Vote Safe and a Little More in 2024

Part 2 - The Ballots are Coming…What IF?

The ballots are coming! The ballots are coming!!

By law ballots must be on their way to you between February 5 and 9.

Be sure you are signed up for Ballottrax or whatever alternative ballot tracking system is used by your county so you will know the exact day your ballot is mailed.  (https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/) 

NOTE: the systems are glitchy and may not always work.

IF your ballot does not arrive by Valentine’s Day, February 14,
contact your Registrar’s Office IMMEDIATELY.

DO NOT agree to “wait just a little longer”.

• Ask them to cancel whatever ballot was originally mailed to you and send you a new one. Be firm.

• This will protect ballots that may have been intercepted for fraudulent use from being counted in your name.

Once your ballot has arrived in your mailbox, EIPCa’s recommendations to you are:

• Open and inspect your ballot to see that you received the correct one and that there are no errors.

• Reunite all materials and store them in a safe location - where you know you’ll be able to find them again.

• Be sure that all contents of the package stay together - do NOT intermix materials with those of other members of the household.

IF you absolutely must submit your vote in the envelope, it is important that the envelope you sign and seal be the SAME envelope you originally received.

• The barcode on the outside connects to your registration information at the county.

IF you return your ballot in the wrong envelope,

you run the risk of having your ballot

questioned and even rejected.

To avoid such concerns, EIPCa recommends taking your ballot to the polling place on or as close to Election Day (March 5) as possible and casting an in-person (no envelope) vote.

A new law (AB 626) now gives you the right to avoid

Ballot Marking Devices or Voting Machines

in casting your vote.

You now may submit the paper ballot you were mailed directly to the ballot box free of its return envelope at a polling location.

NOTE: To implement this process, your county must have an electronic pollbook system or other way of verifying your voting status - most now do.

Retain all mailing materials just in case an emergency keeps you from the polls on Election Day. You can always mail your ballot or have someone submit it for you at the last minute.

As long as the envelope is postmarked by March 5, and arrives within seven (7) days to the county elections office, your ballot will be processed and counted.

IF you receive more than one ballot addressed to you,

CAST ONLY ONE!

Return any extras UNOPENED to your County Elections Office marked “Duplicate Ballot Received.”  That will allow them to investigate the reason for the duplicate mailing, and to remove duplicate registrations.

IF you receive ballot(s) addressed to someone else,

DO NOT OPEN!

Return those UNOPENED envelopes to your County Elections Office marked with the appropriate information (“Recipient Deceased,” “Recipient moved to AZ,” etc. This aids your Elections Office in managing the voter rolls.

IF you are not a citizen and receive a ballot,

DO NOT OPEN IT.

CALL your County Elections Office IMMEDIATELY!

Voting, or even registering to vote as a non-citizen is a FELONY.

• If you apply for citizenship sometime in the future, you will be permanently denied and perhaps deported. DON’T do it!

• Ask your County Elections Office to investigate how and/or why you got registered (assuming you did not do it yourself).

More importantly, ask them for the appropriate link or form for you to remove yourself from the rolls immediately.

The state of California has a “no harm/no foul” law, so you may remove yourself without explanation and the record will be removed as if you had never been registered. (Unfortunately, this is not so if you have actually cast a vote.)

Follow up a few weeks later by checking your registration status at your County Elections Office website or https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/cavoter.

IF you receive the wrong ballot or a damaged ballot, or

IF you soil, mismark or damage your ballot,

contact your County Elections Office IMMEDIATELY.

Request a new ballot be mailed OR, visit your County Elections Office in person for a replacement.

IF you are told to just make a correction and send it in and they will “take care of it”, just say NO.

• Any such alteration will trigger adjudication!

Someone else will determine your “intent” and alter your ballot accordingly.  You are entitled to a replacement ballot—politely but firmly insist.

For ALL of the above “IFs,” download a Citizen Incident Statement, (fill it out and send it immediately to EIPCa.

• Citizens and non-citizens may use this form.

• It is always helpful to include photocopies.

EIPCa has been clear and adamant since 2012 that

an in-person (at the polls with no envelope) vote is the SAFEST vote.

Voting early and voting by mail (submitting your ballot in an envelope) should be done only if absolutely necessary.

Besides the obvious potential for loss, alteration or manipulation enabled by the lack of chain of custody of a mail-in ballot and the extensive handling and processing before counting, early votes let potential manipulators know who has voted.

With this information, manipulators are able to inject the right number of phantom ballots where needed to ensure their desired results, or even alter algorithms.

Deny manipulators the information needed to accomplish their goal:

Vote in person on or as close to Election Day as possible.

IF you vote with the envelope, turn it in on Election Day at a polling location. Anyone can drop it off for you.

IF you give your ballot to a trusted harvester, surrender it only within 72 hours of Election Day to a person or organization committed to turning it in on Election Day.

IF you participate in ballot harvesting, collect ballots only within 72 hours of Election Day and submit them on Election Day.

Following the above guidelines will allow you to Vote Safe in 2024.

Your “and a Little More” challenge for today: Share this valuable information with everyone you know.

A fair, honest, transparent and VALID election process

and the Republic it serves require a well-educated populace.

Please do your part to spread the word.