More than 52,500 of Santa Cruz County’s 142,415 registered voters have requested to vote by mail as the October 31 deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot nears. Voters may apply for a vote-by-mail ballot by mail to 701 Ocean Street, Room 210, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, FAX to 831-454-2445, online at www.votescount.com, or in person at the Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections Department between through October 31 for a ballot to be mailed to them.

Vote-by-Mail Ballot applications may be found on the back cover of the county Sample Ballot booklet, online at www.votescount.com, and at the City Clerk’s Office in Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville. Voters may also write a note including the voter’s residence address in Santa Cruz General Election.

Voters who want to obtain a ballot in person, may go to either the Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections Department, 701 Ocean St., Room 210, in Santa Cruz, or the Watsonville City Clerks’ Office at 215 Union Street, 2nd Floor, in Watsonville during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ballots must be received by an elections official no later than 8 p.m. on November 7, 2006, postmark is not acceptable. To date, just over 11,000 voted ballots have been returned. Due to the size and weight of the ballot, postage for returning the ballot by mail is 63 cents. While the County Clerk/Elections Department does have an account at the Main Post Office to cover any insufficient postage on election mail, it cannot be guaranteed.

As an alternative to returning a ballot by mail, voters may return their ballot to any of the 170 voting precincts in Santa Cruz County on Election Day. Voters may also drop off ballots during regular business hours at the County Clerk/Elections Department in Santa Cruz, or the City Clerks' offices in Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley or Watsonville during regular business hours.

In addition, there is a white mailbox-style ballot receptacle in front of the County Government Center where voters may drive up and deposit their vote-by-mail ballot as well as a drive-up absentee drop box in Watsonville on Union Street by the police station.

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 Elections Department, City Clerk's office, or to any polling place on election day. 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 application for a vote-by-mail ballot and the 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.

After October 31, voters may still obtain an absentee ballot at the Santa Cruz County Elections Department and Watsonville City Clerk’s Office under the late absentee provisions. Voters who want to get a ballot during the final week prior to Election Day, need to be unable to go to the polls due to illness, disability or absence from their precinct on Election Day. A separate application available at the Santa Cruz and Watsonville voting centers must be completed.

If voters are unable to come in and obtain a ballot personally during the six days before and including Election Day, they may provide a written statement allowing an authorized representative of the voter to obtain the ballot on the voter’s behalf.

If any voter requires assistance in voting or needs a ballot delivered to them, please contact the Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections Department and arrangements can be made.