then: As long as you mail or deliver your ballot on Election Day, and it is postmarked by November 1st. 3 at the latest, you don’t need to worry about the date, because the officials already know they are on time.
and don’t forget to: mail a ballot too late on Election Day itself, by placing it in a drop box that has already had its last pickup of the day, or by taking it to a post office that already closed, it will mean that the ballot is postmarked the day after Election Day and is therefore too late to be counted. don’t make this mistake.
“I forgot to sign it”
If you have not yet submitted your ballot:
go ahead and sign it! and remember to date the envelope with the signature date.
Our audience has asked us many questions about finding the “right” signature for your ballot. you can verify the real name under which you are registered to vote online, although you cannot verify the signature there. however, your voter signature is most likely the one on your california driver’s license or state ID. That’s because when you register to vote online, your county elections office electronically requests a copy of the signature that the DMV currently has for you, and this information is updated regularly.
so the best way to start is to take a look at the signature that’s on your driver’s license or state ID, as that’s likely the one on record.
and if you’re worried that your signature has changed over the years, here’s something that might put your mind at ease: if you’ve done any business at the dmv between now and when you registered to vote that required your signature, that new signature is also on file.
“Every time someone conducts a transaction at the DMV and signs something, that signature is also on file,” said Evelyn Mendez, manager of public and legislative affairs for Santa Clara County voter registration. “That’s the most current signature we have on record.”
But if you still don’t think it’s the right one, or you’re having physical difficulty signing, there are a few things you can do. you can:
- re-register to vote with your current signature, to ensure the state now has your most recent signature on file
- have someone watch you make your mark and sign on the ballot “witness” line
- contact your county elections office for further assistance. You can also call the California Voter Hotline at (800) 345-vote (8683).
What if you’re worried about whether or not to include your middle initial? don’t worry.
“I think sometimes people get confused because they hear that in other states it has to be an exact match, and here it’s not an exact match,” said Lynda Roberts, Marin County Registrar of Voters. “the overall signature just has to be compared to what we have on file.”
In fact, according to the California Code of Regulations, “exact matches are not required for an election official to confirm a valid signature.”
“The example I always use is like my name,” said Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis. “sometimes i sign my name as tim, sometimes i sign i sign it as timothy… but i do my ‘t’ the same way, and i do the ‘d’ in dupuis, my last name, the same.
“so when you see those things, when you see those points with consistency in the signature, we’re going to err in favor of the voter and that’s going to validate that voter.”
if you already sent your ballot:
You can contact your county elections office to let them know about the problem. but rest assured, there is a whole process to resolve problems with your signature on the ballot.
If your county elections office detects a signature mismatch on your ballot, they will contact you by mail to verify and work with you to correct it so your ballot can be counted after all. The sooner you vote, the sooner the problem can be resolved. although a long period is allowed for this characteristic “curing process” after the election: about three weeks.
You can also sign up to track the progress of your ballot online and receive email and phone notifications.
some other common problems…
We asked local election officials what common issues they should be aware of on the ballot. this is what they said:
Be sure to fill out and sign the ballot with your name – It’s common to see couples or roommates accidentally mix up their ballots. so make sure you sign the document with your name on it.
Be sure to use a black or blue pen – it reads better and doesn’t slow down workers when they have to check what the voter’s intent was. (Do not use a felt tip or marker that bleeds through the paper and marks other pages on your ballot.)
There are many ways to vote: If you don’t want to mail your ballot, you can drop it off at a drop box or go in person to a polling place in your county. Find your nearest mailbox or polling place.
Don’t rush, but vote as soon as possible: As soon as your ballot is mailed, election officials can begin processing your ballot and contact you if there are any issues. And while ballots won’t be counted before polls close on Election Day, sending your ballot in early means it’s ready to be counted sooner and increases the chances that your vote will be included in the first results announced on Election Night.
then take your time, but try to get those ballots out ASAP.