March 5 elections materials arrive and voters are urged to update information

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – In the last week, California voters have been receiving the preliminary information they need for the March 5 Super Tuesday Primary election.

Those who are registered and at the same address where they lived in the last election, should have no problems. Those who have move and have not reregistered will likely not see their materials until they tell the elections office what their current address is.

That is vital to get all appropriate election materials including your ballot. Those ballots will arrive next week and the voting will begin.

The last day to register to vote is February 20 to receive all of your materials by mail.

Voters can also register up to and including election day, and cast a ballot, but for example, if you do it at the elections office, you can simply fill out your ballot there at a special voting box and turn it in.

The first wave of materials includes the Voter Information Guide and Sample Ballot. Information about your ballot precinct is on the small booklet and a phone number if you do not receive a vote by mail ballot. All voters in the March 5 election will receive a vote by mail ballot. Information on voting and the locations of drop off boxes is in the booklet.

Chief Deputy Registrar of Voters Michael Daly with the Santa Barbara County Elections office says, "the county voter information guide has already gone out. They're already in the mail. You should have received those, if not let us know. The vote by mail ballots we will be dropping in the mail the week of  Feb 5th. "

He says the voter information guide is full of information. "These are important. They have the sample ballot inside they have arguements for different measures. It's good information. Good to review."

The office is staffed with personnel to answer all questions from voters and correct any issues with addresses and the receipt of voting materials.

The elections office is also hiring poll workers for election day. They will work at the polling places and assist those who are casting their ballots in person rather than by mail or in the locked drop boxes throughout the county.

There are 76 polling places where you can go in person on election day and countywide there are 30 specially marked white election drop boxes. They will open next week for ballots, and cleared out daily by elections office staff members.

The races on the very full ballot include, President, the House of Representatives, State Senate, State Assembly and three seats on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

For voters you will get the ballot  for the party you are registered for in the primary, but if you have a no party preference listing, you can request a cross over ballot for the American Independent Party,  the Democratic Party or the Libertarian Party only.

Daly said, "you stay no party preference you just crossover to  get the ballot of one of the three parties you select for this  primary only and as soon as the primary is over you still are registered as no party or however you were prior to that and for the upcoming November election it will stay."

For more information go to: The Santa Barbara County Elections Office or 1-800-SBC-VOTE (800-722-8683).