NewsClicks

May 6, 2016 - We are getting ready to mail vote-by-mail ballots for the June 7th Primary Election next week. We wanted to send this important reminder - don't forget to sign your ballot envelope! Believe it or not, a few thousand voters will forget the final step before mailing - applying their signature. We understand, you're busy. But take just a few moments to remember to sign your ballot. What happens if you forget? We will send you a letter asking you to send in your signature - but if you don't respond within 8 days of Election Day your ballot won't count.

May 5, 2016 - By now most Orange County voters have received their voter pamphlet (the state mails the state voter guide, which is white in color and we send the County pamphlet, which is yellow in color). We occasionally receive inquiries from voters wondering where their specific party practice ballot can be found, which is an easy answer. We combine all parties into one booklet, which reduces cost and improves efficiencies. These practice ballots are in Section 10 of your Orange County Voters' Pamphlet.

May 3, 2016 - You have questions, we have answers. We have created a single page to help with 99.9% of voters' questions. For instance, I'd like to request a vote-by-mail ballot, I'd like to request a party's vote-by-mail ballot, or this standard refrain "I'd like to change my party registration". It doesn't matter what type of question, our helpful drop down list of answers to "How do I?" will assist you with your voting questions.

May 2, 2016 - So you received your sample ballot in today's mail - you turn it over and you discover that your party registration is not how you remember registering. It happens periodically and many times we find that voters did in fact register one way, but remember another (we can look up the original digital copy of your voter registration to determine how you marked the form). Nevertheless, it may be that you intended to register with another party - not to worry.

April 30, 2016 - Each political party in California has their own rules for how candidates will win delegates on June 7th. What is fairly common though is that they by and large award them based on results from each of California's 53 congressional districts (check each party's website for their specific rules).

April 27, 2016 - We are now including a table of contents in our newly redesigned sample ballot, which we will begin mailing tomorrow. A table of contents is not really a novel concept - so what's the big deal? It's difficult to insert a table of contents in a sample ballot that has hundreds of variations - especially when you are designing a complex ballot. However, we've made it work by including sections in the sample ballot - so now a voter can easily find specific instructions, candidate statements, and their "practice ballot".

April 26, 2016 - We are preparing vote-by-mail ballots in advance of mailing them on May 9th. In fact today we've prepared 79,507 (on our way to 750,000+). So how much will it take to mail your vote-by-mail ballot back to us? The answer is simple - it will take just 47 cents since every ballot will be less than 1 oz. As a reminder, postage for a first-class stamp dropped to 47 cents on January 16th of this year. You can mail your ballot up to and on Election Day (although we recommend you mail early to avoid any postal delays).

April 25, 2016 - We will be mailing sample ballots to Orange County voters in just a few days. It's always important to verify how you're registered - especially in a primary election. Why?

April 24, 2016 - Yesterday was exactly 45 days before the June 7th Presidential Primary Election. This is an important day as it marks the deadline under federal law to ensure all military and overseas ballots are sent. On Friday, the day before the deadline, we processed 284 ballots for requests received on Friday. We were in at midnight last night to ensure any military ballots requested on Saturday were processed and sent. Right before midnight 15 additional requests came in - great to know that our men and women overseas will be participating in this upcoming election! #beready2016

April 23, 2016 - Yes it's true, there are 34 candidates running for U.S. Senate. What's important about this? Keep in mind that you can only vote for 1 of these candidates - don't vote for more than 1 or your vote won't be counted - and we don't want that! This contest will appear on a single page on your vote-by-mail ballot with the candidates in two columns. It is clearly marked that you can only vote for "1" and that the contest extends onto the next column. Take your time and make your selection by marking one candidate - simple as that.