​Santa Cruz County Evacuees Must Change Address To Vote By Mail

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Santa Cruz County residents who evacuated because of wildfires will have to submit a change of address form in order to vote by mail in the Nov. 3 presidential general election.

In a news release, the county warned ballots cannot be forwarded to a new address, even if a forwarding order has been enacted through the postal service.

Instead, residents will need to go online or in person to submit a change of address form.

Forms can be submitted at www.votescount.us, at the Recovery Resource Center in Santa Cruz or at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Fire Emergency Evacuation Shelter in Watsonville.

The county said residents can also opt to vote in person. Polling locations will open on Oct. 5 at the Santa Cruz County Elections Department and Watsonville City Clerk.

Another 16 polling places around the county will be open from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, the county said. Locations will be posted on the county's elections department website.

In the upcoming election, residents will also have the option to vote by email — in a sense.

Santa Cruz County now offers a program wherein residents receive an access code by email that they can use to print a ballot from an online system. Once the ballot is completed, it must be returned by mail, in a ballot drop box or to a polling location. Requests to vote by mail must be submitted at www.votescount.us or by calling 831-454-2060.

Email voters who return ballots by mail or in a drop box are required to print and sign their names on the outside of the envelope and include their personal address.

Ballot drop boxes will be available in several locations starting on Oct. 6. Locations of drop boxes can be found online, inside the voter information guide and inside the ballot insert mailed to voters.

Ballots can also be returned to the County Elections Office, City Clerks’ Offices, Simpkins Swim Center or any voting location.

Lastly, voters can visit a mobile voting trailer. Locations, dates and times of mobile voting options will be posted on www.votescount.us on Oct. 12.

Ballots submitted by mail must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received by elections officials no later than Nov. 20.

Questions about change of address forms or mobile voting should be directed to info@votescount.us or to County Clerk Pellerin at 831-454-2419.