Election Day puts democracy into action

June 5 and the days leading up to it are very important days for democracy. The results of all eligible voted ballots returned before and including Tuesday, June 5 will determine who will serve as elected officials for Fresno County.

As a reminder, the June primary election will not include “party” ballots. California now utilizes a Top Two Primary structure, meaning that the top two vote-getters in state and federal races will move on to the November ballot. That could result in two candidates of the same party receiving the top two quantity of votes, or two candidates from different parties.

Check online

In advance of the election, the first place to start is fresnovote.com, where you can verify your voter registration status, confirm your residential address is correct, verify if you are a permanent vote-by-mail voter, learn what districts you are eligible to vote on (or run for office), or register to vote.

With just one click, you can find out so much valuable information!

29 days prior to each election, you will learn your polling location, if your vote-by- mail ballot has been mailed to you yet, if the elections office has received your voted vote-by- mail ballot, verify if your precinct has been identified for additional language assistance and review your county voter information guide.

The accessible county voter information guide is multilingual and compatible with most assistive technology. The Elections office contact information is listed, if we can assist you or answer any questions.

Vote by mail

Another option for voters is to sign up and become a permanent vote-by- mail voter. Under this method, a ballot will automatically be mailed to you 29 days prior to an election.

It then allows you the flexibility to return the voted ballot by mail, deposit in the 24/7 secure metal drop box in front of the Elections office, drop off your voted ballot at a polling location on Election Day or authorize a person to deliver your voted ballot for you (their name must be filled out on the return envelope).

This is a good option for voters who may have a very hectic schedule or reside in retirement homes, making it unmanageable to visit a polling location on Election Day. Though some neighboring counties are not, Fresno County will continue to utilize neighborhood polling locations.

Post office new service

Voters may be curious to learn when their ballot will arrive in their mailbox. The United States Post Office has a new free service, one which I subscribe to, called Informed Delivery. Once an individual signs up for the service (www.usps.com), you will receive daily notification from the post office via email, tablet or mobile device, of the mail pieces that will be in your mailbox that day.

Foreign language

In January of each gubernatorial election year, the California Secretary of State determines if election information in other languages would be beneficial to voters in each county.

As a result, Fresno County will provide ballots in English and Spanish at all polling locations. In precincts pre-identified by the Secretary of State, translated facsimile ballots will also be available in Cambodian, Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Punjabi, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

Prior to Election Day, voters in these pre-identified precincts can request that a translated facsimile ballot be mailed to them. Fresno County needs your help in recruiting precinct officers who can speak these languages and provide verbal assistance on election day at a polling location. A precinct officer application can be obtained at fresnovote.com .

Student opportunity

There is also a great opportunity for our high school students to serve and experience democracy first hand. The Fresno County Clerk provides a robust high school precinct officer program. If a 16-year-old student is a junior or senior in high school and meets certain requirements, they can serve as a precinct officer, and can earn $150 for doing so.

After serving during prior elections, many students have commented they are interested in becoming a registered voter and voting in the future!

Please reach out to us at 559-600- VOTE with any questions or concerns before Election Day. We continually strive to provide every eligible voter a successful voting experience. Every vote counts!

This story was originally published February 26, 2018 at 4:20 AM with the headline "Election Day puts democracy into action."