Early in-person voting opens Friday in Richmond, and the Nov. 3 election is just days away, so Richmondside put together this list of last-minute reminders to help prepare you for the big day.
1. Where do I drop off my mail-in ballot?
It may be cutting it close to mail your ballot to the elections office in Martinez, but you can drop it off at one of these four secure ballot boxes in Richmond:
- Contra Costa County EHSD, 1305 Macdonald Ave.
- North Richmond Center for Health, 1501 Fred Jackson Way
- Richmond City Hall, 450 Civic Center Plaza
- West County Wastewater District, 2910 Hilltop Drive
There are also boxes in El Cerrito and San Pablo, including at Contra Costa College. Visit the county elections website for a full list.
After you fill out your ballot, you must insert it into the envelope provided, making sure you fill out the required information on the outside of the envelope.
According to the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder, some of the most common mistakes on mail-in ballots are: Forgetting to add a date of birth, not checking the U.S. citizen box, using a post office box instead of a home return address and forgetting to sign the envelope.
You can track the status of your ballot by visiting the My Voter Status website, or by signing-up for Where’s My Ballot, a tool powered by BallotTrax. For more information on these tracking tools, visit the Vote By Mail California Elections website.
2. I’m looking for information about the Richmond mayoral race
Ahmad Anderson and Claudia Jimenez are in a run-off to be mayor of Richmond.
They participated in Richmondside election forums before the June primary and for the Nov. 3 run-off, and you can watch those events online. Learn more about the race in these stories:
Get prepared to vote for Richmond’s next mayor
3. How can I learn about Measure Q, the fire station property tax measure?
Read more about measure Q
The city of Richmond put Measure Q, which will temporarily raise property taxes, on the ballot to raise $120 million to repair or replace outdated fire stations, some of which were built in the 1940s. Advocates say upgrading stations will allow the department to offer better life saving services and correct deficiencies such as faulty alarm systems and overcrowded living quarters.
4. I’m looking for information about Measure V, the WCCUSD parcel tax
The West Contra Costa Unified School district board is asking voters to renew Measure V, a nine-year parcel tax that raises about $10 million annually to fund school staff, athletic programs and libraries, among other things.
read more about wccusd parcel tax
The tax is being continued at its current rate, and seniors and disabled people are exempt from it. Richmondside spoke to educators and students who benefit firsthand from the funding to find out how it might impact them if it fails.
5. Am I registered to vote?
To find out if you are registered to vote, visit the California Secretary of State’s Check Status of Your Voter Registration web page. If you’re not registered, here’s an article that explains how that works. It’s too late to register the routine ways, but you can opt for same-day voter registration.
Same-day registration, known as conditional voter registration, is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote or need to update their voter registration information for an election.
Eligible voters who need to register or re-register to vote within 14 days of an election can complete the form at the county elections office, a polling place, or a voting center. For more information, visit the California Elections website.
6. How do I vote in person?
An early polling place will be open at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Fri., Oct. 30 through Mon., Nov. 2. Friday and Monday hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday it’s open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A handful of early polling places are also open at other locations countywide. Visit the county elections website and click on “Regional Early Voting Sites.”
Here is a list of polling places in Richmond where you can cast a ballot in person on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For a list of polling places countywide, visit the Contra Costa County elections website.
Richmond polling places
7. What about the transit tax, Measure RTM, and other election topics?
For the latest election news, visit Richmondside’s voter guide to read about the countywide transit tax to fund public transportation, the EBMUD Ward 3 race and the Contra Costa Community College board race.
To read all of Richmondside’s election stories, visit our voter guide.
