"Voting Matters" So Let's Talk About It

As we countdown to Election Day, voting in a pandemic is on everyone’s minds. Join Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin at the fifth “Voting Matters” Zoom event on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6pm to discuss voting options and headlines that are causing people concern about our democratic process.

To join “Voting Matters” on Zoom, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86707547893?pwd=NjdoVG1MWTY3MG5VMHVEaU5ZbTVZUT09

To participate via phone, call 1-669-900-9128. The meeting ID is 867 0754 7893and the passcode is 523457.

“Voters are more engaged in this election than ever before and they have lots of questions,” County Clerk Gail Pellerin said. “Voting Matters is the perfect forum for people to ask the questions that are on their minds and get reliable information about this election.”

Pellerin created the “Voting Matters” Zoom calls because her office has not been able to do their typical voter outreach events in person due to COVID-19. Also, because of the pandemic, Governor Newsom has issued an executive order requiring elections officials in California to mail ballots to all active registered voters.

There are 15 ballot drop boxes installed throughout the county for voters to easily return their voted ballots. Voters can also mail their ballots if they are postmarked on or before Election Day. In addition, voters may drop their ballot off in person at one of 18 voting locations that will be open Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.

In November, instead of the county’s traditional polling places, there will be voting locations where voters can obtain a ballot, turn in a ballot, register and vote on the same day, or vote an accessible or Spanish ballot on the tablet. Any voter may go to any location. Two locations, Santa Cruz County Elections and Watsonville City Clerk, opened Oct. 5 for voting. Sixteen additional locations will open for the four days before the election, and UCSC will be open for Monday, Nov. 2 and Tuesday, Nov. 3. Plus, the County Clerk has launched their VoteMobile to provide pop-up voting throughout the county. A schedule is posted online at www.votescount.us

Consolidating voting locations improves the county’s ability to protect health and safety, including implementing physical distancing and wearing masks, disinfecting surfaces and voting equipment, providing hand sanitizer and more, including screening poll workers for symptoms. Voters will be asked to follow these guidelines to protect themselves and to protect others.

The “Voting Matters” Zoom event is open to the public and nonpartisan. “Voting Matters” Zoom events will be held on every other Thursday until Election Day. The last “Voting Matters” call before Election Day will be at 6pm, Thursday, Oct. 29. For more election information, go to www.votescount.us.