Options for Returning Vote-by-Mail Ballots in California
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The Secretary of State's office has created a video to remind voters of their vote-by-mail ballot return options. Voting and returning a ballot in California has never been easier! Starting in 2019, all vote-by-mail ballots in California come with prepaid postage return envelopes.
Once you have completed your ballot, sign and seal the return envelope. Sealed and signed envelopes can be returned by:
- dropping it in the mail;
- dropping it off at any polling place or vote center;
- dropping it off at any county dropbox;
- dropping it off at a county elections office; or
- signing it over to someone you trust to return it.
Whatever method you choose, you can check your ballot’s status by logging into
VoterStatus.sos.ca.gov
or visiting your county elections office's website.
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Secretary Padilla Joins Orange County Registrar and City Officials to Kickoff "Roadshow to Vote Centers 2020"
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Secretary Padilla joined Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley, alongside Orange County City officials, to launch "Roadshow to Vote Centers 2020."
Earlier this year, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt the
Voter’s Choice Act
for the 2020 elections. Under this modern election model, every registered voter will automatically receive their ballot by mail and have options for how to return their ballot: by mail, to any ballot drop box in the county, or at any vote center in the county convenient to them.
Orange County will be transitioning to the
Voter’s Choice Act
for the Presidential Primary on March 3, 2020. In addition to conducting public meetings as required by law, the “Roadshow to Vote Centers 2020” monthly update meetings are designed to raise awareness about changes to the voting and elections process by partnering with government officials, political parties, nonprofit organizations, and community advocates.
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Secretary Padilla Participates in NALEO Educational Fund's Latino State of the Census 2020 Briefing
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Secretary Padilla, a co-chair of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (
NALEO
) Educational Fund's National Latino Census Commission, participated in the Latino State of Census 2020 briefing on May 22, 2019 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.
The National Latino Commission on Census 2020 released a
report
outlining the State of Census 2020 for Latinos and how Congress and the U.S. Census Bureau and the Administration can act to ensure that the Latino population is completely counted.
NALEO Educational Fund established the National Latino Commission on Census 2020 which included 9 prominent commissioners and one guest commissioner from different regions in the United States. Together they compiled information to find the best recommendations for the 2020 census. Five hearing were held across the nation to take testimony from knowledgeable panelists and other experts.
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CA State Archives Releases New Exhibit Featuring the History of the Transcontinental Railroad in California and Digitized Theodore Judah Map of the Sierra Nevada Mountains
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“The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 was a transformative event in California history,” said Secretary of State Alex Padilla. “The completion of the railroad connected California with the rest of the country, helping to propel the Golden State to its status as one of the nation's key economic engines. The State Archives has compiled records, photos, and research that helps tell the story behind this major feat of engineering. This exhibit provides a glimpse into the work of engineers who braved treacherous conditions to map the Sierra, and the often brutal working conditions endured by Chinese laborers who built the trap. These are important stories that should not be forgotten."
This exhibit documents the Golden State history of the overland route’s completion, using original legislative documents, letters, pamphlets, as well as the
Theodore Judah Map
, a 66 foot long map that is considered to be the first complete rail map of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Notable
Coverage:
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Amador County Adopts Voter's Choice Act for 2020 Elections
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Amador County
has become the 12
th
county to adopt the
Voter's Choice Act
. Under this modern election model, every registered voter in the county will automatically receive their ballot by mail and have options for how to return their ballot; by mail, to any ballot drop box in the county, or at any vote center in the county convenient to them.
“In 2020, voters in Amador County will have more options for when, where, and how they can cast their ballots,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “By adopting the Voter’s Choice Act, counties throughout California will be moving to a more voter centric, community driven model of conducting elections. When voters have expanded access to voting, more citizens are empowered to participate in our democracy.”
The 12 counties implementing the Voter’s Choice Act for 2020 are: Amador, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sacramento, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. These counties are home to 49.51 percent of the state’s voters.
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Secretary Padilla Statement on Voting System Funding in Governor's May Budget Revision
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Governor Newsom's
May Budget Revision
includes an added one-time General Fund investment to replace and upgrade the voting system - up to $87.3 million.
Secretary Padilla stated, "New equipment and election funding is an undeniable priority to protect our elections. The federal intelligence community has warned the nation that bad actors like Russia will continue their efforts to undermine our democracy. While President Trump fails to act, California is again leading the way to secure our elections. I thank Governor Newsom for including an additional $87.3 million for counties to replace aging voting systems."
In February, Secretary Padilla began decertifying voting systems that were not upgraded to California's current certification standards.County elections officials will now be required to implement a voting system that meets the state's newest testing and certification standards in time for the March 3, 2020 California Presidential Primary.
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New Online California Trademark Search Tool Launched through bizfile California Portal
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The Business Programs Division of the Secretary of State's office works every day to make doing business in California easier and more accessible. We've created a video highlighting our newest online
biz
file expansion, the
California Trademark Search
.
- Search through about 13,000 trademarks on file.
- Search by:
- Registration ID;
- Description of Mark;
- Registration Date;
- Classification Code;
- Name of Owner; and
- US Patent and Trademark Office Design Codes.
- View filed documents.
- Print PDF copies of Trademark documents for free.
Other tools available through
biz
file California:
Eureka Chatbot
. Our new artificial intelligence search assistant—launched May 2018—helps customers easily navigate business resources on the Secretary of State’s website.
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Business Programs Division Wins Merit Award From the International Association of Commercial Administrators for Eureka Chatbot Innovations
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The Business Programs Division (BPD) was awarded a 2019 Merit Award from t
he International Association of Commercial Administrators (
IACA
) for innovation through the Eureka Chatbot. Each year,
IACA encourages member jurisdictions who believe they have developed innovation through the implementation of a new or improved product or service to share their innovation. A select panel of experts carefully reviewed each submission and assigned a score in the areas of Effectiveness, Originality, Significance and Transferability, and Lessons Learned.
Congratulations to the BPD Team for their hard work and dedication to making it easier to do business in California!
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Secretary Padilla Presents Directing Change Film Awards During Mental Health Awareness Month
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As a part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Secretary Padilla and wife Angela Padilla, founder of FundaMental Change, presented the awards for the Directing Change Program & Film Contest. This contest, presented by the California Mental Health Services Authority (
CalMHSA
) and
Each Mind Matters
, received 1,063 film submissions from 3,346 youth and young adults throughout 170 California schools and community organizations.
These films touched on a variety of topics related to the importance of understanding and acknowledging the struggles of mental health. Participating students were
encouraged to create films in languages other than English to help understand the nuances of approaching mental health through another cultural lens.
The awards ceremony also celebrated outstanding achievement by directors, producers and actors of film and television who serve as role models to the aspiring student filmmakers in the audience by using their platform to draw attention to mental health.
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