MENDOCINO Co., 10/13/20 — Mendocino County ballots were mailed out on October 5, and have been arriving in mailboxes across the county. We’ve put together some general information about registering to vote and filling out your ballot so you can make sure your ballot is counted.
Registering to vote and receiving your ballot: If you are registered to vote and have not received a ballot by October 15, you may contact the County’s elections office at (707) 234-6819 or [email protected] for a replacement. The final day to register to vote is October 19, 2020 in order to receive a ballot in the mail by the November 3, 2020 election. You can also check your current registration status or register online here. All the online information for Mendocino County elections can be found here, including information about the candidates including statements, financial filings, and more.
What’s on the ballot and how to decide: Online voter guides were mailed out late September, and are also available at the county elections website; however, you can also contact the office to request a replacement voter guide. Here’s the complete list of candidates, including the candidates for various school boards and special districts, and candidates’ statements. Point Arena residents can still apply as write-in candidates for the city council until October 31 (more here).
More information about statewide offices and ballot measures can be found at the state’s election website here.
The Mendocino Voice’s complete 2020 local election coverage is available here, including our earlier “meet the candidate” video interviews with Jon Kennedy, Glenn McGourty, Mo Mulheren, and Mari Rodin during the primary campaign season earlier this year. You can watch our October 5 District 1 supervisor candidates forum here, and also watch our debate with the Ukiah City Council candidates on October 8. The Mendocino Voice will be cohosting a live-streamed District 2 supervisor candidates forum on at 7pm October 19, 2020.
Two ballot measures will be included for voters in the Willits area, Measure I, a school bond measure, and Measure K, an emergency sales tax increase (see our previous coverage). The full text of those measures can be found here.
Returning your completed ballot: Ballots can be sent by mail, or dropped off at drop-off locations (listed below), as well as on November 3 at polling locations (also below). Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked November 3 in order to be counted, or returned to a drop box or polling place by 8 p.m. on November 3, 2020.
Ballots require a signature, but no postage, regardless of whether they are dropped off or mailed. Every signature is checked, which includes the style of the signature, and you will be contacted if there are irregularities or if you forget to sign your ballot. If you registered online or through the DMV, your signature may match the one on your driver’s license. If you are concerned your signature may have changed since the last time you voted, contact the county election office to fill out a new voter card or with any questions.
Check to see if your ballot has been received: If you’ve mailed or returned your ballot to a drop-box, you can check to see if it has been received at the county’s “check my status” website.
Voting at the polls: Polling places will be open around the county on November 3, 2020 for voters that need assistance, voters who wish to drop off ballots, or those who want to vote in person, although voters are encouraged to vote by mail due to the pandemic. Polling places are listed below and will be maintaining public health protocols.
How ballots are counted and when to expect results: This year, the county will begin processing ballots as soon as they are received. However, no results will be posted until the polls close at 8 p.m. on election night. In the past, the final results from Mendocino County for all races have not be announced until several weeks after Election Day, and legally the county has 28 days to fully certify the results after the election.
The following information was provided by the county’s election office, including additional details, drop box locations and polling places:
• Official Ballots will be mailed October 5, 2020 to all registered voters in the State of California, including Mendocino County voters. If you do not receive your ballot by October 15, 2020, please call our office so we can get you out a replacement ballot.
• During this pandemic, we encourage you to stay home, stay safe, vote the ballot you receive in the mail and return your ballot either through the mail or a Ballot Drop Box Location (listed below) at your earliest convenience. With this election, we can open and process your ballot as soon as we receive it. We cannot upload any results until 8 pm on Election Night.
• When returning your voted ballot – NO postage is necessary, whether you mail your ballot/envelope or deposit it into a Ballot Drop Off box. Unless otherwise noted*, the drop off locations are available 24/7.
BALLOT DROP BOX LOCATIONS:
- CITY OF WILLITS (open 24/7) 111 E COMMERCIAL ST – WILLITS
- MENDOCINO CO ADMIN BLDG (24/7) 501 LOW GAP RD – UKIAH
- CITY OF FORT BRAGG (24/7) 416 N FRANKLIN ST – FORT BRAGG
- MENDOCINO CO FAIRGROUNDS FAIRGROUNDS OFFICE – BOONVILLE *Open – 9 AM – 4 PM Monday – Friday
- CITY OF POINT ARENA (24/7) – 451 SCHOOL ST – POINT ARENA
- ROUND VALLEY JUSTICE COURT 76270 GRANGE ST – COVELO *Open 7 AM – 8 PM Election Day Only
• You are welcome to call our office and verify your residence address, to make sure we have your most current information.
• When returning your ballot – don’t forget to sign the back of the return envelope, we can’t count your ballot if it doesn’t have your signature. If you forget to sign it, we will contact you by mail so we can get a signature from you.
• If you are worried that your signature has drastically changed, please re-register at www.registertovote.ca.gov or call our office, we will be happy to mail you a new voter registration card.
• We check every signature – if your signature does not match, we will contact you by mail so it can be corrected.
• We will have “In-Person Polling” locations throughout the County for those voters who need assistance or need to visit a polling location. You can drop your ballot off at any polling location in Mendocino County on Election Day – we have changed a few locations, they are marked with **. Because we are following our traditional polling place policy, our polling locations are only required to be open on Election Day.
• If you are mailing your ballot through USPS, it must be mailed by Election Day. If mailing on Election Day, be sure to get it postmarked. If you use a Ballot Drop Off Location, please drop it off by 8 pm on Election Day.
POLLING LOCATIONS & ELECTION DAY BALLOT DROP OFF LOCATIONS:
Changes in location from previous years are marked with **
- THURSTON AUTO PLAZA – 2800 N STATE ST – UKIAH
- REDWOOD VALLEY GRANGE – 8650 EAST RD – REDWOOD VALLEY
- NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CHURCH – 750 YOSEMITE DR – UKIAH
- **UKIAH FAIRGROUNDS – CARL PURDY HALL 1055 N STATE ST – UKIAH
- POTTER VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL MULTI PURPOSE RM. 10401 MAIN ST – POTTER VLY
- HOPLAND FIRE DEPT. – 21 FELIZ CREEK RD – HOPLAND
- BROOKTRAILS COMMUNITY CENTER – 24860 BIRCH ST – WILLITS
- WILLITS COMMUNITY CENTER 111 E COMMERCIAL ST – WILLITS
- LAYTONVILLE LIONS FIRE HALL 44920 WILLIS AVE – LAYTONVILLE
- **FORT BRAGG CITY HALL EAST 213 E LAUREL ST – FORT BRAGG
- FB VETERANS MEMORIAL BLDG 360 N. HARRISON ST – FORT BRAGG
- CASPAR COMMUNITY CENTER 15051 CASPAR RD – CASPAR
- MENDOCINO FIRE – MEETING ROOM 44700 LITTLE LAKE RD — MENDOCINO
- **LITTLE RIVER INN – 7901 HWY 1 – LITTLE RIVER
- CHAPEL OF THE REDWOODS – 31201 COMPTCHE UKIAH RD– COMPTCHE MENDOCINO CO FAIRGROUNDS DINING ROOM – BOONVILLE
- VETERAN’S MEMORIAL BLDG – 451 SCHOOL ST – POINT ARENA COMMUNITY CENTER – MAIN HALL 47950 CENTER ST – GUALALA
• All of our “In Person” Polling locations will follow all Public Health Orders, including social distancing, wearing facial coverings, and having hand sanitizer and gloves available.
If you have any questions, please call the Elections office at (707) 234-6819 or email us at [email protected]
Don’t forget to vote!