Today is the Last Day to Register to Vote

Today, Oct. 19, is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election.

To be eligible to vote, a person must have registered 15 days before Election Day.

However, anyone can vote on Election Day if they are a U.S. citizen and a California resident, are 18 years old or older, are not in state or federal prison or on parole for a conviction on a felony, and have not been found by a court to be mentally incompetent to vote.

Locally, in the mayor’s race incumbent Terry Tornek is squaring off against Councilmember Victor Gordo.

At the local education level, three Pasadena Board of Education seats will also be decided in a plurality election.

Important measures that could have significant fiscal impacts on the area are up to a vote as well.

Measure P would allow voters to decide whether to maintain the longstanding utility transfer to the general fund, totaling $18 million. The elimination of these funds would impact 911 first-responders, health programs for the community, senior services, homeless services, housing programs, and street repair.
Measure P does not increase fees or create a new tax.

The Pasadena Unified School District has placed Measure O, a $500 million facilities bond measure, on the ballot. If passed, the bond would result in a property tax increase across the school district, which includes Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre.

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office instructs residents to register in one of the following ways: Mail a completed voter registration form, which can be obtained by picking up a form at most government buildings; in person at one of the county registrar recorder (RR) and county clerk (CC) offices, or most government buildings; call (800) 481-VOTE, 800-815-2666, Option 2.

Officials have said a number of citizens who thought they had registered to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) may not be registered.

Although people checked the box on the DMV form indicating they wanted to register to vote, many did not complete the attached voter registration form, which must be completed and signed in order to be valid.

People who were previously registered in Los Angeles County and have not re-registered since moving back can vote at the polling place for their new address. They will be asked to vote by provisional ballot and provide their new address and previous address on the provisional ballot envelope.

All registered voters in California have been issued mail-in ballots, which will be counted if postmarked by Nov. 3.
Registered voters in Los Angeles County will be able to cast their ballots in person starting Oct. 24 at any of the county’s more than 760 vote centers.

Social distancing will be in place and masks must be worn while at the voting centers, although individuals wishing to vote and unwilling to wear a mask will be allowed to vote curbside, according to the RR/CC.

Additionally, voters can fill out sample ballots online and receive a QR code that can be scanned at the polls to speed up the process.

More information on the election, including the ability to check voter registration status and voting locations, is available at lavote.net.