County of Sacramento. Jill LaVine

Transcription

1 County of Sacramento Voter Registration and Elections Guide to Voter Registration Jill LaVine Registrar of Voters Revised 4/2014 1

2 This presentation has been prepared as a reference to help individuals, id groups and volunteers participating in voter registration activities. It is important that anyone seeking to register voters be knowledgeable of regulations and laws regarding voter registration. We encourage citizen involvement in the electoral and registration process. Additional information, or clarification, is available by calling the Voter Registration and Elections Office at (916) Monday Friday 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. excluding holidays 2

3 WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE? Anyone who is: A citizen of the United States A resident of California 18 years old on or before the next election day Not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction Not deemed by an appropriate court to be mentally incompetent (Election Codes 2000, 2211) WHEN SHOULD A PERSON FILL OUT A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM? Anyone who is eligible and--- Has never registered to vote in Sacramento County Has moved Has changed their name Wishes to change their political party preference No documentation or proof of the above requirements is required in order to register to vote. The statement on the voter registration form which the voter signs under penalty of perjury is sufficient and all that the law requires. (Election Codes 2111, 2112) In addition, no fees may be charged for registration. (Election Code 2121) 3

4 HOW TO GET STARTED Visit the Elections Department at th Street, Suite A, Sacramento There is no charge for voter registration ti forms and the return postage is paid by the Secretary of State If an individual or organization wishes to obtain 50 or more voter registration forms, they must complete the Voter Registration Card Statement of Distribution. The form is provided by the Elections Department and requires the name, address, telephone number and organization of the person requesting the forms as well as a brief explanation of how forms are to be distributed If 1,000 or more voter registration forms are requested, a copy of the Statement of Distribution will be forwarded to the Secretary of State by the Elections Department 4

5 This form must be completed and signed by anyone taking out 50 or more voter registration forms. Each card s ID number is assigned to you. These are used to monitor and report on your registration activities. 5

6 Important Things to Remember When Distributing Registration Forms Askpeople if they are registered to vote; if not, offer them a registration form Askif they know anyone who is not registered. If they do, offer them a form Encourage voters to mail their own forms back; no stamp is necessary Askpeople to use black or dark blue ink when completing a form AllVoter Registration Forms must be accurate and complete Make sure people understand the Voter Registration Form should be completed by the voter unless assistance is necessary Make a distribution plan *Direct any other questions regarding voter registration and elections to the Sacramento County Elections Office. Telephone number: voterinfo@saccounty.net 6

7 Do not use a pencil What Not To Do! Do not refuse to give a registration form to anyone who asks for one. You must accept a form from anyone regardless of their party preference Do not register someone who is already registered and does not wish to make a change Do not take more forms than you can reasonably expect to use. Do not highlight or make any marks on the registration form Do not attempt to answer questions, except to explain how to complete the voter registration form Do not give voter registration forms to other people or organizations who have not been authorized to distribute te forms by the Elections Department 7

8 How to Complete a Voter Registration Form Step by Step Instructions Box 1-2 Have the voter print their complete legal name Box 3 Optional Check the appropriate box, Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. 8

9 Box 4-5 Voter must fill in their complete address and city where he/she resides APostOffice Box or a business address is not a home address Box 6 No street address Voter must give an exact description of where he/she lives. Include cross streets, street corner and direction (N,S,E,W), bridges, route or other landmarks The voter must have a mailing address in order to receive voting materials 9

10 Box 7-8 Mailing Address Voter must fill out the mailing address field if he/she wishes to receive their election material at an address other than their home address Box 9-10 Date and Place of Birth Date of birth is required List the U.S State or foreign country of birth 10

11 Box 11 Identification Requirements Voter must provide: CA Driver s License or CA Identification Card If the voter does not have either, they MUST list the last four digits of their Social Security number 11

12 Box Optional Telephone Number and Address The voter s address and telephone number is not required; it helps the Elections Office contact the voter if there is any problem with his/her registration 12

13 Box 14 Political Party Preference The voter may choose to be affiliated with a Political Party or may choose No Party Preference Note: If the voter leaves this field blank, they will be registered as No Party Preference NOTE: Only one Party Preference can be marked. Corrections or alterations are not accepted. A new card must be filled out if an error is made 13

14 Box 15 Vote by Mail Voter To receive a Vote by Mail ballot for all elections, the voter must initial i i on the line provided. Box 16 Prior Registration MUST be completed if the voter has been previously registered. If the voter doesn t remember the complete address, have him/her write as much information as possible 14

15 Box 17 Citizenship and Age The voter must check the box if he/she is a U.S. citizen, and will be 18 years old on or before Election Day Box 18 Signature of Voter The Registration form must contain the signature of the voter in order to be registered to vote. The signature must match the name in box 1 and 2 15

16 Optional Survey Voter may complete this section if he/she: A) wants to be a poll worker; or provide their home as a polling place B) wants to provide his/her ethnicity C) wants to receive election materials in another language 16

17 The Bottom Portion of the Registration Form Should be filled out and given to the voter if they were assisted by another individual 17

18 What to do with Completed Registration Forms Deliver to the local Elections Office or Secretary of State s Office within 72 hours (3 days) of receiving the completed forms or the 15th day prior to an election, whichever comes first Mailed forms must be postmarked on or before the 15th day prior to an election You are ultimately responsible for the forms that were issued to you Make sure that anyone who helps with the distribution of registration forms, has read the booklet and understands d their responsibilities 18

19 California Elections Code Specific codes covering crimes include Registration of person not entitled to register this includes nonexistent persons including, but not limited to, deceased persons, animals, and inanimate objects Registration of fictitious person Registration of nonexistent person Interference with transfer of affidavit to county elections official Refusal to return affidavits of registration Writing or affixing political statements on affidavits of registration Alteration of affidavit party affiliation Fine for failure to provide voter registration card Person/Organization who is paid to assist with voter registration must disclose full name, telephone number and address on each affidavit form Reporting requirements for person/organizations that pays others for assisting persons to register to vote 19

20 View your Election Material on your mobile phone. Download the free mobile app SacVote, available for Android and iphone Smart Phones. 20

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22 PRECINCT OFFICERS Approximately 2500 Precinct Officers are hired to assist citizens with voting at Polling Places throughout Sacramento County on Election Day. The Elections Office recruits year-round round for Precinct Officers. You will earn money for serving as a Precinct Officer. This can be an excellent fundraising opportunity for an organization, and a great way to meet your neighbors while serving your community! Bi-lingual Precinct Officers are also needed. 22

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24 POLLING PLACES With the county s continual growth, more and more Polling Places are needed. The goal of the Elections Office is to use the same facilities for polling places for each election; however, new and replacement Polling Places are needed for every election. The Elections Office will pay for the use of your facility. Do you know of a facility that is not currently being used as a polling place that may be available? If you are interested t in becoming a Precinct Officer or have a facility that could be used as a Polling Place, please call (916)

25 Prepared by: County of Sacramento Voter Registration and Elections th Street, SuiteA Sacramento, CA (916) (916) Fax Web Site: Speech and Hearing Impaired California Relay Service: