First absentee ballots for June 5 primary mailed to voters
To qualify as a military or overseas voter in California elections, a person must be:
• An active member of the U.S. Armed Forces or an auxiliary branch;
• A U.S. citizen temporarily living outside U.S. territorial limits or the District of Columbia;
• A person living on a merchant vessel documented under U.S. law;
• A spouse or dependent of a member of the U.S. military or an auxiliary branch.
KEY SITES
• For the full calendar, lists of candidates, ballot measures, voter registration data, primary election rules and more: go to www.sos.ca.gov/elections/2012-elections/june-primary.
• Tehama County Elections: www.co.tehama.ca.us/elections.
• Federal Post Card Application, www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_mov.htm.
County elections officials across the state have started mailing ballots for the June 5 election to California voters serving in the Armed Forces or living abroad.
Tehama County expects to begin sending its out next week.
Though the numbers are likely to change, as of Friday, the county was sending 16 ballots to military personnel overseas, and 19 to civilians who are living overseas, the Elections Office reported.
"Whether you live across town or across the globe, if you are an eligible voter, I want to make sure you cast your ballot in the June election," California Secretary of State Debra Bowen said in a statement.
Of Tehama County's 63,463 residents, 30,201 are registered voters, and 2,598 are from Corning, according to the county Elections Department.
"As we prepare for June's elections, things are running smoothly so far, but we are very busy," said Lee Pryatel, Tehama County deputy elections clerk. "We encourage people to keep updated on our website, where they can find a lot of information including our Candidates Watch List."
According to the U. S. Election Assistance Commission, nearly 103,000 special absentee ballots were transmitted to California military and overseas voters for the November 2008 presidential election.
California military and overseas voters, known federally as "special absentee voters," may use a Federal Post Card Application available online to register to vote and request a ballot simultaneously, and can request ballots from and return them to county elections officials by fax.
The California Secretary of State's office also offers a dedicated email address, mov@sos.ca.gov., that links military and overseas voters to staff.
Californians' last day to register to vote in the primary election is May 21. The last day to request a mail ballot is May 29.
