Following a state audit of 1.4 million records transmitted to the Secretary of State’s Office between April 23 and August 5, DMV officials determined that due to a clerical error, some voters’ party affiliations, vote-by-mail options, or language preferences were incorrectly entered into the voter registration database.
In Santa Cruz County, 210 voters may have had their voter preferences incorrectly entered into the voter registration system, and 12 voters have been identified that were erroneously registered to vote in Santa Cruz County. The DMV is sending letters to voters impacted by the errors.
However, the Santa Cruz County Election Office encourages voters who visited the DMV between April 23 and August 5 to confirm their voter registration information. Voter may go to www.voterstatus.sos.ca.gov to verify their voter information online or call 831-454-2060.
“It’s unfortunate this error has occurred,” County Clerk Gail Pellerin said. “But the good news is, in California, there are easy remedies to voter registration problems.”
Voting materials will begin to be mailed to voters in early October. If voters do not receive voter information, they should contact the Elections Office immediately to confirm they are registered to vote or go online to verify.
Corrections to voter records can easily be made from a phone call from the voter. Voters who need to re-register to vote can easily do so online at www.registertovote.ca.gov. California also has Same Day Registration where voters who miss the October 22 deadline to register to vote, may still register and vote after the deadline up to and including Election Day.
Same Day Registration is available at the Elections Department and other designated locations. In Santa Cruz County, Same Day Registration centers include the Santa Cruz County Elections Office, located at 701 Ocean St., Room 310, in Santa Cruz, and the Watsonville City Clerk’s Office, located at 275 Main St., 4th Floor in Watsonville. We also offer a Same Day Registration Center at UCSC’s Bay Tree Conference Center from Saturday, November 3 through Tuesday, November 6.
•••
For more information, please contact the Santa Cruz County Elections Office at 831-454-2060 or email info@votescount.com