County to begin mailing voter information guides, ballots to voters in March special election

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Voter information guides and official ballots for the March 7 special election will begin going out in the mail on Monday, Feb. 6, the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters announced today. Please note that this election applies to fewer than 3,000 voters residing in the Schell-Vista Fire Protection District and the Timber Cove Fire Protection District.

Also beginning on Monday, any voter who cannot or prefers not to wait to receive their guide and ballot in the mail may pick them up at the Registrar of Voters Office. A voter may also authorize somebody else to pick up their vote-by-mail ballot on their behalf with a signed note.

Due to the small size of this election, county voter information guides will be included in the same mailing as the official ballots, not mailed separately. Voters in these two districts who have not received their guide and ballot by Feb. 15 should contact the Registrar of Voters Office to ensure their current mailing address is on file and, if necessary, be sent a replacement.

County voter information guides can also be viewed online by going to the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters homepage and clicking on the County Voter Information Guide link under the “March 7, 2023, Special Election” heading. Information on all candidates and measures (not just those that will appear on a voter’s own particular ballot) is also available at the March 7 Special election page.

Voters may return their mail-in ballot in two main ways:

• Send it back in the mail. No postage is needed, but the ballot must be postmarked no later than March 7 (Election Day) and received at the Registrar of Voters Office no later than March 14.
• Drop it off at one of four official ballot drop boxes throughout the county. See below for locations and days/times they will be open (listed in alphabetical order by city/place name):

Timber Cove Fire Department Drop Box
30800 Seaview Road, Cazadero
Feb. 7 to March 6, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
March 7, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office Drop Box
435 Fiscal Drive, Santa Rosa
Feb. 7 to March 6, 24/7
March 7 until 8 p.m.

Schell-Vista Fire Station Drop Box
22950 Broadway Ave., Sonoma
Feb. 7 to March 6, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
March 7, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sonoma Valley Regional Library Drop Box
755 W. Napa St., Sonoma
Feb. 7 to March 6, 24/7
March 7 until 8 p.m.

Voters who do not want to vote by mail will be able to vote in person at one of three vote centers on March 7 (Election Day) only. See below for locations and times they will be open (listed in alphabetical order by city/place name):

Timber Cove Fire Department Vote Center
30800 Seaview Road, Cazadero
March 7, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office Vote Center
435 Fiscal Drive, Santa Rosa
March 7, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Schell-Vista Fire Station Vote Center
22950 Broadway Ave., Sonoma
March 7, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming March 7 special election is Tuesday, Feb. 21. To be eligible to vote, one must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on or before Election Day, a resident of either the Schell-Vista Fire Protection District or the Timber Cove Fire Protection District, and not in prison for the conviction of a felony. Voters who have recently moved or changed their name should re-register.

Eligible voters may register online at registertovote.ca.gov. In addition, postage-paid paper forms are available at many public and government offices including city halls, post offices and the Registrar of Voters Office. Residents who miss the registration deadline still have the option to conditionally register and vote in person at the Registrar of Voters Office or at any vote center.

For further information about when, where, and how to vote (including an interactive map), visit the Where to Vote or Drop Off Your Ballot for the March 7, 2023, Special Election page. Or, visit the Registrar of Voters Office in person at 435 Fiscal Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, call (707) 565-6800, or email rov-info@sonoma-county.org.

The Registrar of Voters Office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (excluding County of Sonoma holidays such as Lincoln’s Birthday on Feb. 13 and Presidents Day on Feb. 20). On Election Day, March 7, the office will have extended hours from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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Contact Information: 
Wendy Hudson
Chief Deputy Registrar of Voters 
Wendy.Hudson@sonoma-county.org 
(707) 565-6800