More than 23,000 vote-by-mail ballots for the June 22, 2010 Special Primary Election to fill the 15th State Senate District seat will be mailed Tuesday, June 1, to the 57,000 eligible voters in Santa Cruz County.

Voters who have not signed up to vote by mail in the June 22 Special Primary Election will be mailed a Sample Ballot booklet that includes a vote-by-mail ballot application on the back cover.

Due to the fact that the Special Vacancy election is being held just two weeks after the June 8 Statewide, Santa Cruz County election officials are encouraging voters to vote-by-mail.

“Voting by mail is convenient and turnout is higher among vote-by-mail voters,” Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin said. “We are also very concerned that voters may be confused that there are two elections overlapping in June. Therefore, the vote-by-mail envelopes for the June 22 ballot will be yellow instead of the usual blue or green envelopes the county typically uses.”

There will be seven polling locations serving 23 voting precincts in the 15th State Senate District where voters will be assigned to vote on Election Day should they desire to go to the polls.

Voters who want to vote-by-mail on June 22 may complete the application on the back cover of their Sample Ballot booklet or apply online at www.votescount.com or submit a written request by FAX to 831-454-2445 or by mail to 701 Ocean St., Room 210, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 for a ballot to be mailed to them as long as they provide their name, address where they live in Santa Cruz County, mailing address and signature.

Election officials encourage any person who is not registered to vote in the June 22 Special Primary Election, to do so by the deadline of Monday, June 7.

Voters may also apply for and obtain a ballot in person beginning Tuesday, June 1, at the Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections Department located at 701 Ocean St., Room 210, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. In addition, the Watsonville City Clerk's Office, located at 275 Main St., 4th Floor, in Watsonville, will issue ballots to voters or accept voted ballots during their regular office hours beginning Tuesday, June 1.

Vote-by-Mail ballots sent to voters may be returned by the voter by mail or dropped off at any of the seven polling places in Santa Cruz County on June 22. Voters may also drop off ballots during regular business hours at the county Elections Department in Santa Cruz, or the City Clerks' offices in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley or Watsonville during regular business hours. An elections official must receive the vote-by-mail ballot no later than 8 p.m. on June 22, 2010 postmark is not acceptable. There is a white mailbox in front of the County Government Center where voters may drive up and deposit their vote-by-mail ballot and in South County there is a drop box behind City Hall on Union Street.

A vote-by-mail voter, however, who, because of illness or other physical disability, is unable to return the ballot, may designate his or her spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister or person residing in the same household to return the ballot to the County Clerk/Elections Department, City Clerk's Office, or to any of the seven polling places on June 22. The authorization for another person to return the vote-by-mail ballot is located on the back of the ballot return envelope.

It is extremely important for voters to sign their vote-by-mail ballot return envelope, in addition to completing all of the other information requested, including the address where the voter lives in Santa Cruz County.

Unfortunately, if there is no signature on the vote-by-mail ballot return envelope or if the signature on the envelope does not match the voter’s signature on his or her voter’s registration card, election officials cannot count the ballot.