Registrar's Office Begins Mailing Ballots for November Election

Tens of thousands of sample ballots and informational packets tied to the Nov. 3 general election were mailed this week to voters throughout Riverside County by the Registrar of Voters office.

Roughly 140,000 ballots were sent out, covering about 16 percent of those on the county voter rolls, according to the registrar.

Not all jurisdictions within the county are holding elections this year.

City council races are scheduled in a half-dozen municipalities -- Blythe, Desert Hot Springs, Menifee, Norco, Palm Springs and Perris.

In Menifee, residents will be determining who fills the Third District seat left vacant following the May death of Councilman Wally Edgerton, who was among the first slate of council members to win a seat at the same time the city incorporated in 2008.

In Perris, voters will be deciding who takes the seat vacated by ex- Councilman Julio Cesar Rodriguez. The first-term council member resigned in May under a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office, in which he admitted one felony count of possession of drugs for sale. The conviction stemmed from Rodriguez’s weekend tryst with two men that culminated in allegations of theft and illegal drug use.

Palm Springs voters will be selecting a new mayor and possibly two new council members. Two-term incumbent Mayor Steve Pougnet is not seeking re- election. He’s been under public scrutiny following corruption allegations connected with a land deal between the city and a developer. Palm Springs City Hall was raided by law enforcement earlier this month, apparently as part of the ongoing probe.

First-term Councilman Paul Lewin is up for re-election, and Councilwoman Ginny Foat is seeking the open mayor’s seat, potentially leaving her seat vacant. She has two years left in her term.

In Desert Hot Springs, Mayor Adam Sanchez is waging a re-election battle in a two-candidate field, while two council seats are also up for grabs.

Most other elections in the county are to fill seats on water and school boards, along with a desert recreation district.

Early voting will be available in some locations beginning Friday, Oct. 5, according to the registrar’s office.

Mail-in ballots will also be accepted starting the first week of October.

The last day to register to vote in the upcoming election is Oct. 19. More information is available at www.voteinfo.net.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock