Ballots to be mailed out next week for November 5 General Election

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Vote-by-Mail ballots for the Nov. 5 General Election will begin going out Monday, Oct. 7, to all active, registered voters in Sonoma County, according to Deva Marie Proto, Sonoma County Registrar of Voters. The ballots are expected to take between three and 10 days to arrive.

Also beginning Monday, any voter who prefers not to wait to receive their ballot in the mail may instead pick up a Vote-by-Mail ballot or vote early in person at the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office at 435 Fiscal Drive in Santa Rosa. Any voter can also authorize somebody else to pick up a Vote-by-Mail ballot for them by filling out an Application to Provide Vote-by-Mail Ballot to Representative.

There are three main ways a voter can return their Vote-by-Mail ballot:

1. Send it back in the mail. In order to count, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day. Note that ballots returned to USPS collection boxes must be deposited before the last collection time listed on the box in order to be postmarked the same day.
2. Drop it in one of 22 Official Ballot Drop Boxes throughout the County. All Drop Boxes will be open 24/7 beginning Oct. 8 until 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 5).
3. Drop it off at any open Vote Center beginning later this month.

Notice: Registrar of Voters Drive-Thru Now Closed

The drive-thru located in front of the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office is permanently closed. There is still a 24/7 Drop Box available, but voters must park and step outside their vehicle in order to access it. For voters who cannot or prefer not to exit their vehicle, there is a 24/7 drive-thru Drop Box located just two blocks away in front of the Administration Building at 575 Administration Drive.

Voters who want to track the status of their Vote-by-Mail ballot by email, text, or voice call can sign up to do so at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov or by contacting the Registrar of Voters Office.

Voters who do not want to vote by mail can vote in person at a Vote Center instead. Seven Vote Centers will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 26 to Nov. 4. An additional 24 Vote Centers (for a total of 31) will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 2 to Nov. 4. Finally, on Election Day (Nov. 5), all 31 Vote Centers will be open for extended hours from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For a list and map of all Vote Centers and Drop Boxes, including addresses and dates/times they will be open, visit the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters homepage and click on the List of Drop Boxes and Vote Centers link under the “November 5, 2024, General Election” heading (or click here to go to the page directly).

The Nov. 5 General Election will be the first general presidential election in Sonoma County since the County began utilizing the Voter’s Choice Act election model in 2022. This model gives voters more flexibility regarding when, where and how to cast their ballots. Counties conducting elections under this model must:

• Have at least one Official Ballot Drop Box per 15,000 registered voters starting no later than 28 days before Election Day.
• Utilize Vote Centers instead of polling places. Vote Centers offer several major advantages over polling places:
  • They are usually open multiple days, not just on Election Day (with the exception of small special elections).
  • Registered voters in the County can cast a regular ballot at whichever Vote Center is most convenient for them. They do not have to go to a preassigned location.
  • Vote Centers offer expanded voter services, including conditional (i.e., same-day) voter registration, voter address changes, language assistance, curbside voting, and accessible ballot marking devices for voters with disabilities or those who prefer to use them.
• Have at least one Vote Center per 50,000 registered voters starting no later than 10 days before Election Day.
• Have at least one Vote Center per 10,000 registered voters starting no later than three days before Election Day.

For more information about the Voter’s Choice Act, visit the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters homepage and click on the Voter’s Choice Act option in the menu at the left.

The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office is located at 435 Fiscal Drive in Santa Rosa. For the rest of Oct. and all of Nov., the office will be open each weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (excluding county holidays). In addition, the office will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the two weekends prior to Election Day (Oct. 26-27, Nov. 2-3). Finally, the office will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 5).

For more information, please visit SoCoVotes.com, call (707) 565-6800 (Toll-Free: [800] 750-VOTE [8683]; TDD: [800] 565-6888), email rov-info@sonoma-county.org, or visit the office in person.

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

Media Contact:
Gina Stocker, Communications Specialist 
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3040
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403