Santa Cruz County election officials have a message for voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election: Consider voting naked.
The advice, County Clerk Tricia Webber explained Tuesday, refers not to the voter but to the ballot.
A “naked ballot” is a vote-by-mail ballot that a voter fills out at home and then brings without its return envelope to any county vote center. After checking in, the voter can place the ballot directly into a ballot box.
The method is just one of several ways county residents can cast their ballots this year, Webber said during a press conference outlining preparations for the upcoming election.
About 172,000 ballots will enter the mail stream beginning Oct. 2, with most voters expected to receive them within several days. Early in-person voting begins Oct. 5 at the County Clerk/Elections Department, 701 Ocean St. in Santa Cruz; the Watsonville City Clerk’s Office, 275 Main St.; and the South County Government Center, 500 Westridge Drive.
Additional Vote Centers will open throughout October, bringing the total to 23 by Election Day. Unlike traditional polling places, voters are not assigned to a specific Vote Center and can use any location in the county.
Voters can also return ballots by mail, at ballot drop boxes or at Vote Centers. Election Day voting runs from 7am–8pm.
Webber said voting a ballot without its envelope has one particular advantage: It can be included in election-night results.
All ballots returned in envelopes require signature verification and other processing that takes about 48 hours, she said.
The county is also stepping up outreach as election officials contend with what Webber described as confusion and distrust surrounding the voting process.
“We believe in transparency and we will walk everyone through every operation that we do and answer every question that someone has,” she said. “Because we truly believe that if you understand the process, you will participate in the process.”
That effort includes a new partnership with Watsonville and Santa Cruz County libraries called Ballots and Books.
Watsonville Library Director Alicia Martinez said the partnership will include Family Democracy Day on Oct. 17, where children and their parents can learn about voting and how elections work. Election workers will also visit the Watsonville Main and Freedom branch libraries to answer questions and help people register.
Watsonville City Clerk Erwin Ortiz said voter registration and participation in Watsonville typically lag behind the county average by about 20%, and his office is working with the county to reach residents through schools and community events.
“It’s not about just registering,” Ortiz said. “It’s about showing up on Election Day.”
The deadline to register and receive election materials by mail is Oct. 19. After that, eligible residents can still register and vote in person at a vote center through Election Day.
For information, visit votescount.santacruzcountyca.gov
