In the April issue of the Voter, we included a number of articles to help you prepare for the June Primary, from explaining what’s on the ballot to listing the various voter education and registration initiatives LWV-PA is offering and to which you can contribute as a volunteer. We’re now on the home stretch—you have most likely received your Voter Information Guide and in the next few weeks will receive your vote-by-mail ballot. But let’s check to make sure you are ready!

When Will Your Ballot Arrive?

The L.A. County Registrar of Voters has a new, more secure website address, lavote.gov! Obtaining a domain name “.gov” means the website has met the requirements established by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. In addition to increasing the lavote.gov website’s security, the Registrar has reorganized the website to make it even more user friendly—easier to navigate with a great search feature allowing for quicker access to the information you need.

One of my favorite web pages at lavote.gov is Find My Election Information. There you can:

• determine your voter registration status,
• access your interactive sample ballot (ISB), which offers you the opportunity to view what’s on your ballot before you get your vote-by-mail ballot (VBM),
• locate ballot drop box locations near you, and
• get step-by-step instructions to make the process go smoother should you end up having to vote in person—for example, by finding a vote center with reduced wait time.
• Oh, yes, and there’s also a quick link to sign up to track your ballot!

As soon as the Registrar mails your ballot, the system will notify you either by text or by email—or both (you get to choose)! In California, ballots are mailed to voters no later than twenty-nine days before Election Day. Since the registered voter population in L.A. County is 5.7 million, don’t panic if you don’t receive your ballot at the same time your friends do. Ballots are mailed in batches! But start expecting a text or email around May 9.

While You Are Waiting . . . Are You Registered?

So, what can you do before your ballot arrives in the mail? First, check your voter registration status—use Find My Election Information. Remember that if you had to relocate after the last election you voted in, you will need to update your voter registration information with your current address. Home address is important because it determines the contests that will appear on your ballot. If you only changed where you get your mail, you still have to update your mailing address.

While you are checking your own status, make sure everyone in your household is registered to vote. The voter registration deadline is May 23. If eligible voters miss the deadline, California has a conditional voter law that allows them to walk into a vote center, register, and vote the same day! These ballots are provisional until the registrant is officially placed on the voter rolls, which is what makes these voters “conditional.”

Remember that you have three options for returning your completed VBM ballot:

• Drop it in the mailbox; it must be postmarked on or before election day, June 7.
• Drop it into any official drop box located in L.A. County; drop boxes will be operational starting May 10.
• Or hand-deliver it to an official vote center anywhere in the county.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Finally, avoid the most common vote-by-mail errors by doing the following:

• Make sure you place your ballot cards in the official return envelope.
• Securely seal the envelope.
• And sign and date the envelope!

If you plan your vote by following these simple guidelines, voting will be a breeze—and you’ll feel great on Election Day!

—Martha Zavala