4 ways to cast mail ballots safely and securely

With the November 8, 2022 General Election drawing near, the Registrar of Voters’ Office would like to remind all voters to return their ballots safely and securely by Election Day. Since implementing the Voter’s Choice Act in 2020, Santa Clara County voters have “more days, more ways” to vote, including 4 convenient ways to return a mail ballot:

By Mail – The most convenient way to vote. Simply return the voted ballot in the free postage-paid return envelope. Ballots postmarked on or before Election Day will be accepted as long as they arrive at the Registrar of Voters’ Office within seven days after the election. 87% of Santa Clara voters prefer to vote by mail.

At an Official Drop Box – There are 100 official drop boxes located throughout the county. Drop boxes are open 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. on Election Day, and ballots are retrieved daily by authorized election staff. Find the nearest drop box at rovservices.sccgov.org/Home/IndexPost?selected=do

At a Vote Center – Voters can return their completed mail ballot at any of over 100 Vote Center locations. 25 Vote Centers are already open, with an additional 77 Centers opening on Saturday, November 5. Vote Center hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Find the nearest Vote Center at rovservices.sccgov.org

Designate a friend – Voters can authorize someone else to return their ballot for them by completing the authorization section on the ballot return envelope. Voters are strongly encouraged to only give their ballots to known and trusted individuals, such as a friend, family member, or household member.

“Please remember to sign the return envelope and return your ballot by November 8th.” said Shannon Bushey, Registrar of Voters. “Thank you for doing your part in upholding democracy.”

Voters can track the status of their ballot by registering at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov. They will receive notifications by text, email, or phone when their ballot is mailed, received, and counted.

If a voter is concerned that their returned ballot shows that it still has not been received after a few days, they can contact the Registrar of Voters’ Office for more information. If a ballot cannot be counted because the return envelope is missing a signature or does not match the signature from the voter’s registration, the voter will be able to correct the signature. Voters who lost or made an error on their ballot can go to any Vote Center to obtain a replacement.

For more information, contact the Registrar of Voters’ Office at (408) 299-VOTE (8683) or toll-free at (866) 430-VOTE (8683), or visit www.sccvote.org.