Desert Stonewall Democrats have announced its slate of endorsements for the Nov. 3  election. Eighty percent of eligible members in attendance at the Aug. 25 meeting voted to endorse this slate of candidates.

36th Congressional District

Raul Ruiz, M.D. (Incumbent)

56th California State Assembly District

Eduardo Garcia (Incumbent)

Coachella City Council
Steve Hernandez (Mayor; Incumbent)
Neftali Galarza (City Council)
Denise Delgado (City Council)

Indio City Council
Erin Teran (District 1)

Palm Desert City Council
Karina Quintanilla (District 1)
Steve Moyer (District 2)

Cathedral City Council
Alan Carvalho (District 1)
Nancy Ross (District 2)

Desert Hot Springs City Council (2 seats)
Roger Nunez (City Council)

Coachella Valley USD
Trinidad Arredondo (District 1)
Jocelyn Vargas (District 4)

College of the Desert Board of Trustees
Bea Gonzalez (District 2)

Desert Water Agency
Paul Ortega (District 4)
Ray Amico (District 5)

Riverside County Voter Information for Nov. 3

The upcoming election will be different from those of prior years due to the Coronavirus. In California, all eligible registered voters will be sent a vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot (formerly known as an Absentee Ballot) for the Nov. 3, 2020 General Election – there’ s no need to apply for one.

Ballots will be mailed to voters beginning October 5 so it is important that you verify now that you are registered to vote.

 

Vote using the VBM Ballot

Voters unaccustomed to the VBM ballot can make mistakes that cause their ballot not to be counted.  After you have completed your ballot, seal it in the return envelope and sign and date the envelope, writing your address where indicated. Signature mismatch is a frequent cause of ballots being rejected therefore your signature should be the same as you used on your registration form (or Drivers’ License if you registered on-line). You can then: 1) mail it using the prepaid envelope, 2} take the envelope to an official drop box, or 3} return it in person at a “Voter Assistance Center.”  If you are returning your ballot by mail, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Riverside county elections office no later than 17 days after Election Day.

If you are returning your ballot in person or in a drop box, it must be delivered no later than the close of the polls at 8:00 PM on November 3rd. Anyone may return your ballot for you, as long as they do not get paid to do so. You can track your submitted ballot by registering here.

Vote in Person

Voter Assistance Centers (VAC) will be open from October 31 through November 3.  The VAC recommended for you will be identified on your Sample Ballot. However, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters recommends that voters only use the in-person Centers if absolutely necessary, wear face coverings, and maintain social distancing while at the VAC. Even though you receive a vote-by-mail ballot you can still vote in person:  Bring your unused VBM ballot to your recommended VAC no later than 8:00 pm on Election Day and hand it to a VAC official who will exchange it for a new ballot you can use to vote in person.

If you do not bring your VBM ballot with you or did not receive one, you can still vote  An official at the VAC will provide you with a provisional ballot, which will be counted after county elections officials have confirmed you are registered to vote in Riverside county and did not already vote in that election. If you are not registered to vote you have the opportunity to do that at the VAC and then complete a provisional ballot.

Desert Stonewall Democrats’ website and Facebook page will provide a link to the locations of official ballot drop boxes and VACs in the valley once they become available on Sept. 24.

Image Sources

  • Endorsement: Shutterstock