Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters

Registrar of Voters

County Of Sonoma › Administrative Support & Fiscal Services › Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters › Registrar of Voters › Vote by Mail

Vote by Mail

Page Contents

Overview

Every active, registered voter in California will be mailed an official ballot prior to each election (pursuant to California Assembly Bill No. 37, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 27, 2021).
Vote-by-mail ballots will begin to go out 29 days before each election.
Voters also have the option to vote in person at Vote Centers beginning 10 days before Election Day in major elections. View the list of Vote Centers for the latest/current/upcoming election.

Top

Where's My Ballot? Ballot Tracking

Tracking your Vote-by-Mail ballot—when it is mailed, received, and counted—has never been easier. Sonoma County voters can now track and receive notiﬁcations on the status of their Vote-by-Mail ballot. Powered by BallotTrax, Where’s My Ballot? lets voters know where their ballot is, and its status, every step of the way.

Sign-up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to receive automatic email, SMS (text), or voice call notiﬁcations about your ballot.

Voters who sign up for “Where’s My Ballot?” will receive automatic updates when:

The county elections office mails the voter’s ballot
The county has received the voter’s ballot
The county has counted the voter’s ballot
If there are any issues with the voter’s ballot

Voters who sign up for “Where’s My Ballot?” will also receive communications from their county elections office about important election deadlines and critical updates such as polling place changes.

Top

Voting and Returning Your Vote-by-Mail Ballot

Voting Your Vote-by-Mail Ballot

It is important to know how to properly mark your ballot. Carefully read your ballot, as it will tell you how many votes you may cast for each contest. Ballot reading machines “see” the marks you make and record your votes
Use a blue or black pen only – no other colored ink or pencils!
Marking more voting spaces than allowed is called an “overvote,” and none of your votes for that contest will be counted. Conversely, if you mark fewer voting spaces than allowed, it is an “undervote”. However all votes for that contest will be counted
You are not required to vote on every contest on your ballot
Do not sign or initial the ballot(s), make any stray marks, or attempt to erase/change a vote. If you make a mistake, contact the Registrar of Voters Office for Instructions
Insert the voted ballot(s) into the blue Vote-by-Mail envelope
Sign and date the Oath under the security flap on the envelope
All signatures on Vote-by-Mail ballots are verified; your ballot will not be counted if you do not sign the Oath

Returning Your Vote-by-Mail Ballot

Vote-by-Mail ballots may be returned:

To the Registrar of Voters Office by mail
- Important: Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked before or on Election Day and delivered to the Registrar of Voters office via USPS or a bona fide private mail delivery company no later than 7 days after Election Day.
In person to the Registrar of Voters office, or any in-person voting location in Sonoma County on Election Day no later than 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time
To one of our 24-hour Official Ballot Drop Boxes up to 8 p.m. Pacific Time on Election Day. View the list of Official Ballot Drop Boxes for the latest/current/upcoming election.

Note: All ballots must be returned in the blue Vote-by-Mail envelope that has been signed and dated by the voter. By law, the signature on the envelope must be verified against the signature on the voter’s registration card. You may sign your name in pen or pencil.

If you are unable to personally return your Vote-by-Mail ballot, you may authorize any person to return your blue Vote-by-Mail envelope.

Below is a video that summarizes the various ways you can return your Vote-by-Mail ballot.

Top

Requesting a Replacement Vote-by-Mail Ballot

Did your Vote-by-Mail ballot never arrive? Did you lose it? Did your pet eat it?

No problem! You can get a replacement. Starting 29 days before an election, you can do one of the following:

Come to our office or go to a Vote Center on or before Election Day (to view Vote Center locations and dates/times they are open, check your County Voter Information Guide, go to the appropriate Elections page, or call/email our office)
Print, fill out, and sign a California Replacement Vote-by-Mail Ballot Form (for Spanish version, click here), and return it to us via one of the three methods below

IMPORTANT! Our office must receive the California Replacement Vote-by-Mail Ballot application seven or more days before the date of the election. If our office receives it six or fewer days before the election, no replacement ballot will be mailed, even if the application was mailed and postmarked seven or more days before the election.
- Mail it to PO Box 11485, Santa Rosa, CA 95406
- Scan it or take a picture of it and email it to rov-absentee@sonoma-county.org
- Fax it to (707) 565-6843

Have an emergency? Too busy to pick up a replacement?

Also no problem! You can request that somebody else pick up a replacement Vote-by-Mail ballot for you. This procedure is available starting 29 days before an election through Election Day itself, and is most commonly used when a voter:

never received their original Vote-by-Mail ballot
lost or threw out their original Vote-by-Mail ballot (intentionally or accidentally)
spoiled or damaged their original Vote-by-Mail ballot
has unexpectedly fallen ill or been hospitalized and doesn't have access to their original Vote-by-Mail ballot

Such requests can only be made in person at the Registrar of Voters Office (not Vote Centers) by an individual you have designated to be your representative. Your representative must bring along an Application to Provide Vote-by-Mail Ballot to Representative (for Spanish version, click here) that has been printed, filled out, and signed by you the voter.

For further information, call our office at (707) 565-6800 or email us at rov-absentee@sonoma-county.org.

No way to print out a form?

Once again, no problem! Just let us know and we can mail you one. Or, you can handwrite a note that includes the same verbiage on the applicable form.

Top

Vote-by-Mail Ballot Signature Issues

Signature Missing

If you did not sign your Vote-by-Mail ballot envelope, we cannot count your ballot. You should receive an Unsigned Ballot Statement (Spanish) in the mail. Please complete the statement and return it in the postage-paid return envelope provided. Be sure to read the instructions carefully. Failure to follow the instructions may cause your ballot to not be counted. Alternatively, you can go to the Registrar of Voters Office and sign your ballot envelope.

If you did not receive or have lost your Unsigned Ballot Statement (Spanish), you can print it online.

Signature Mismatch

If the signature on your Vote-by-Mail envelope does not match the signature in your voter file, we cannot count your ballot. You should receive a Signature Verification Statement (Spanish) in the mail. Please complete the statement and return it in the postage-paid return envelope provided. Failure to follow the instructions may cause your ballot to not be counted. If you want to know why we determined your signatures didn't match, you can come into the Registrar of Voters Office and view them.

If you did not receive or have lost your Signature Verification Statement (Spanish), you can print it online.

Top

In-Person Voting Options

Vote-by-Mail voters may vote in person at the Registrar of Voters Office starting 29 days before Election Day, or at a Vote Center during the early voting period or on Election Day.

To find a Vote Center near you, take a look at our list and/or map of Vote Centers for the latest/current/upcoming election.

Top

Military and Overseas Voters

Please visit our Uniformed and Overseas Citizens page for voting information for:

American citizens who are in the military (and/or eligible spouses/dependents)
American citizens residing abroad (either temporarily or indefinitely)

Top