Press Release
Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder-Elections
Contact:
Warren Slocum
Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Phone: (650) 363-4988 Fax: (650) 363-1903 E-mail: wslocum@smcare.org
lternate:
David Tom
Phone: 650.312.5301 Fax: 650.312.5348 E-mai:l dtom@smcare.org
Chief Elections Officer Gives Voters Practical Advice
(Redwood City, CA) Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum is encouraging voters to do three things before heading to the polls:
- Verify their voter registration;
- confirm their polling place address; and
- make sure they know how to vote (the basics of how to mark a ballot, voting options--early, absentee, and at the polls on election day, and referrals to on-line resources that provide information about the measures, propositions, and candidates)
Voters can perform these tasks on-line at the Election Office’s interactive website, www.shapethefuture.org, or by calling (650) 312-5222. Voters only have to enter basic information to confirm their registration and locate their polling place.
“We want voters to be pro-active,” Slocum said. “If voters will take few minutes to verify their information and learn how to cast an error-free ballot, polling place operations will run more smoothly, every vote will count and we can limit confusion and errors.”
“This year’s ballot is lengthy and presents the voters with important policy issues and candidate choices that will shape the future of California. Most ballots will be a two-card ballot. A few will be a three-card ballot. Every vote is important. My advice to voters is to VOTE EARLY!” said Slocum.
For the Early Voter: The Elections Office has expanded its hours of operation to make voting more convenient. “Voters are welcome to come to one of the Elections Offices either at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo or 555 County Center in Redwood City on Saturday, Oct. 28th and Saturday, Nov. 4th between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm to vote, ” said Slocum. “Some people may not realize it, but any voter can vote between now and Election Day at our Election Offices between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. If that’s convenient for you, we urge you to vote early!”
For the Absentee Voter: “If you’re voting absentee, vote your ballot and put it in the mail today. The ballots will require 63 cents in postage.” Voters can also drop off their voted Absentee Ballots at any City Hall, at the Elections Office in Redwood City (555 County Center) and the Elections Office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo. “We’ve begun processing the returned ballots. We predict that we’ll receive over 100,000 Absentee Ballots because of the growing popularity of absentee voting. We have a big job on our hands just to get those processed.”
Do Your Homework: “There are a number of excellent resources are available to help voters make informed choices, including the Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Guide, the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Guide, the Easy Voter Guide, and Pros and Cons published by the League of Women Voters. Voters can go online to obtain information, too.
For the Polling Place Voter: The length of the ballot (two to three cards) and the complexity of some of the propositions and measures will guarantee that some voters will need more time to cast their ballot. Slocum encourages all voters to, “Come prepared—do your homework! Mark your sample ballot and bring it to the polls with you. It will save you time and shorten the wait for your fellow citizens.” He also encourages voters to, “Do yourself a favor and avoid the morning and afternoon rush hour traffic at the polls. Vote in the off hours and you won’t have to wait.”
A Word About Voting: “Remember—you don’t have to mark every contest to vote,” said Slocum. Voters may pick and choose which contests they wish to vote in. Your vote is secret and no one will ever know how many contests you voted in or who and what you voted for. Vote for the people and issues that matter to you.
Take Care in Marking Your Paper Ballot: “I want to encourage voters to note the number of candidates they can vote for in each contest. Sometimes a single choice is allowed, however sometimes there are a number of vacant or contested seats to fill,” cautioned Slocum. If a voter casts too many votes in a contest, all the votes cast in that particular contest are invalidated. The rest of the ballot will be counted as the voter intended.
Verify Your Vote on the eSlates: For voters who choose to vote on the new eSlate voting system, remember to ‘Verify Your Vote’! State law requires that all electronic voting systems provide a paper trail so that voters can confirm their voted choices on the electronic screen with those recorded on the paper record. “Just take a moment before you cast your ballot, then you’ll know your vote was cast they way you intended it to be cast,” said Slocum.
First Time Voters: “First, please accept my warmest congratulations that you’ve begun voting!” said Slocum. “Under the new Help America Vote Act (HAVA) law, you may be required to show identification at the polls, especially if you mailed in your registration and did not include certain required information. Don’t be alarmed, just be prepared. Bring your driver’s license or a photo ID.”
For Help: Go online to www.shapethefuture.org, call (650) 312-5222 or visit our Elections Office at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, CA 94402.