Election Materials in the Mail

The county’s Sample Ballot and Voter Information Pamphlet is in the mail to the 150,913 registered voters in Santa Cruz County and 64,113 ballots are scheduled to be mailed to county voters on Tuesday, since Monday is a postal holiday.

The county’s Voter Information Pamphlet provides voters with information on what is on their ballot, including any local measures and candidate statements of qualifications. The State Voter Guide is also in the process of being mailed out to voter households providing information on the office of U.S. Senate and the 11 state propositions on the ballot.

There are 7 local measures on the ballot:

• Measure L – Pajaro Valley Unified School District Bond Measure
• Measure M – Pacific Elementary School District Bond Measure
• Measure N – County Transient Occupancy Tax Measure
• Measure O – City of Capitola Sales Tax Measure
• Measure P – City of Santa Cruz Desalinization Measure
• Measure Q – City of Santa Cruz Transient Occupancy Tax Measure
• Measure R – City of Watsonville Mobile Home Parks Rent Control Fee

In addition, the cities of Santa Cruz, Capitola and Watsonville have their local offices on the ballot along with several school, fire and water districts boards.

The Sample Ballot is also available online at www.votescount.com along with candidate statements and information on the local measures. Or voters can use a new Voter Guide Now app available on smartphones and tablets to view their sample ballot materials, request a vote-by-mail ballot, find your polling place, or register to vote.

The back cover of the Sample Ballot pamphlet also provides an application for voters to request a vote-by-mail ballot. If the voter is already signed up as a permanent absentee voter or lives in a precinct that will automatically be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot due to having 250 or fewer voters in a unique ballot type, the application will advise the voters that their ballot will be mailed separately. Otherwise, voters have the option of requesting a vote-by-mail ballot or going to their assigned polling place on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voters may also request a ballot be mailed to them online at www.votescount.com

The first day for voters to be mailed a ballot is Tuesday, October 9. The last day to register to vote in the November 6, 2012 Presidential General Election is Monday, October 22.

Early voting is also available beginning October 9 at the Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections Department located at 701 Ocean Street, Room 210 in Santa Cruz, and the Watsonville City Clerk’s Office at 275 Main St., 4th Floor (6th floor of the parking garage) in Watsonville.

For more information, please contact the County Clerk/Elections Department at 831-454-2060 or visit us online at www.votescount.com.