Last Day to Register to Vote in Primary is Tuesday

The last day to sign up to vote in the March 2, 2004 Presidential Primary is Tuesday, February 17.

To be eligible to register and vote, a person must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on or before March 2, and not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction.

Election officials urge voters to be aware of their political party affiliation or nonaffilliation, since it will determine which ballot the voter will receive.

If voters want to change their political party affiliation for the Primary, or if they do not remember voting within the last five years, have moved since last voting, or have changed their name they must complete a new voter ’s registration card and mail it no later than February 17.

Persons interested in re-registering or registering for the first time in Santa Cruz County may obtain voter registration cards at the County Elections Department located at 701 Ocean St., Room 210; City Clerk’s Offices in Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville; local libraries; post offices; the Department of Motor Vehicles; social service agencies; military recruitment offices; and several local businesses during regular office hours.

In March, all voters will receive one ballot card containing all the nonpartisan contests, such as county supervisor, any local measure and the four state propositions. However, voters who are registered with one of the seven qualified political parties will also receive a second ballot card containing the names of only those candidates running for that party’s nomination to the partisan offices. The top vote-getter for each party will appear on the November General Election ballot.

Therefore, in March, voters registered with the Democratic Party will receive, in addition to the nonpartisan ballot card, a partisan ballot containing only the names of Democratic candidates. Voters registered with the Republican Party will receive a partisan ballot containing only the names of Republican candidates. And, the same holds true for the other parties.

The exception to this rule is for the nonpartisan or unaffiliated voter. Voters who register to vote as “Decline to State,” “Nonpartisan,” “Independent,” or with a political party that is not qualified, are eligible to select a party’s ballot if that party has adopted rules allowing for the cross-over voter.

Three of California’s seven qualified political parties are offering nonpartisan/unaffiliated voters the opportunity to vote their party’s ballot for the March 2, 2004 Primary Election. The three parties are:

• American Independent Party (all American Independent Party Candidates)

• Democratic Party (all Democratic Party candidates except County Central Committees)

• Republican Party (all Republican Party candidates except President of the United States and the County Central Committees)

Nonpartisan voters who do not select a party’s ballot will receive the one nonpartisan ballot card only.

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For more information, please call the Santa Cruz County Elections Department at 831-454-2060, visit our office at 701 Ocean St., Room 210 in Santa Cruz, or check out our website at www.votescount.com.