FAQ: What you need to know to vote in the November election in Stanislaus County
The 2020 General Election is different for numerous reasons, the first one being that in Stanislaus County it is an all-mail election.
Also, with the move to even-year elections, this is the first time that Modesto voters will be making their selections for mayor during a presidential election.
Finally, the coronavirus pandemic that has spread throughout the world also is impacting elections. So we compiled a list of frequently-asked questions to help make casting your ballot easier.
Where do I vote?
At your dining room table, at work, in your car, wherever. Where you can’t vote is in person, at your local polling place. For the first time, people casting mail-in ballots will decide the outcome of federal, state and local elections in Stanislaus County. Ballots started going out Oct. 5 to the county’s 268,315 registered voters.
Voting by mail has been a widely used option in the past, but this time all registered voters are automatically given a mail ballot to avoid mixing and COVID-19 transmission at polling places.
For your vote to count, ballots must be returned in person no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day or postmarked on or before Election Day. The county is urging to mail ballots “early to ensure it’s received in time to be processed.”
The Elections Office is operating several satellite facilities to accept your ballot. The satellite offices are for disabled people and people with language barriers to assist them with voting and for people who misplaced or damaged their ballot. Voters can also drop their ballots there. A map of locations to is available at Stanvote.com.
- Indoor Ballot Drop Box Locations
Modesto: CSA StanWORKS, 251 E. Hackett Road; O’Brien’s Market, 829 W. Roseburg Ave; O’Brien’s Market, 4120 Dale Road; Postal Connections, 1700 McHenry Ave., Suite 658; Postal Connections, 3430 Tully Road, Suite 20
Riverbank: O’Brien’s Market, 6331 Oakdale Road
Turlock: CSA South County Service Center, 1310 W. Main St.
- City Halls
Oakdale: 280 N. 3rd Ave.
Turlock: 156 S. Broadway
Waterford: 101 E. St.
- 24-Hour Locations
Modesto: Elections Main Office, 1021 I St.
Oakdale: Burchell Nursery, 12000 Highway 120
- Curbside Drop-Off
Modesto: Gallo Center for the Arts, 1000 I St.; John Thurman Field, 601 Neece Drive
Oakdale: Stanislaus Culinary Arts Institute, 1040 Wakefield Drive
Turlock: CSU Stanislaus, 1 University Circle; Turlock Silvercrest Senior Residence, 865 Lander Ave.
- Satellite Office Drop-Off
Ceres: Ceres American Legion Hall, 2609 Lawrence St.
Denair: Denair Community Center, 3850 N. Gratton Road
Empire: Teel Middle School, 5255 First St.
Keyes: Keyes Community Center, 5506 Jennie Ave.
Modesto: American Legion Hall, 1021 S. Santa Cruz Ave; Century Center, 2401 E. Orangeburg Ave.; Grace Davis High, 1200 W. Rumble Road; Mancini Senior Hall, 718 Tuolumne Blvd.; Modesto CSA StanWORKS, 251 E. Hackett Road; Princeton Event Center, 1640 Princeton Ave.; Stanislaus SELPA, 1404 Stonum Road; Sylvan Improvement Center, 2545 Sylvan Ave.
Salida: Salida Library, 4835 Sisk Road
Newman: Newman Memorial Building, 649 Orestimba Road
Oakdale: Gene Bianchi Community Center, 110 S. 2nd St.; Stanislaus Culinary Arts Institute, 1040 Wakefield Ave.
Patterson: Patterson Joint Unified School District, 530 Keystone Blvd.
Riverbank: Community Center, 3600 Santa Fe St.; TelecContact Resource Services, 6436 Oakdale Road
Turlock: Ten Pin Fun Center, 3700 Countryside Drive; Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, 2618 N. Golden State Blvd.; Assyrian American Civic Club, 2618 N. Golden State Blvd.; Turlock CSA EPIC Center, 275 3rd. St.
Waterford: Waterford Community Center, 540 C St.
Where is my ballot?
You can find out where your ballot is in the system by checking the Vote By Mail Ballot Status at stanvote.com. You also can see if you’re registered at vote.org.
How do I vote by mail?
Mark your ballot by darkening the box next to your preferred candidate or “Yes” or “No” on the propositions. Insert the ballot in the provided envelope, and sign your name and put your address on the envelope. Then drop it in the mail or take it to one of the drop boxes listed above.
Where can I see candidates’ financial reports?
Disclosures and campaign finance information for county races are available at StanVote.com. Just click on “Campaign Disclosures” The site also includes a portal to the California Secretary of State’s office for statewide races and the Federal Election Commission for federal offices.
Reports for those running for city races are held at the city clerk’s offices. Here are links below to online campaign finance information.
Information on candidates?
Subscribers to The Modesto Bee can access detailed information regarding the local races and candidates through The Bee’s Voter Guide. All of the local election stories also are housed there, along with questionnaires filled out by the candidates themselves.
Who should I vote for?
That’s obviously up to you, but The Modesto Bee’s Editorial Board has listed endorsements for candidates for various offices. You can read the endorsements here. We also have several stories on races. You can go to our election section at modbee.com/news/politics-government/election.
Do you still get a sticker?
It’s a little thing, but for many people the “I Voted” sticker is a sign of pride that they have done their civic duty. And even though you can’t vote in person, you can still get one. It’s attached to the green sheet that includes directions in your mail-in ballot.
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 4:50 AM.