Got your mail ballot for California 2022 primary elections? Here’s what to do next
Mail ballots for the primary election on June 7 are sent out in early May to California registered voters, according to the secretary of state’s website.
Last fall, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring ballots to be mailed to all active registered voters in the state for all elections, as a way to boost accessibility.
If you’ve already received your ballot, here’s what to know:
Vote, then sign it
Cast your votes in the ballot and seal it with the envelope provided by the county elections office. Then, sign the envelope, making sure it matches the signature on your drivers’ license or state identification card.
Mail it or drop it off
After filling out the ballot and voting for your candidates, you can return it by mail, as long as its postmarked on or before Election Day. It should be received by the elections office by June 14.
You can also send it back via a secured ballot drop box, at a voting site or the county’s elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day according to the secretary of state.
To find your closest voting center or drop box location in California, you can go to the state’s website. It’s typically updated two to four weeks before relevant elections in your area.
Track your ballot
You can see if your vote-by-mail ballot was received and counted by going on the state’s tracker, Where’s My Ballot.
According to the secretary of state, its office and county elections officials begin the vote tallying process before election night.
“Counties may begin processing vote-by-mail seven (7) business days before the election,” the office said on its website. “Having verified the signatures on the return envelopes, elections officials remove the voted ballots and process them through their vote tallying system.”
After the polls close on Election Day, the officials start the “semifinal official canvass of the vote,” which is the counting of early mailed in ballots and votes from precincts. The counting continues until the last precinct is tallied and the total is reported to the secretary of state.
According to the website, officials must complete the official canvass by the 30th day after Election Day and a “certified statement of the results” must be submitted to the secretary of state by the 31st day.
Lost or didn’t receive a ballot?
You can apply for a replacement mail ballot by filling out a California Replacement Vote-by-Mail Ballot Application Form and submitting it to the county elections office.
Make sure your voter records is updated with your latest information. If you’ve moved within the state, you can update your address by re-registering online.
According to the secretary of state’s office, if you made changes to your address at the Department of Motor Vehicles or the U.S. Postal Service, your voter registration will be automatically updated with the new address.
If you’re in the military or residing overseas
If you’re serving in the military or you’re residing overseas during the election season, you can still receive your voting materials. You’ll need to register as a military or overseas voter on the state’s voter registration or you can request a ballot on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.
According to the secretary of state, to ensure your votes make it to the county elections office on time for the primary election, you should send in your ballot by April 30, if you’re on a ship at sea. If you’re outside the county, send your ballot in by May 23 and if you’re on the stateside, send it in by May 30.
Is voting by mail safe?
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, an agency under the U.S. Postal Service, is responsible for protecting the country’s mail system from illegal or dangerous activity.
“The Inspection Service has a strong security program and is committed to ensuring the U.S. Mail is a safe and secure method for voters to participate in America’s elections,” the representative of the USPS told The Bee in October 2021.
This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Got your mail ballot for California 2022 primary elections? Here’s what to do next."