More California voters claim ‘no party preference.’ Here’s how they can still vote in the primary

No Party Preference voters, also known as NPP, outnumber Republicans in California.

In primary elections, affiliation matters. And NPP voters must take an extra step to ensure their ballots for the March 3 primary include presidential candidates.

They have multiple opportunities to do so. Even if they receive a vote-by-mail ballot without presidential candidates, they don’t have to vote that ballot. They can request a different one until election day.

More than a quarter of voters throughout the state are NPP, and the same is true in Sacramento County. That means risk for significant confusion over how to vote in the primary.

Here’s how NPP voters can determine what they need to do, according to the California Secretary of State:

• What’s your voter registration status? Visit sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status and locate your county for instructions on how to check. You can also look it up at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/. If you are registered NPP, these instructions are for you, though much of this information applies to all voters.
  
  
• Did you receive a postcard in the mail? You may have received a postcard asking if you would like to receive a ballot in the mail for the Democratic, Libertarian or American Independent presidential primaries. This postcard probably included a deadline to mail it back. If you miss that deadline, you still have time to call, email, fax, or send a letter to your county elections office requesting your preferred mail-in ballot. Your elections office needs to receive the communication by Feb. 25. After that, you must visit the county elections office or a voting center in person to request your preferred ballot.
• What presidential primary do you want to vote in? As an NPP voter, you can request a Democratic, Libertarian or American Independent ballot. To vote for the Democratic nominee, you must request a Democratic ballot. The Republican, Green and Peace & Freedom parties require you to register as a member of their party to vote in their presidential primaries. While President Donald Trump is running for reelection, there are some candidates challenging him for the Republican nomination.

Your options before election day.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before election day if submitted by mail. Some counties have special drop-boxes for ballots. You may also turn the ballot in to elections officials, in person, at an early voting center. All county elections offices open as early voting centers 29 days before the election. Some counties have additional early voting centers opening at various points until election day. You may also vote in-person at these centers, which can supply you with the ballot of your choosing. To vote in a primary that does not accept NPP voters, you may change your registration to your party of choice when you vote.

Your options on election day.

Election day options are essentially the same as before election day, except more voting centers will be open. Under a new law, California even allows you to register to vote and place your vote at the same time, at any local voting center, on election day. If you live in one of the 15 counties that have implemented the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA), you may vote at any open voting center regardless of location. These locations may be different than in previous years, and your neighborhood voting center may no longer exist. Sacramento, Butte, Amador, El Dorado, Nevada and Calaveras Counties have all implemented VCA.

Once you vote, that’s it. You can only vote once. That means that if you file a ballot, then decide you want to vote in a different party’s primary, you’re out of luck. You can’t take your ballot back.

Your county elections office can answer your questions. If you have questions about voting after reading this editorial, contact your county elections office. Find their contact information here: sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/. Sacramento County’s Registrar of Voters can be reached by phone at (916) 875-6451.

The expansion of same-day registration and further rollout of the Voter’s Choice Act also means voting in the 2020 presidential primary will be easier than it was in 2016. California makes voting exceptionally easy to do.

This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 5:00 AM with the headline "More California voters claim ‘no party preference.’ Here’s how they can still vote in the primary."