The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters will take an important step this month toward expanding mail-in voting.
Starting Thursday and through July 23, the registrar is seeking public input on a plan that would bring Sonoma County under the California Voter's Choice Act.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on March 16 unanimously approved transitioning the county to the act’s model. Under the county’s plan, registered Sonoma County voters could vote in-person as early as 10 days prior to Election Day.
All active, registered voters in the county would start receiving mail-in ballots 29 days before election days. Every voter would also be able to vote at any vote center within the county, rather than a designated polling place.
Sonoma would join Napa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in the Bay Area as ones that follow the Voter's Choice Act.
Polling places are usually open on Election Day only in Sonoma County. If registered voters go to a different polling place than assigned, they have to vote a provisional ballot, which is not counted until the voter’s eligibility is verified after Election Day.
The county's election administration plan is available online in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Khmer. Sonoma County encouraged residents to read over the plan and email the Registrar of Voters or call (707) 565-3811 with input.
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