Election season is upon us. Although the date set for the primary is Tuesday, June 7 [1], eligible registered voters in California are now receiving their vote-by-mail ballots. Again this year, all registered voters will be receiving ballots by mail.
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Where and How to Vote in the June Primary
Once voters have filled out their ballots, they can deposit them in any of the 24-hour drop boxes across Alameda County until the polls close at 8 p.m., June 7. Alameda has three drop-box locations:
- City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Ave.
- Bay Farm Island Library, 2331 Mecartney St.
- College of Alameda, 555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy.
If they choose, voters can return their ballots by mail, no postage required. Voters who are disabled, hospitalized, or home-bound can receive help receiving, marking, and returning their ballots [3].
One vote center will open to allow early voting in the city of Alameda starting on Saturday, May 28, in the Central Baptist Church at 2133 Central Ave. The following Saturday, June 4, the county will open an additional five vote centers in the city:
- 1st Congregational Church of Alameda, 1912 Central Ave.
- Buena Vista United Methodist Church, 2311 Buena Vista Ave.
- College of Alameda, 555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy.
- Temple Israel Social Hall, 3183 Mecartney Rd.
- South Shore Center, 2130 Otis Dr.
Voters can cast their ballots at any of these centers, and they can also register to vote, resolve any issues they may have concerning their ballots, or even receive a replacement ballot. They will be open until 8 p.m. on June 7, Election Day. Alameda voters are not limited to depositing their completed ballots at locations in the City of Alameda; they can submit them at any of the locations in Alameda County [4] listed on the ACVote.org website.
On the June Primary Ballot
On the national stage, both of California’s United State Senate seats are on the primary ballot. The June 7 vote will determine not only who will appear on the November ballot for the six-year Senate term, but who the voters will choose in November to complete a vacancy for the remainder of the term of the second seat, which expires on Jan. 3, 2023. Voters will also choose which candidates for the 12th Congressional District they will vote for on Nov. 8.
On the state level, voters will cast ballots to determine which candidates for state offices will appear on the Tuesday, Nov. 8, ballot. These offices include Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Schools, and Insurance Commissioner. Voters will also decide who they will see on November ballot for the District 2 seat on the Board of Equalization.
Alameda County has several races on the ballot. Four candidates are running for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, Third District — the seat previously held by Wilma Chan; four candidates are in the running to become the new District Attorney; three are standing for Sheriff/Coroner; and two are competing to become Alameda County Superintendent of Schools. Candidates for the State’s 18th Assembly District, County Assessor, County Auditor-Controller/Clerk-Recorder, and Treasurer/Tax Collector, as well as three Superior Court Judges are running unopposed.
Locally, Alameda voters will see Alameda Unified School District’s (AUSD) Measure B [PDF] [5] on their ballots. Voting “yes” supports authorizing AUSD to issue up to $298 million in bonds. According to the district, the money these bonds generate will “fund local schools.” Further, a “yes” vote supports a property tax levy of $45 for each $100,000 for assessed value of real property. A “no” vote opposes this authorization and the property tax. Passage requires a 55% supermajority vote.
Residents will vote for Alameda’s City offices in the Nov. 8 election, including the Mayor and members of City Council, the School Board, and the Hospital Board. Visit our Resources page [6] to see all of Alameda’s current elected officials and other election information.
Make Sure Your Vote Counts
If you are not already registered to vote, visit RegisterToVote.ca.gov [7]. Visit your Alameda County ROV Voter Profile [8] to check your voter information, registration status, and polling place. The ROV also operates a 24-hour telephone hotline at 510-267-8683 [9]. If you register with the BallotTrax [10] website, it will allow to track your ballot on its way to you and, once you have voted, to ensure your vote gets counted.
The Alameda Post does not endorse candidates or measures. We strongly recommend that voters visit ACVote.org [11], carefully study the voters’ guides, and use other resources to make their decisions. A full list of candidates running in the June primary election is available from this page at ACGov.org [12]. The Official Voter Information Guide from the CA Secretary of State is available as a PDF [13] if you misplaced it.
Dennis Evanosky is the award-winning Historian of the Alameda Post [14]. Reach him at [email protected] [15]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Dennis-Evanosky [16].