COLUSA, CA (MPG) — Colusa County voters will head to the polls Nov. 4 for a statewide special election, and county officials are emphasizing deadlines and new procedures to avoid ballots being disqualified.
Cristy Edwards, Registrar of Voters, said changes in U.S. Postal Service processing could affect how ballots are handled.
“Due to a change in the USPS routes and processes, ballots may not be postmarked when deposited, but instead could be postmarked at a regional processing center, which may not be the same day,” Edwards said. “In order for a ballot envelope to be processed in the election office, it must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day.”
To make sure their vote counts, Edwards said voters should consider walking ballots to the counter at a post office and requesting a same-day postmark.
The county also noted a clarification from the Secretary of State. Voters who bring their vote-by-mail ballot to a polling location but do not have the identification envelope may still cast their ballot in person at their designated vote center.
Ballots must be either postmarked by 8 p.m. on Nov. 4 and received by Nov. 11, or delivered in person to one of several locations. In Colusa County, ballots can be turned in at:
The Elections Office at 546 Jay St. in Colusa
The satellite office at Education Village, 499 Margurite St. in Williams
The drive-through drop box in the alley behind the Colusa Police Department at 260 Sixth St.
Any official drop box or polling location in California
Edwards said the reminders are meant to help voters avoid mistakes during a high-profile election.
On the ballot is Proposition 50, a constitutional amendment that would authorize the use of a temporary legislative congressional map. Voters across California will decide the measure in the Nov. 4 special election.
For questions, residents may contact the Colusa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Office at 546 Jay St., Suite 200, call 530-458-0500, or email clerkinfo@countyofcolusaca.gov