It’s Not too late to Register to Vote in Santa Cruz County
A deadline is a deadline, until it isn’t, says Santa Cruz Registrar of Voters Gail Pellerin.
In prior years, a voter who missed the voter registration deadline didn’t get to vote in that election. Conditional Voter Registration, or Same Day Voter Registration, changes the game. Voters can now register and vote on the same day.
Same Day Voter Registration allows a voter to register after the deadline. In Santa Cruz County, voters may go to the Santa Cruz County Elections Office, located at 701 Ocean Street, Room 310 or the Watsonville City Clerk’s Office, located at 275 Main Street, 4th Floor every day between now and Election Day.
Voters will be able to register to vote, vote, sign and return their ballot on site. A third center will open from Saturday, November 3 to Tuesday, November 6, at the UCSC Bay Tree Conference Center.
Voters may also register to vote online during this time frame, but they will have to visit the County Elections office or other designated location to vote. All votes will be counted after the elections official verifies the voter registration and confirms the voter has not yet voted elsewhere in the current election.
The law was first implemented in June for a statewide election. While voters who register late will not be able to vote at their traditional polling place, they will not lose their opportunity to cast their ballot.
