Election season is here, but are you registered to vote in Stanislaus County? What to know

Are you prepared to vote? While you may think you have plenty of time until the presidential race in November, election season starts much sooner with the primary election March 5.

Here’s what you need to know.

Are you registered to vote?

In 2023, 78% of eligible voters were registered to vote in Stanislaus County, and of those, 38.8% were Democrats, 34.2% Republicans, 4.2% American Independent and .78% Green Party. Historically, turnout for primaries has been much lower than that for general elections.

Unless they opt out, eligible Californians are automatically registered to vote by the Department of Motor Vehicles when they apply for a driver’s license, identification card or change of address.

If you are not sure about your status, you can check here at: https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.

How do you register to vote?

Registration is available by mail, in person and online. To be eligible to vote in the March 5 primary, you must be registered at least 15 days before Election Day. That means no later than Feb. 20.

If you miss that deadline, you can register for the November general election no later than Oct. 21.

To register online: Visit the state’s voter registration page at: https://registertovote.ca.gov.

In person: If you have business at the DMV, you can register at that time. You also can visit the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Office at 1021 I St., Suite 101.

By mail: A voter registration form can be mailed to you by calling the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at 1-800-345-8683. Or you can pick up a form to mail at your local library or U.S. post office.

California also offers same-day registration, called Conditional Voter Registration. This process can be completed in person at your county elections office, polling place or vote center. Conditional voter ballots will be processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process.

What if I don’t speak English or Spanish?

The California secretary of state offers online voter registration in Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese, in addition to English and Spanish. You can access the online registration form at https://registertovote.ca.gov.

What will I be voting on?

Primaries for president, U.S. representative, U.S. Senate, state Assembly and county and municipal offices will be on the ballot, as will local measures and state propositions, depending on where you reside.

In Modesto, voters will be electing or reelecting their mayor. There are three candidates, and if none receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two will advance to a runoff in November.

All registered voters should receive a county and state voter information guide by mail. Guides are provided in Spanish and English. You can also visit the Registrar of Voters Office to pick one up, or access the guide online at: www.stanvote.com/pdf/voter-guides/20240305.pdf

When should I receive my ballot?

Ballots will be mailed out Feb. 5.

How do I vote?

All registered voters in California receive ballots in the mail, which can be sent back in or dropped off at an official ballot box or polling place. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day or will not be accepted.

For a list of official ballot box locations, see your voter guide or visit: www.stanvote.com/pdf/voting-locations.pdf. Locations will be posted 29 days prior to the election date.

For in-person voting, you can visit your local vote center. If you wish to vote in person but have a vote-by-mail ballot, you must bring and surrender that ballot for a scannable ballot. Voting centers open three days before the election — earlier in some places. Your nearest vote center also provides other services including:

• Get a replacement ballot if yours is missing, damaged or you made a mistake.

• Register or update your registration prior to voting.

• Drop off your voted ballot at a staffed authorized drop box.

• Get language assistance in Spanish, Assyrian, Khmer, or Punjabi from an election worker or translator available by phone. Translated copies of the ballot are available in these languages.

• Use an assistive ballot marking device. Select vote centers will have an assistive ballot marking device that can be used from your vehicle.

To find your nearest vote center you can check your voter guide or visit: www.stanvote.com/pdf/voting-locations.pdf

Stanislaus County also offers a Remote Accessible Vote by Mail (RAVBM) system to deliver voter guides and ballots to voters with accessibility needs who wish to use their own assistive technology. This is open to all eligible voters and can be found at stanvote.com or by calling 209-525-5201 or TTY 833-646-2136 and asking for the voter registration supervisor or a manager.

My vote is in, now what?

Voters can check to see if their ballot were received at www.stanvote.com or can track their ballot with California’s “Where’s My Ballot?” tool to receive automatic updates at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov. The Stanislaus County registrar of voters will begin to post results that evening and continue until all ballots are counted. Final results usually are posted a few weeks from Election Day with updated counts refreshed during that time.