Santa Cruz County Elections

November 2, 2004
Presidential General Election

YOU MUST USE A STANDARD NO. 2 PENCIL TO MARK YOUR BALLOT OR THE COUNTING MACHINE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO "READ" YOUR VOTE. If you mark your ballot with a ballpoint pen in error, go over your votes with a No. 2 pencil and your ballot will be read. If you spoil your ballot, you must obtain a new one by calling 831-454-2060 or 866-282-5900 or send an e-mail to 2ndballot@votescount.com

1. Using a No. 2 pencil, blacken the rectangle to the right of the candidate of your choice or for measures to the right of the word YES or NO.

2. Be sure to read both sides of each ballot card to determine if there are contests on each side. You do not have to vote on every contest. If you skip a contest, your votes on the other offices and measures will still be counted.

3. CAREFULLY remove stub ends from the voted ballot card(s). The stubs are your voting receipt.

4. Place voted ballot cards in secrecy envelope, then place in the return envelope provided. Seal and sign envelope where provided. YOUR BALLOT CANNOT BE COUNTED WITHOUT YOUR SIGNATURE ON THE ENVELOPE.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT RETURNING YOUR BALLOT

VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOTS ARE MEANT TO BE RETURNED BY MAIL. The deadline for receipt of your ballot is on or before 8:00 p.m. Election Day. Ballots received after 8:00 p.m. cannot be counted. A ballot not returned by mail must be returned as follows:

IN PERSON, RETURNING YOUR OWN BALLOT - Not your spouse's or anyone else's ballot.

Return by Election Day to the Elections Department at 701 Ocean St., Room 210, during regular business hours, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or use the WHITE Absentee Mail Box in front of county building, or return to the Office of the City Clerk in Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley or Watsonville;

On Election Day return to the Elections Department, Watsonville City Hall or any polling place in Santa Cruz County between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Same return time as above, except that the authorization portion at the top of the return envelope must include the printed name and signature of the person returning the ballot. The voter must still complete the Declaration section to the left of the voter’s address label. It must be returned by a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister or any person who resides in the same household. If you are not ill or disabled, you must return your own ballot by mail or in person and you cannot authorize anyone else to return it for you.

YOUR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT RETURN ENVELOPE MUST HAVE YOUR SIGNATURE ON IT. A vote-by-mail ballot return envelope returned without your signature cannot be counted pursuant to state law.Your signature on the return envelope must look similar to the original signature on your voter registration card. There is also a place on the envelope for you to print your name in case you printed your signature on the original registration card.

If you are unable to sign your signature on your return vote-by-mail envelope, you must make an "X" and have it witnessed by ONE other person. A person with power of attorney cannot sign for you. Power of attorney is not valid for voting purposes. If there is no "X" with ONE witness, your ballot cannot be counted