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MARIN COUNTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS
VOTING BY MAIL
(also known as Absentee Voting)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is vote by mail?
Vote by mail allows voters to cast a ballot without going to a polling place. If a registered voter has applied to vote by mail, the Registrar’s office mails a ballot to the mailing address of the voter beginning 29 days before an election. The voter votes the ballot and returns it to the election office by mail. The voter can also return a ballot in person to the office or to any polling place on Election Day to be counted. Any voter can apply to vote by mail permanently in every election.
Can I vote by mail for this election only?
Send the Registrar of Voters a written, signed request for a Vote by Mail ballot for an upcoming election. Either download the Application for a Vote by Mail Ballot or write a letter. Include your name, home address, mailing address and sign your request. Or, you can fill out the Absentee Ballot Application on the back cover of your sample ballot and mail it to the Elections Office. We can accept your application by mail between 29 and 7 days before an election. After that, you must apply in person at the Elections Office.
Can I vote by mail permanently?
Yes. Just follow the instructions above for applying for a mail ballot, but specify in your request that you want to vote by mail permanently.
What if I am a permanent vote by mail voter and move?
Election mail (ballots and sample ballots) cannot be forwarded. Make sure that you are registered to vote at the address where you currently live. Your ballot will be sent to the mailing address we have on the voter file before every election in which you are eligible to vote. If you move or change your mailing address and do not update your voter record, your ballot will be returned as undeliverable. Call the Registrar of Voters office at (415) 499-6456 to check your registration.
When will I get my vote-by-mail ballot?
Your ballot goes in the mail starting 29 days before the election. If you do not receive your ballot around that time, call us. We will send you a replacement ballot. If there is not enough time to mail it, you can pick one up at our office.
If I am traveling, can I get my vote-by-mail ballot at a different address?
Yes. Contact us and give us your temporary out-of-town address. Or if you prefer, you can vote early at the Registrar of Voters’ Office starting 29 days before the election.
What if my ballot doesn’t come?
Call our office to find out when it was mailed. If you have not received your ballot within a week after it was mailed, we will check your registration, track your ballot and send you a replacement ballot if necessary.
What if I have moved and have not updated my registration?
If you were registered to vote by 15 days before the election but now have a new address within the County, contact the Elections Office for instructions.
What if I have moved and have not updated my registration?
No! Vote-by-mail ballots cannot be forwarded. Fill out a new voter registration form with your updated information. It must be postmarked no later than 15 days before the election.
How will I get information about candidates and measures?
You will receive a Sample Ballot and Voter Information Pamphlet for all local candidates and measures. In a statewide election, your household will also receive a State Pamphlet with information about State propositions and candidates. You may also visit Smart Voter or the Easy Voter Guide. Note: These websites are independent and content is not controlled by the Marin County Registrar of Voters.
Before a Primary Election, how do non-partisan vote-by-mail voters find out which of the political parties will permit them to vote for partisan candidates?
The Registrar of Voters sends a letter to all non-partisan vote-by-mail voters informing them of the parties that permit “cross-over” voting. The letter contains a form that the non-partisan voter can fill out to request the ballot of one of those political parties.
Can I vote at the polls if I am a vote-by-mail voter?
Yes. Take your vote-by-mail ballot and envelope to the polling place, and ask for a polls ballot.
If you do not have both your vote-by-mail ballot and envelope, you can vote a provisional ballot, which will be counted after the election.
What if I lose my ballot?
Call us. If it is too late to mail you a replacement ballot, you may pick one up at the Elections Office or vote at the polls.
What if I make a mistake on my ballot?
Cross out the incorrect vote. Then fill in the oval for the correct vote, and write “OK” next to the correct vote. Or contact our office to ask for a replacement ballot.
How do I turn in my vote-by-mail ballot?
You must return your ballot in the envelope provided. You can:
- Mail your ballot,
- Drop it off at the Registrar of Voters’ Office, or
- Take it to any polling place in Marin County on Election Day between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
How does the Registrar’s Office make sure voters don’t vote more than once?
When a voter applies for a mail ballot, it is recorded in the voter file. When the Roster for the polls is printed, all mail voters are indicated by the words, “absentee voter” next to their names. The office mails an updated list of voters voting by mail to all pollworkers on the weekend before the election. If a voter with the words, “absentee voter” next to his/her name goes to the polls, the poll worker will ask for the absentee ballot. If the voter doesn’t have it, he/she must vote provisionally. For information on provisional voting, see Provisional Voting FAQs..
Yes, but what if I get two ballots?
If you receive two ballots, the first one back will be the one that is counted. If the second ballot comes, it is blocked from being recorded as a valid returned ballot and cannot be counted.
How can you be sure the ballot I have returned belongs to me?
When your ballot is returned, we check your signature against the voter records. If it matches, your ballot is counted. If it does not match or there is no signature, we send it back to you to either sign it or update the signature on your voter registration card.
Do you count all of the ballots that come by mail?
We count every mail ballot so long as we can match the voter’s signature with the signature on the voter’s registration card.
What if I forgot to sign my return envelope?
Your ballot will not be counted. But if we receive your unsigned ballot envelope at least 2 weeks before the election, we will try to contact you.
Can I check to see if you have received my vote-by-mail ballot?
Yes. We have an automated system, available 24/7 that can check if your ballot was received.
Call: (415) 499-6456
Or click: Vote by Mail status lookup
If the Elections Office receives your vote-by-mail ballot before Election Day, it will be counted by 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you drop your vote-by-mail ballot off at the polls, it will be counted within 10 days after Election Day.
Where can I get more information about voting by mail?
Click on the Vote By Mail button at the top of the page or call the Registrar of Voters Office at (415) 499-6456.
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