Primary election preps: What voters need to know

The California primaries are about a month away, and there are some big races to vote on. The Monterey County Elections Office wants to let voters know about same changes this year.

Nearly 23 percent of voters in Monterey County identify as no party preference. As the primary inches closer, these voters will have to choose a ballot if they want to vote for the president.

“Our no party preference voters who did not elect to cross over into the Democratic, Libertarian or American Independent ballot will receive a nonpartisan ballot,” Gina Martinez, assistant Registrar of Voters, said. “On the front of that ballot, they will see a message that says they received a non-partisan ballot, and that they can continue voting on the back of that card for U.S. Senator.”

If a no party preference voter wants to vote with a Republican, Green, or Peace and Freedom party race, they will have to re-register by May 23.

Another big race is for longtime U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer’s seat. Thirty-four candidates are vying for her seat, but only the top two will get to make it to the general election in November because of the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act.

That’s a lot of names to cram into one ballot, so the Monterey and Santa Cruz County Elections Offices, along with the Center for Civic Design, have been working to make the ballot easier for voters to understand.

“We have over 30 candidates for U.S. senator in one column to reduce the error rate, where voters might, if it were laid out in two columns, they might over vote,” Martinez said.

Test runs found most people voted incorrectly when they saw two or three columns of candidates. If someone votes for more than one candidate in that race, it will not be counted.

“I don’t wait until I get inside the voting booth before I decide who I’m going to vote for, as long as I can find the name,” one person told KION.

The Elections Office is holding two information sessions next week to answer voters’ questions ahead of the primary. The English session will be 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 10 at the Cesar Chavez Library on Williams Road. The Spanish session will be on Thursday, May 12 at the same time and place.

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