Voting Terminology

DECLINE TO STATE VOTERS

(Voters not affiliated with a political party)

Listen

Decline to State information can now be heard through the Secretary of State’s toll-free number of 1-800-345-VOTE (8683). You may refer all voters to call this line and press option 7 to hear specific information regarding DTS voters.

For whom can I vote?

If you are a voter who has declined to state an affiliation with a political party, you may be able to vote for a candidate of a specific party in Elections. You may request, from your county elections official or at your polling place, the ballot of a political party if authorized by the party’s rules and duly noticed by the Secretary of State.

If you do not request such a ballot, you will be given a nonpartisan ballot, containing only the names of all candidates for nonpartisan offices and measures to be voted upon at the general election.

ABSENTEE VOTING

Apply to Vote Absentee

Listen.

Registered voters can apply for an absentee ballot by mail. Applications must be submitted to county elections officials no later than 5 p.m. 8 days before the election.

The English version of the statewide absentee voter application for the Statewide General may be completed by typing your information directly on the Secretary of State’s online application. Once you have typed in your information, simply print, sign and date the form, and mail it to your county elections office.

English — Absentee Ballot Application — General Election

For statewide forms other than English for the Statewide elections, please print the form, fill out sign and date the application using a pen, and mail it to your county elections office.

THE PROCESS OF VOTING ABSENTEEN

Listen.

Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot. Rather than go to the polls to cast a ballot on Election Day, you may apply for an absentee ballot, which you will need to complete and return to your county elections office.

All valid absentee ballots are counted in every election in California, regardless of the outcome or closeness of any race. For additional canvass of the vote information please visit www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_oc.htm.

To apply for an absentee ballot, you may use the application printed on your Sample Ballot, which you will receive prior to every election. You can also apply in writing to your county elections office. You will need to submit a completed application or letter to your county elections official between 29 days and 7 days before the election. The application or letter must contain:

1. your name and residence address as stated on your registration card;
2. the address to which the absentee ballot should be sent (if dif ferent than your registered address);
3. the name and date of the election in which you would like to vote absentee; and
4. the date and your signature.

Once your application is processed by your county elections official, the proper ballot type/style will be sent to you. After you have voted, insert your ballot in the envelope provided for this purpose, making sure you complete all required information on the envelope.

You may return your voted absentee ballot by:

1. mailing it to your county elections official;
2. returning it in person to a polling place or elections office within your county on election day; or
3. authorizing a legally-allowable third party (relative or person residing in the same household as you) to return the ballot on your behalf. Regardless of how the ballot is returned, it MUST be received by the county elections office by the time polls close (8 p.m.) on election day. Late-arriving absentee ballots are not counted.

Once your voted absentee ballot is received by your county elections official, your signature on the absentee ballot return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to determine that you are the authorized voter. To preserve the secrecy of your ballot, the ballot will then be separated from the envelope and the ballot becomes as anonymous and secret as any other ballot.

For more information on absentee voting, please view the publication:

A Guide to Absentee Voting.

The Guide to Absentee Voting in California is currently being revised. We anticipate the revised version to be available on our website soon. It will reflect legislative revisions.

PERMANENT ABSENTEE VOTING (PAV)

Listen.

Any registered voter may apply for permanent absentee voter status. If you are a permanent absentee voter, you will automatically receive an absentee ballot for each election. To become a permanent absentee voter, you must complete an application, which is available from your county elections office.

If you complete an application to become a permanent absentee voter, you will retain this status as long as you vote in all statewide primary and general elections. If you fail to cast a ballot in two consecutive statewide general elections, you will be removed from the permanent absent voter list and will need to reapply in order to restore status.

MILITARY/OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTING

Listen.

If you are a US citizen and are going to be overseas or if you are in the military and wish to vote absentee, there are special provisions for you to register and receive an overseas absentee ballot. To do this you may need to complete a “Federal Post Card Registration and Absentee Ballot Request,” and mail it to your local county elections official.

BALLOT MEASURES DEFINED

Listen.

Legislative Bond Measure

Any bill that calls for the issuance of general obligation bonds must be adopted in each house of the Legislature by a two-thirds vote, signed by the Governor, and approved by a simple majority of the public’s vote to be enacted. Whenever a bond measure is on a statewide ballot, an overview of California’s bond debt is included in the ballot pamphlet.

Legislative Constitutional Amendment

Listen.

Whenever the Legislature proposes an amendment to the California Constitution, it is known as a legislative constitutional amendment. It must be adopted in the Senate and the Assembly by a two-thirds vote before it can be placed on the ballot. A legislative constitutional amendment does not require the Governor’s signature. This type of amendment requires a simple majority of the public’s vote to be enacted.

Legislative Initiative Amendment

Listen.

Whenever the Legislature proposes to amend a law that was previously enacted through the initiative process, the Legislature is required to present the amendment to the voters for passage. The Legislature may amend the previously adopted initiative measure if the measure permits legislative amendment or repeal without voter approval. This type of amendment requires a simple majority of the public’s vote to be enacted.

Initiatives

Listen.

Often referred to as “direct democracy,” the initiative process is the power of the people to place measures on the ballot. These measures can either create or change statutes (including general obligation bonds) and amend the California Constitution. If the initiative proposes to amend California statute, signatures of registered voters gathered must equal in number to 5% of the votes cast for all candidates for Governor in the previous gubernatorial election. If the initiative proposes to amend the California Constitution, signatures of registered voters gathered must equal in number to 8% of the votes cast for all candidates for Governor in the previous gubernatorial election. An initiative requires a simple majority of the public’s vote to be enacted.

Referendum

Listen.

Referendum is the power of the people to approve or reject statutes adopted by the Legislature. However, referenda cannot be used to approve or reject urgency measures or statutes that call for elections or provide for tax levies or appropriations for current expenses of the state. Voters wishing to block implementation of a legislatively adopted statute must gather signatures of registered voters equal in number to 5% of the votes cast for all candidates for Governor in the previous gubernatorial election within 90 days of enactment of the bill. Once on the ballot, the law is defeated if voters cast more NO votes than YES votes on the referendum question.

Board of Equalization, District 1

Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity, and Yolo

Board of Equalization, District 2

Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, and Yuba

Board of Equalization, District 3

Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego

Board of Equalization, District 4

Los Angeles Equalization Districts