City of Lancaster, California GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS Frequently Asked Questions

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1 City of Lancaster, California GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS Frequently Asked Questions HOW DO I BECOME A REGISTERED VOTER IN LANCASTER? Any person who is 18 years of age or older and a citizen of the United States or a naturalized citizen can register to vote by filling out an Affidavit of Registration. You need to re-register if you have moved, changed your name or wish to change your political party affiliation. You must register to vote at least 15 days before an election to be eligible to vote in that election. Registration forms are available at the City Clerk Department and at most libraries. Check the Los Angeles County Register of Voters website at for further information. HOW AND WHERE DO I VOTE? Before each election, the City Clerk sends every registered voter a Voter Information Pamphlet, also known as a Sample Ballot, that lists the candidates and tells the voter where to find his/her polling place. The back page of the Pamphlet is an application that any voter may submit to request a ballot to vote-by-mail (absentee). You must sign and return this application to receive a ballot which must be returned to the City Clerk s Department prior to Election Day or to any polling place on Election Day. Also, on Election Day, any voter may go to the polling place indicated on the back page of the Pamphlet. Election workers at the polls will check the roster for your name and will also show you how to use the voting equipment, if necessary. MAY I USE MY BUSINESS ADDRESS OR P.O. BOX NUMBER TO REGISTER? No. A person may only register to vote at his or her place of residence. A business address or a P.O. Box number may only be used as a mailing address.

2 I REGISTERED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE (DMV) OFFICE. WHY DOES THE COUNTY SAY I AM NOT REGISTERED? A number of citizens who thought they had registered at DMV offices are not actually registered. Although they checked the box on the DMV form indicating they wanted to register to vote, many forgot to complete the attached voter registration form. A voter registration form must be completed and signed in order to become a registered voter. WHY IS THE DMV INVOLVED IN VOTER REGISTRATION? The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (also known as Motor Voter) permits persons conducting business at a DMV office to register to vote or update voter registration information. WHY WAS MY POLLING PLACE CHANGED? In California, there are no permanent poll sites. Locations may change from election to election if a facility previously used is not available for a particular election. Changes to precinct boundaries may sometimes occur when precincts are consolidated or realigned, especially for local elections that are not statewide. Voters should always refer to their sample ballot booklet to make sure that they go to the correct polling place location. HOW CAN I VOTE AN ABSENTEE/VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT? Voting by mail is the same as voting by absentee ballot. Rather than going to the polling place to cast a ballot on Election Day, you may request an absentee/vote by mail ballot. Any registered voter may apply for an absentee/vote by mail ballot. You may also apply for permanent absentee status to receive an absentee ballot automatically for each election. You may receive a permanent absentee application by contacting the City Clerk Department at (661) or you may go online to: IF I REQUEST AN ABSENTEE/VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT, CAN I CHANGE MY MIND AND STILL VOTE AT MY POLLING PLACE? Yes. But please take your absentee/vote by mail ballot to the polling place and surrender it to the pollworkers before voting a regular precinct ballot. If you do not have your absentee/vote by mail ballot to surrender, you will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot at the polling place. Your provisional ballot will be counted after the elections official confirms that you did not previously vote using an absentee ballot for that election.

3 I RECEIVED AN ABSENTEE/VOTE BY MAIL APPLICATION FROM A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN. IS THIS LEGAL TO USE? Yes. Individuals, organizations and groups may distribute absentee/vote by mail ballot applications; however, they must use the standard format as specified in the California Elections Code. Election officials are not responsible for absentee/vote by mail applications mailed to these individuals or groups. To ensure your ballot is mailed to you in a timely manner, it is recommended that you fax, mail or bring your application directly to the City Clerk Department. I DID NOT VOTE IN THE LAST ELECTION. DO I NEED TO RE-REGISTER? No. You are registered to vote as long as you remain at the same address, and you should continue to receive election materials in the mail. However, if you move to a different address or have not voted in the last several elections, you may be sent a notice requesting that you either confirm that you have not moved or provide current residence address information. Your registration may be canceled for failure to respond to an address confirmation mailing or if you have not voted at any elections occurring between the date of mailing and two consecutive Federal General Elections. WHEN ARE ELECTIONS HELD IN THE CITY OF LANCASTER? Elections for Mayor and City Council Members are held the second Tuesday in April of the even-numbered years. The next City Election is scheduled for April 10, 2012; voters will elect a Mayor and two City Council Members. The Mayor s term of office is for four years and each City Council Member s term is for four years. WHAT ARE THE POLL HOURS OF OPERATION? City election polling locations are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Voters should always refer to their sample ballot booklet to verify the correct election poll hours. WHERE DO I GET ELECTION RESULTS? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COUNT THE BALLOTS? At 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, the polls close. All the ballots from the polling locations are taken to a designated site at City Hall (called the Central Counting Place), where they are counted by a ballot counting machine. Ballot counting continues until all ballots received from the polling locations are tallied. The (unofficial) results are given to the media and those individuals present at the Central Counting Place. These results are also available on the City s website on election night or the following day. In addition, these results, along with vote-by-mail (absentee) ballots and provisional ballots, constitute the official canvass and are presented to the City Council for approval at a subsequent Council meeting where the newly-elected Mayor and Council Members are sworn in.

4 WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING CITY ELECTIONS? The City Clerk conducts stand alone, non-consolidated elections for the City of Lancaster, CA. As an Elections Official, the City Clerk administers federal, state and local procedures through which local government representatives are selected. The City Clerk assists candidates in meeting their legal responsibilities before, during and after an election. From election pre-planning to certification of official election results and filing of final campaign disclosure documents, the City Clerk manages the process which forms the foundation of our democratic system of government. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO BECOME A CANDIDATE FOR THE NEXT CITY ELECTION? WHEN CAN I OBTAIN THE REQUIRED FORMS? To become a candidate in the next City election, you must first be a registered voter and reside within the City limits of Lancaster at the time nomination forms are issued to you and you must not be on parole for a felony conviction. If elected, you must continue to reside in the City during your term of office. All required forms and guidelines to run for office in the next City Council election will be available at the City Clerk Department in December, An election calendar will be available prior to that time to assist with filing deadlines. WHERE DO I GET THE REQUIRED FORMS TO START A CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE? WHAT FORMS DO I NEED? You may obtain the required forms at the City Clerk Department, N. Fern Avenue, Lancaster, CA or you may download the forms available from the Secretary of State s website at DOES THE CITY OF LANCASTER HAVE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS? Pursuant to Lancaster Municipal Code Section 85400(c), a voluntary expenditure ceiling is established for each candidate for each election to City elective office in an amount not to exceed seventy-five cents ($0.75) per resident and contributions of $100 or more must be itemized. WHERE CAN I OBTAIN INFORMATION ON OTHER ELECTIONS IN THE AREA? The Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters handles all other elections. To determine your polling place and to find out additional information, visit the Los Angeles County website at

5 MAY I DROP MY BALLOT OFF AT CITY HALL FOR STATE ELECTIONS? No. We highly recommend that you mail your ballot to Los Angeles County for all elections that do not pertain to the City s General Municipal Election. City Hall is not a polling location, and you are responsible for mailing your ballot. CAN AN EX-FELON REGISTER TO VOTE AND BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE? Yes. An ex-felon can register to vote and is eligible to vote in elections if he/she is not currently in prison or on parole for a felony conviction.