Your Ballot Is Your Voice — Make Sure It Is Counted

By Fiona Ma 

Voting is one of the most direct ways Americans have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.

We vote for the people who represent us. We vote on issues that can affect our schools, neighborhoods, public safety, economy and quality of life. And when an election arrives, each of us has an opportunity to make our voice heard through our ballot.

For Californians, that process has already begun.

The November 3 General Election may still be several weeks away, but Election Day is no longer the beginning of voting. Counties began mailing vote-by-mail ballots to active registered voters in early October, early voting is underway, and secure ballot drop-off locations are opening across the state.

That makes now the time to have a plan — and to pay attention to the details.

Accuracy Matters

California has made voting by mail convenient, but receiving a ballot is only the first step.

When your ballot arrives, take your time. Read the instructions that come with it. Review the candidates and measures, make your selections clearly and place the completed ballot in the official return envelope.

Then seal the envelope and sign it.

That signature is important. County elections officials compare the signature on a vote-by-mail ballot envelope with signatures in the voter’s registration record as part of the verification process.

A missing signature or a signature that cannot be verified does not necessarily mean a ballot will never be counted. California provides voters an opportunity to correct, or “cure,” certain signature problems. But the easiest problem to fix is the one that never happens.

Before returning your ballot, take a few seconds and look at the envelope again.

Completed? Sealed? Signed?

Those few seconds can matter.

Returning Your Ballot

California voters have several options for returning a vote-by-mail ballot. It can be placed in an official secure ballot drop box, returned to a voting location or county elections office, or sent through the U.S. Postal Service.

If you choose to mail your ballot, don’t wait until the last minute. A ballot returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the county elections office no later than seven days after Election Day.

As Election Day approaches, voters can instead use an official ballot drop box or voting location to return their ballot directly. Ballots returned in person must be delivered by 8 p.m. on November 3.

Whatever method you choose, make a plan rather than leaving your ballot sitting on the kitchen counter until Election Day.

Track Your Ballot

Returning your ballot doesn’t have to be the end of the process.

California voters can use the state’s “Where’s My Ballot?” service to receive notifications by text message, email or voice call about the status of their vote-by-mail ballot.

The service can tell you when your ballot has been mailed to you, when the elections office receives your completed ballot and whether it has been counted. It can also provide information if there is an issue requiring your attention.

We routinely track packages, food deliveries and rides from our phones. Tracking a ballot is another simple way to make sure something important reached its destination.

Dates Every California Voter Should Know

Several important dates are approaching.

October 19 is the regular voter-registration deadline for the November 3 election.

Missing that deadline does not mean you have lost your opportunity to participate. From October 20 through Election Day, eligible Californians can use Same Day Voter Registration, sometimes called conditional voter registration, and cast a conditional ballot.

October 24 marks the opening of the first vote centers in counties participating in California’s Voter’s Choice Act.

By Saturday, October 31, early in-person voting locations will be available throughout California.

And Tuesday, November 3 is Election Day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

For ballots returned through the mail, November 10 is the deadline for county elections officials to receive ballots that were properly postmarked by Election Day.

There is one more date worth knowing.

California gives voters time after Election Day to address certain signature problems with their vote-by-mail ballots. For this election, voters have until 5 p.m. on November 25 to correct a missing or noncomparable signature.

If an elections office contacts you about a signature issue, don’t ignore the notice. Respond promptly.

Make Sure Your Voice Is Heard

Voting rights have expanded over the course of American history because generations of people worked to ensure that more Americans could participate in their government.

Today, casting a ballot remains one of the most direct ways to make your voice part of the decisions that affect your community and your future.

But casting that ballot also means paying attention to the process.

Learn what is on your ballot. Complete it carefully. Seal the envelope. Sign it. Return it on time. And track it afterward.

Every one of those steps helps make sure your ballot reaches election officials and can be counted.

Election Day is November 3, but voting has already begun.

Your ballot is your voice. Make sure it is heard.