The Santa Barbara County Elections Office announced that official Vote-by-Mail ballots and voting materials will be delivered to the United States Post Office by Oct. 5.
Registered voters are asked to check their mailboxes for their ballot and related voter information guides, which should reach them within the next 5 to 10 days.
The vote-by-mail packet will contain several items:
• The voter’s official ballot
• Instructions for voting and returning the ballot
• A ballot return envelope with a unique barcode that allows the Elections Office to verify the signature of the voter on the envelope with the voter’s registration record.
◦ This may be the signature on the voter registration card submitted by the voter or the signature on the voter’s driver’s license if they registered to vote at the DMV.
◦ It is important that the voter verifies that their name is printed on the envelope (the ballot doesn’t belong to another person living at the same address), signs the envelope, and encloses the ballot in the return envelope.
If a voter receives a ballot for a person who is no longer living at the address, please write “No longer at this address” on the outside envelope and return it to a mail carrier
Ballots may be returned by mail (postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3), returned in person to one of two election offices (locations listed below), to any polling place on Election Day, or to official ballot drop boxes located throughout the county.
A list of polling places and official drop box locations can be found at SBCVote.com.
Voters can sign up to track their ballot at Where’s My Ballot? – California Secretary of State.
Voters can check their registration status, look up their polling place, and find their ballot’s status by using the look-up tool at My Voter Status – California Secretary of State or calling the Elections Office, 800-722-8683.
Register online at Online Voter Registration | California Secretary of State or request a registration form by calling 800-722-8683. Voter registration forms are available at local DMV offices, post offices and public libraries.
Santa Barbara County Elections offices are at:
• Santa Barbara Elections Main Office, 4440-A Calle Real — Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
• Santa Maria Elections Branch Office, 511 Lakeside Pkwy., Ste. 134 — Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-noon, and 1-5 p.m. beginning Oct. 5, and on Saturday, Oct. 31, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Santa Barbara County Elections can be reached at sbcvote.com or by calling 800-722-8683.