Archives: email: archivesweb@sos.ca.gov
During this challenging time, we urge all Californians to continue to take all recommended public health precautions, including:
- Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
- Practice social distancing and reviewing updates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
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