By Cecil Egbele | Contributing Writer | California Local News Fellow
At a statewide media briefing, Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber covered registration deadlines, safety at the polls, and why every vote counts in the Nov. 3 general election.
As the November 3 general election approaches, California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber is encouraging voters to plan ahead and vote early. She shared this message during a virtual media briefing hosted by American Community Media on Oct. 8. Here are seven key takeaways from her remarks.
1. Register by Monday, but it’s not too late after that
Monday, Oct. 19, doesn’t mean missing the election, because Californians can register and vote on Election Day.
“Tell them they are not too late,” Weber said. “They can still register the day of the election on Nov. 3.”
Voters who register on Election Day cast a provisional ballot. Officials hold that ballot until they confirm the voter’s citizenship, residency, and age, and verify the person hasn’t already voted.
2. A past felony conviction doesn’t stop you from voting
Any U.S. citizen who lives in California and will turn 18 or older on Election Day can vote, as long as the person is not currently serving a state or federal prison sentence for a felony.
“Once you have served your time, you are eligible to vote in California,” Weber said. “You don’t have to wait for the governor to approve you.”
3. The rules haven’t changed since June
Weber said a federal effort to shift control of elections to the U.S. Postal Service would have forced voters to register again. According to Weber, the courts struck it down, ruling it was too late for such changes.
That means the rules used in the June primary still apply. Every registered voter who receives a ballot in the mail and has 11 days to vote. Ballots can be returned through mail, dropped in an official ballot box, or turned in at a polling place.
4. If you’re worried about safety, use a drop box
On rumors that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would appear at polling sites. Weber said new state rules limit how close uniformed officers can come to polling places.
For anyone still worried, Weber recommended the steel ballot drop boxes, which she called “the most secure voting systems we have.” Once a ballot goes in, she said, it is locked down and cannot be removed.
Voter intimidation is a crime, Weber said. County registrars have been trained on whom to call, and voters can report problems to poll workers or the state voter hotline. Her office will also use the full force of the attorney general’s office to protect election staff. “We don’t play with our poll workers,” she said.
5. Help is available in many languages, from abroad and in care facilities
According to state elections staff, voting materials are available statewide in English plus nine other languages, and counties offer additional translations. Californians who are traveling or living overseas can request to vote from abroad through the secretary of state’s office. Residents of assisted-living facilities remain eligible, and the office can help them get their ballots.
6. Black vote is as powerful as anyone’s
On Black voter participation, Weber said she is concerned about people who stay home because they feel their vote doesn’t matter. Things happen every day, she said, “particularly in the Black community, that really matters, and getting engaged is the only way to address them.”
“It’s not like there’s a community that nobody pays attention to,” she said. “Unfortunately, sometimes they pay the wrong attention to us.”
Weber said her office has been reaching voters through churches and community organizations, including the Alphas and Kappas, and reminding people of the long journey to win the right to vote. Her own grandparents, she said, died before the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and never got to cast a ballot.
“Shirley Weber gets one vote. That’s it. Everybody else gets one vote,” she said. “And the reality is your vote is as powerful as mine if you use it.”
The bottom line
Weber’s advice was simple: make a plan, vote early, and call the voter hotline or your county registrar with any questions.
“Do not let anyone keep you from voting,” she said.
For more information, call the secretary of state’s voter hotline at 800-345-VOTE (8683) or the Kern County Elections Division at 661-868-3590, or visit sos.ca.gov or kernvote.com.