Questions and Answers:
Candidate and Ballot Measure Information
The voting systems used in California are optical scan, DRE and data vote.
Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes.
Direct Recording Electronic (DRE): This is the newest kind of system in use in the U.S. All the information about who and what you are voting for is on an electronic screen like a TV or computer screen.
There are many variations of DREs because lots of companies are inventing new ones, and many cities, counties and states are trying them out. Usually, after you have signed in, the poll workers will give you a card that you slide into a device to start your voting session.
Some of these devices will show all of the candidates and ballot choices on one big screen. Often, with these big screen devices you push a button next to the name of the candidate you want to vote for (or yes or no on a ballot measure). On other DREs, the screen is set up to show “pages.” On each screen or page, there will probably be one thing to vote on. For example, on one screen or page, you might vote for president. Then you might move to the next page to vote for senator. Often these small-screen devices have a “touch screen,” where you touch the screen next to the name of the person you want to vote for. Other devices have a key pad. And some have a keyboard, so you can write in the name of someone you want to vote for.
You let the system know you are finished voting by pushing a button, touching the screen or entering something on a keypad.
For more information, please visit your state's website.
Campaign Finance Information
It is recommended that you contact your county elections official regarding whether or not curbside voting is available at your polling place. If curbside voting is available at your polling…
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It is recommended that you contact your county elections official regarding whether or not curbside voting is available at your polling place. If curbside voting is available at your polling place, you may approach as near as possible to the voting area and elections officials may bring you a roster to sign, a ballot to vote, and any other voting materials you may need, whether you are actually at a curb, in a car, or otherwise located outside the polls.
Both state and federal laws require that all voters, including voters with disabilities, be able to cast their ballots privately and independently. New voting systems have been specifically designed for this purpose. Each polling place should have at least one voting system that permits voters, including those who are blind or visually impaired, to cast a ballot without assistance. In addition, the voting system must permit you to privately and independently verify your vote choices and, if there is an error, permit you to correct those choices before the ballot is cast. To find out what system your county uses, and how to use it, please visit your state's resource.
Although new accessible voting equipment is required to enable voters with disabilities to cast a ballot privately and independently, if you want help, or if for any reason you are unable to personally mark your ballot, you may choose up to two people to help you cast your vote. However, the persons or person you choose may not be your employer or your employer's agent, or your labor union leader or agent.
If, for any reason, your name does not appear on the list of voters at a polling place, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot. This is a ballot just like a regular ballot, but it will be placed in a special envelope and will be counted after the elections official confirms that you are eligible to vote. The official at the polling place will give you information about how to find out if your ballot was counted, and, if it was not counted, the reason why.
