California primary: How to register to vote and cast your ballot in the Coachella Valley
With about two weeks left until the conclusion of California's primary election, Coachella Valley residents still have time to register to vote in the wide range of races for local, state and federal seats up for grabs this year.
Riverside County residents have until Monday, May 23, to register to vote online at registertovote.ca.gov, or to request a paper application by calling 951-486-7200. After that deadline, people can still cast their ballots through conditional voter registration, which allows them to register and cast a provisional ballot at any county vote center through Election Day.
The state’s primary election recently got underway with the start of early voting May 9, the same day just over 1.3 million ballots began heading to registered voters in Riverside County, and it will conclude on Election Day, June 7.
To be eligible to vote, individuals must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of California and at least 18 years old on Election Day, and they also cannot be serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction or found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.
California primary: Ballots head to voters Monday. Key facts about Riverside, state races
Registered voters can return their vote-by-mail ballots through the mail or at an official ballot drop-off box, or they can vote in person at 145 vote centers across Riverside County, several of which will open May 28.
Many federal, state and local seats will be up for grabs this year. In congressional, legislative and statewide races, the top two finishers in the primary election — regardless of party — will advance to the general election Nov. 8.
County-level races for positions such as sheriff and district attorney could be decided outright in the June election. A run-off between the top two candidates in those races will only be held if a candidate doesn’t win outright with a majority of the vote in June.
Some vote centers will open May 28
While several ballot drop-off locations opened May 9 and will remain open through Election Day, registered voters in Riverside County will also have the option to cast their ballots in person at one of dozens of vote centers that will soon open across the county.
“If a voter arrives at a vote center without their vote-by-mail ballot, poll workers will look up the vote-by-mail ballot that was sent to their address to ensure it was not already returned and void that ballot within the system,” Riverside County spokesperson Brooke Federico said in an email.
Twenty-six vote centers are set to open May 28, while another 119 vote centers will open June 4, with all of the locations open through Election Day. Riverside County resident can also go to any vote center to cast their ballots, after the county opted into the state’s Voter’s Choice Act last year.
A full list of the Coachella Valley’s ballot drop-off locations and vote centers can be found below.
Ballot drop-off locations
Cathedral City Library* 33520 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234
City of Cathedral City** 68700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero, Cathedral City, CA 92234
City of Coachella** 53462 Enterprise Way, Coachella, CA 92236
Coachella Community Center* 51251 Douma St., Coachella, CA 92236
City of Desert Hot Springs** 11999 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
Desert Hot Springs Senior Center* 11777 West Drive, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
City of Indian Wells** 44950 Eldorado Drive, Indian Wells, CA 92210
City of Indio** 100 Civic Center Mall, Indio, CA 92201
Indio Community Center* 45871 Clinton St., Indio, CA
La Quinta City Hall** 78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA 92253
Trilogy at La Quinta* 60750 Trilogy Parkway, La Quinta, CA 92253
Mecca County Library* 91260 Sixty Sixth Ave., Mecca, CA 92254
City of Palm Desert** 73510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260
Palm Desert Library* 73300 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260
The Shops at Palm Desert* 72840 Highway 111. Palm Desert, CA 92260
City of Palm Springs** 3200 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center* 480 W Tramview, Palm Springs, CA 92262
City of Rancho Mirage** 69825 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
The River* 71800 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Coachella Valley Animal Campus* 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, CA 92276
*Open Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Election Day, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
**Open during regular city business hours; and Election Day, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Coachella Valley vote centers opening May 28
Cathedral City Hall, Study Session Room 68700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero, Cathedral City, CA 92234
Coachella Branch Library, Large Meeting Room 1500 6th St., Coachella, CA 92236
Indio Corporate Yard, Lobby 83101 Avenue 45, Indio, CA 92201
La Quinta City Hall, Study Session Room 78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA 92253
The Shops at Palm Desert, 72840 Highway 111, Palm Desert, CA 92260
Demuth Community Center, Gymnasium 3601 E Mesquite Ave., Palm Springs, CA 92264
Vote centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Election Day, June 7, when they will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Coachella Valley vote centers opening June 4
Cathedral City Library, Meeting Room 33520 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234
Northgate Community Church, Rooms 1, 2 & 3 30010 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234
Coachella Community Center, Bagdouma Park / Main Room, 51251 Douma Street, Coachella, CA 92236
Desert Hot Springs Library, Community Meeting Room, 14380 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
Desert Hot Springs Senior Center, West Room, 11777 West Drive, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
Indian Wells City Hall, Council Chambers 44950 Eldorado Drive, Indian Wells, CA 92210
Indio High School, Multi-Purpose Room, 81750 Avenue 46, Indio, CA 92201
Indio Library, Meeting Room, 200 Civic Center Mall, Indio, CA 92201
Riverside County Office of Education, Conference, Room 126 & 127, 47110 Calhoun Street, Indio, CA 92201
Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Multi-Purpose Room, 83089 Highway 111, Indio, CA 92201
Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School, Multi-Purpose Room, 43495 Palm Royale Drive, La Quinta, CA 92253
Trilogy at La Quinta, Desert Vista Ballroom, 60750 Trilogy Parkway, La Quinta, CA, 92253
Mecca County Library, Meeting Room, 91260 Sixty Sixth Ave., Mecca, CA 92254
Palm Desert Community Center, Gymnasium, 43900 San Pablo Ave., Palm Desert, CA 92260
Palm Desert High School, Technology Room, 74910 Aztec Road, Palm Desert, CA 92260
Portola Community Center, Multi-Purpose Room, 45480 Portola Ave., Palm Desert, CA 92260
James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center, Gymnasium, 480 W Tramview Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Palm Springs Public Library, Learning Center, 300 S Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Rancho Mirage Library, Annenberg Room, 71100 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
The River, A103, 71800 Highway 111 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Della S Lindley Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room, 31495 Robert Road, Thousand Palms, CA 92276
Vote centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Election Day, June 7, when they will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tom Coulter covers politics and can be reached at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California primary: How to register to vote and cast your ballot