San Rafael, CA – Staff from the Marin County Elections Department is adjusting its preparation for the November General Election following Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order to require vote-by-mail ballots be mailed to every registered voter statewide to preserve public health in the face of the threat of COVID-19.
On May 8, the Governor required that county elections officials send out vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters and make sure they have access to in-person voting opportunities.
Marin County Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts said there are 167,000 registered voters in Marin now and typically 70% or more vote by mail already. The rate was 70% for the last Presidential Election in 2016. The figure for the March 2020 Presidential Primary was 72.7%, matching the number from the November 2018 Mid-Term Election and just above the state average of 72.08%.
Roberts said the Secretary of State’s office – which oversees elections – will work with the Governor’s office, the Legislature, and other county elections officials to provide guidance for an accessible and safe election. Counties should know by the end of May about minimum requirements for in-person voting opportunities.
Follow the Elections Department on Facebook.