As you have heard, we will soon be voting in a recall election! Luckily for us, Los Angeles County is a voter’s choice county, meaning that voters can choose to vote by mail or vote in person. We are offering some information to make the voting experience as easy as possible.

Registering to Vote

The voter registration deadline for the September 14 gubernatorial recall election was August 30, 2021. Beginning September 4, eligible voters who missed the deadline can register at a local Vote Center and vote the same day.

Voting by Mail

We advocate voting by mail because it’s convenient, safe, and secure. California is again mailing each registered voter a vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot. On August 16, county registrars across California started mailing VBMs. Most of you should have received yours in the mail already.

1. Sign up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to track your ballot before you do anything else! It will give you peace of mind to receive an automatic email, SMS (text), or voice call about your ballot’s progress through the system.

2. To request your ballot or election materials in another language, please call the L.A. County Registrar’s Bilingual Assistance Hotline at 800-815-2666, option 3. You can learn more by visiting the Registrar’s Multilingual Services Program.

3. When you get a VBM ballot in the mail, make sure it is addressed to you. If the ballot has been misdirected, contact the Registrar’s Office at voterinfo [at] rrcc.lacounty.gov and do not use the ballot.

4. If you have not received your VBM, apply for a replacement at  Replace My VBM before September 7.

5. Safeguard your vote-by-mail materials until you are ready to mark your ballot.

6. After you have voted, insert your ballot in the enclosed envelope. Seal, sign, and date the envelope in the space provided.

7. Return your ballot as soon as you can. Ways to return it:

• Mail it to the Registrar’s Office in Norwalk. Use the envelope provided with pre-paid postage and return address. Ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before Recall Election Day, September 14, and received by the Registrar’s Office no later than seven days after Election Day. If you are running out of time, use one of the options below.
• Return it in person to a polling place, Vote Center, or the L.A. County Registrar’s Office in Norwalk. Find a convenient Vote Center at L.A. County Vote Centers.                      .
• Drop your VBM ballot into an official ballot drop box no later than the close of polls at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, September 14. For convenient drop box locations and hours, visit the L.A. County Vote by Mail Drop Box locator.

8. More information is provided at Returning Your VBM Ballot.

Voting in Person

1. Consider voting in person if …

• you are registered to vote but do not have a residence or mailing address;
• you missed the voting registration deadline of August 30;
• you signed up to track your ballot, it has been seven days since the ballot was mailed to you, and you haven’t received it; or
• you are a registered voter, it is now September 11, and you have not received a ballot in the mail.

2. Before you head to a Vote Center, access the Registrar’s Interactive Sample Ballot (ISB):

• The ISB is a tool that allows you to access, review, and mark your selections on a smart device (at home or anywhere) prior to going to a Vote Center.
• When you use the ISB, you are not voting online. You are saving your choices on your device or printing the code so you can be ready to vote at the Vote Center. You are not casting a ballot when you use the ISB tool—your ISB information is not included in the ballot count and you have not yet voted!
• Take your Poll Pass (on your device or printed paper) with the machine-readable QR code to the Vote Center.

3. Before you head to a Vote Center, help expedite your check-in at the Vote Center:

• Take your paper sample ballot with you (if you have one) or
• Take your ISB Poll Pass (on your device or printed paper) with the machine-readable QR code or
• Visit My Check in Barcode to obtain your Quick Check-in Code.Just complete your information, click on “Search,” and a page will appear with your barcode.  When checking in, just scan your personal barcode so the poll worker can find your voter registration record.

4. You are now ready to go to the Vote Center:

• Make sure you have your Poll Pass (paper or cell phone) and Sample Ballot or Quick Check-in Code and, if you are a first-time voter, identification (driver’s license, state ID, or, if you have neither, the last four digits of your social security number).
• Make sure you wear a mask and any other protective gear you feel you need to protect you from the coronavirus.

First Part of the Ballot

• A “yes” vote removes Governor Newsom from office.
• A “no” vote keeps Governor Newsom in office until the end of his term.

Second Part of the Ballot

You have the option to pick one replacement candidate from the list headed “Candidates to succeed GAVIN NEWSOM as Governor if he is recalled.” By law, the list of forty-six candidates (not counting the additional qualifying write-in candidates) may not include Governor Newsom. You cannot vote for him or write in his name. California Election Code (§11381c) stipulates that “a person whose recall is being sought cannot be a candidate to succeed themselves at a recall election.” The list of official write-in candidates will be available on September 3.

This second part of the ballot is in play if more than 50 percent of voters vote “yes” on the first part of the ballot. The candidate who receives the most votes will become governor and will complete Governor Newsom’s term in office.

As with all ballots, you can choose to answer all questions or skip some. Here there are only two. If you vote “no” on the first part of the ballot and are wondering whether to answer the second, you can get more information by visiting the League of Women Voters of California’s web page on whether to answer both or one.

Need More Information?

Visit the following websites:

• www.lwv-pa.org
• https://lavote.net/
• https://votersedge.org/ca
• https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/voter-info/

Still Have Questions?

Call the LWV–Pasadena Area Voter Hotline Number: (626) 798-0965!

• September 3 to September 13, 2:00–7:00 p.m.
• September 14, Recall Election Day, 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

—Martha Y. Zavala