To be “Vote Ready” means you have a current voter registration. If you have moved recently or changed your name recently you should check with your local county election office to verify that your registration is valid and bring it up to date if it is not. You can check your registration status with the Contra Costa County Elections office here.

To be “Vote Ready” means you know where your polling place is, or, if you Vote-by-mail, where your local Secure Ballot Drop Box location is if you will be returning your ballot close to November 3. You can find your voter precinct number at the Contra Costa County Elections office here. Your precinct number and the location of your polling place is also on the Voter Information packet mailed to each voter

To be “Vote Ready” means you know what issues are on the ballot, understand candidate positions, and have decided how you will vote for each item on your ballot. You can find which Federal, State, County, Judicial, City, Schools, and Special Districts candidates will be on your ballot at the Contra Cost County Elections office here. Enter your name and birthdate information and then click on the “My Districts” button.

You can find out which propositions will appear on your ballot at various web sites. Two nonpartisan sites are Cal Matters and League of Women Voters:

CalMatters “is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.” https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-november-2020-ballot-propositions-final-list/

League of Women Voters “is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public.” https://www.vote411.org/ and enter your name and address.

Note: On March 4, 2020, CA Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-64-20 which mandated  that all County Election Officials mail Vote-by-Mail ballots to all registered voters in California. The current dates for this action in Contra Costa County are:

• Contra Costa County Election division mailing of Vote-by-Mail ballots to voters: October 5, 2020
• Vote-by-Mail ballots must be postmarked no later than 8:00 pm, November 3, 2020. 

NOTE for Vote-by-Mail voters: As of August 15^th the US Post Master General has sent letters to 46 states and the District of Columbia that the USPS cannot guarantee delivery of Vote-by-Mail ballots, postmarked on or before November 3, by Election Day.

If you, like the majority of CCC voters, intend to vote by mail, mail your completed and signed ballots as soon as you can after receiving them, or consider dropping them off at your nearest polling place, or depositing them in a Secure Ballot Drop Box. Such a box is available 24/7 on the south side (parking lot side) of the El Cerrito City Hall at 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530.

Secure Ballot Drop Boxes
A ballot drop box is a secure drop box where voters can return their voted ballot. Voters can return their ballot to any box. Boxes are serviced by two deputized employees of the County Elections Office. More information about Secure Ballot Drop Boxes is available here. It will tell you where the nearest drop box is.

National Voter Registration Day.