MENDOCINO CO., 5/15/26 — Monday is the last day to register online to vote in the upcoming June 2 statewide primary election, which in Mendocino County includes some local races and a bond measure to fund Mendocino College.
All active registered California voters were mailed a ballot by last week. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by June 2. Ballots returned at a secure ballot drop box must be deposited by 8 p.m. on June 2.
In the November 2024 election, nearly 94% of Mendocino County voters voted by mail. Katrina Bartolomie, assessor/clerk recorder for the county, said anyone mailing their ballot should do so sooner rather than later.
“There is voter responsibility, and you hope that they vote on their ballot in plenty of time and mail it in plenty of time to get here,” Bartolomie said.
Bartolomie said that ballots dropped off in any of the county’s several drop-off boxes go directly to the elections office.
“If voters use a ballot drop box, no one touches those ballots but election workers, so it doesn’t go through the USPS,” Bartolomie said. “We don’t have to pay postage back, because it’s like giving it to the elections office. It saves us money, and it’s really a lot more secure.”
There are a total of 20 polling places around Mendocino County that will be open only on Election Day for in-person voting. These are in Ukiah, Redwood Valley, Potter Valley, Hopland, Willits, Fort Bragg, Caspar, Mendocino, Little River, Comptche, Boonville, Point Arena and Gualala. There are also eight secure ballot drop-off boxes in the county: Willits, Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Point Arena, Boonville and Covelo. All ballot drop-off locations but Covelo — open only on Election Day for just ballot drop-off — are already available to drop off ballots
For a full list of polling places and ballot drop-off boxes, click here. Voting locations will offer replacement ballots, accessible voting machines and language assistance.
If someone misses the Monday deadline to register online to vote, they can still register in person on Election Day or the days leading up to it in their county. In Mendocino County, the elections office at 501 Low Gap Road in Ukiah offers same-day registration.
According to the Secretary of State, to vote in California you must be:
- A U.S. citizen and a resident of California
- 18 years or older on Election Day
- Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for conviction of a felony
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court