Information provided by San Bentio County Elections Department. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
Voting Kits for active registered voters in San Benito County began arriving to homes the week of October 7th. The Voting Kit includes a local Voter Information Guide, return envelope, Official Ballot, Sample ballot and an insert with an “I voted” Sticker. Upon arrival voter noticed that the “stub” on the Official Ballot was not available to tear off. The press release dated October 9, 2024, indicated that the reason for this was so that the Official Ballot had no problem fitting into the return envelope. We would like to reiterate that this indeed is correct.
Since voters have noticed that the “stub” is not on the Official Ballot there have been multiple claims in our office and online on potential additional reasons for why the stub is not on the Official Ballot. Below we indicate and respond to all the claims:
All contents of the Voting Kit are prepared, designed, reviewed and given final approval by multiple Elections staff. The insert with your “I voted” sticker was given the final approval by staff on July 25, 2024; It is important to note that the instructions included in the insert were approved before the official candidate list was complete. This was the first approval to print in late July to help space out required approvals with our vendor.
The Official Candidate list was completed and sent to all counties by the Secretary of State on August 29, 2024. At this time, staff worked to create the Official and Sample ballot. Both the Official and Sample Ballot turned out to be 19 inches long and with no stub on the Official Ballot. The stub is on the Sample Ballot and is not perforated. Voters keep their Sample Ballot and keep the stub on the top.
Contrary to popular belief, the stub is not a receipt, it is the layout formula for the print vendor to build and include all portions of your voting kit. If you wish to track your Ballot, BallotTrax is an opt in feature that can be used by all voters to confirm that their Ballot has been received and counted. Go to
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-status/wheres-my-ballot to sign up.
Under the Voter’s Choice Act model, you select the method of voting that is most convenient to you. You may Vote-By-Mail using the components of your Voting Kit, or you may opt to vote in person.
Currently, the Elections Department is open to vote in person. The hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm. We have additional Vote Centers opening throughout the month, by Election Day you have 4 Vote Centers, and 1 Satellite Office open to serve you.
All questions are welcomed and should be directed to the Election Department at 831-636-4016 or emailed to sbcvote@sanbenitocountyca.gov.
The Elections Office remains steadfast in its dedication to upholding the integrity of the electoral process, fostering transparency, and ensuring the public’s trust in our democratic system.
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