NPP 1 Cathy Darling Allen Shasta County Clerk Registrar of Voters Dear Voter, Welcome to the official information guide for the Presidential Primary Election to be held March 3rd, 2020. This election is different from all the other elections in a regular four year cycle of elections. In every other election in the cycle in California, all voters get the same ballot, and can choose from lists of the same candidates. In this election (for President only), registered party members (you, the voters) are electing the person they want to be on the November General Election ballot. Because this is an election conducted for the parties, the parties make the rules. Our office has prepared this guide, and others like it, to help all our voters make educated choices. We are required by law to send it to you. This guide has information about this election and any paid candidate statements filed in our county. Polling places have changed from those used in 2018 and 2019. Please check the back cover to make sure you are going to the right place on Election Day. If you vote by mail, you will notice that the return postage is paid on your vote by mail ballot envelope. Postage is expensive. Please help us save local tax dollars by using an official ballot drop box. A list of drop box locations is in this guide. We hope the information in this booklet will help you make an informed decision. If you were expecting information about different candidates than the ones you see in this guide, please call us, or see the information on page 7 about getting another ballot, or even changing your party registration (if that’s necessary). The law has changed, and so every voter should be able to cast a ballot for the presidential candidate they want to – even if you decide at the last minute. If you or a family member have a change in your voter registration information, they can still vote. This is true even if they have forgotten to register at all. Any eligible citizen can register and vote up to and including Election Day – even if they’ve missed the deadline. This is a new law in California. Please feel free to contact us at the number below for more information. Please call us at (530) 225-5730 if you have questions. You can check the website for information at ShastaVotes.org. There are lots of ways to participate in the community we live in. We think voting is one of the most important. Thank you. Cathy Darling Allen What’s in This Guide? Information on Voting Voter Bill of Rights 3 Census 2020: What You Need to Know 4 3 Ways to Vote 5 How Voting Works in a Primary Election 6 Get the Ballot You Want 7 Voting at the Polls 8 Voting Early or Voting by Mail 9 Drop Box Locations 10 Accessible Voting 12 Language Assistance 13 Information About the Ballot Political Party Endorsements 14 About the Candidate 14 Paid Candidate Statements 16 Measure A 22 Sample Ballot 28 Poll Worker Application 39 Vote by Mail Application Back Cover 2 · Presidential Primary Election · March 3, 2020 Voter Bill of Rights You have the following rights: 1. The right to vote if you are a registered voter. You are eligible to vote if you are: • a U.S. citizen living in California • at least 18 years old • registered where you currently live • not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony • not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court 2. The right to vote if you are a registered voter even if your name is not on the list. You will vote using a provisional ballot. Your vote will be counted if election officials determine that you are eligible to vote. 3. The right to vote if you are still in line when the polls close. 4. The right to cast a secret ballot without anyone bothering you or telling you how to vote. 5. The right to get a new ballot if you have made a mistake, if you have not already cast your ballot. You can: Ask an elections official at a polling place for a new ballot, Exchange your vote by mail ballot for a new one at an elections office or at your polling place, or Vote using a provisional ballot. 6. The right to get help casting your ballot from anyone you choose, except from your employer or union representative. 7. The right to drop off your completed vote by mail ballot at any polling place in California. 8. The right to get election materials in a language other than English if enough people in your voting precinct speak that language. 9. The right to ask questions to elections officials about election procedures and watch the election process. If the person you ask cannot answer your questions, they must send you to the right person for an answer. If you are disruptive, they can stop answering you. 10. The right to report any illegal or fraudulent election activity to an elections official or to the Secretary of State’s office. If you believe you have been denied any of these rights, call the Secretary of State’s confidential toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683). On the web at www.sos.ca.gov By phone at (800) 345-VOTE (8683) By email at [email protected] Presidential Primary Election · March 3, 2020 · 3 Census 2020: What You Need to Know The 2020 Census is closer than you think! Here’s a quick review of what it is and why it’s important that everyone is counted. What is it? The census is a process of counting every person living in the Unites States. The first census took place in 1790. The U.S. Constitution mandates that everyone in the country be counted every 10 years. What is it used for? Representation: Every 10 years, the results of the census are used to determine how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives. This determines how many electoral college votes each state gets as well. Money: The results of the census also help with deciding the distribution of more than $800 billion in federal funds and grants to be spent locally on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs. Boundaries: After every census, state officials redraw the boundaries of the congressional and state legislative districts in their states to account for change in population. Your privacy Your privacy is protected. It’s against the law for the Census Bureau to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or your household. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share your answers with any other local, state or federal government agency. How you can get involved Get counted! It will be easier than ever. You will be able to respond to the census online, by paper questionnaire, by telephone or in person. Find out more at: www.ShastaCensus2020.com 4 · Presidential Primary Election · March 3, 2020 3 Ways to Vote Vote by mail Request a vote by mail ballot by February 25. Most voters already have a vote by mail ballot on the way to them. Check the back cover of this guide to see if you are already getting a ballot mailed to you. You can request a vote by mail ballot by using the application on the back cover of this guide, online, over the phone, or by visiting our office. Return it to any drop box location, at any polling place on Election Day, or return it by mail. Your ballots must be postmarked or delivered to a polling place by March 3. Vote early in person You may vote early at the elections office Monday – Friday, 8 am to 5 pm starting February 3 – March 2 Saturday, February 29 from 9am to 3pm, and Election Day, March 3 from 7am to 8pm. Location Shasta County Elections 1643 Market Street, Redding Vote at the polls in person Polls are open on Election Day March 3, from 7am to 8pm. If you normally vote at a polling place, the location of your polling place is printed on the back cover of this guide. Or, you can look up your polling place: • On the web: ShastaVotes.org • Call the Elections Office at 530-225-5730. Presidential Primary Election · March 3, 2020 · 5 How Voting Works in a Primary Election In a primary election voters choose the candidates who will appear on the ballot in the General Election, November 3, 2020. There are three different categories of offices that are voted on in this election. You will see them on your ballot as Party Nominated Offices, Voter Nominated Offices, and Nonpartisan Offices. Each of these offices has their own rules. Below is a list of the offices, the contests included, their rules and what results would mean. Party-Nominated Offices Contests Include: • President Rules: Voters must be registered with the candidate’s political party in order to vote for them. The American Independent, Democratic and Libertarian parties allow voters who registered with No Party Preference (Nonpartisan) to vote in their primary without reregistering. Results: The winning candidate for each political party will represent that party in the General Election. Voter-Nominated Offices Contests Include: • United States Representative • State Senate • State Assembly Rules: All voters can vote for any candidate running for these offices. Results: The top two candidates with the most votes will appear on the ballot in the General Election, November 3, 2020.