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Announcing the Close Count Transparency Project

To help the public monitor results in California’s close elections, the California Voter Foundation (CVF) is launching the Close Count Transparency Project, online at www.calvoter.org/closecount.

Beginning November 5th and continuing until the county certification deadline on December 5th, CVF will provide daily updates on the status of vote counts in California’s most competitive political districts, providing a timely and trustworthy source of vital election information.

“The process of verifying and counting California ballots takes longer today than it used to, largely due to the expanded use of vote-by-mail balloting,” said CVF President Kim Alexander, the project’s director, noting that since 2020, all registered voters automatically receive a vote-by-mail ballot.  “In close contests, determining winners can take days or even weeks. CVF’s Close Count Transparency Project will give the public, media, and campaigns a clearer picture, day-by-day, of how many ballots have been counted, how many ballots remain to be counted, and the margin of difference between the two candidates.”

The project will incorporate data from unofficial election results posted on state and local election agency websites and will initially track seven California congressional contests widely viewed as the state’s most competitive(link is external). The outcome of these contests will help decide whether Democrats or Republicans control the U.S. House of Representatives(link is external) after the election. 

In 2022, CVF launched a pilot project tracking results in the same seven congressional districts. Three (CD 13, CD 22 and CD 41) feature a rematch this year of the same 2022 candidates. The 2022 tracking sheet is also available to view and shows how CD 13’s margin was incredibly close throughout the 2022 count, ranging from 0.1 to 0.7 percent, and was ultimately decided more than three weeks after Election Day by less than 600 votes.

Planning to vote in person ahead of Election Day? San Joaquin County has only one option

Exceprt:

If you want to vote in person before Election Day, you may wish you lived somewhere besides San Joaquin County.

That’s because you have only one in-person option — weekdays at the county registrar’s office in downtown Stockton.

Nearby counties give voters more places where they can cast a ballot.

Contra Costa opens five voting centers, starting Friday. Stanislaus County opened six this week, with more coming this weekend. Sacramento voters have their choice of 16.

Election 2024: How to Correct a Mistake on Your Ballot

Excerpt:

Election Day — your last day to vote — is on Tuesday, Nov. 5. And if you’re a registered California voter, your ballot should be arriving in your mailbox very soon, if it hasn’t already.

But what if you make a mistake on your ballot as you’re filling it out? Or are you just not sure how to fill it out in the first place?

Keep reading to learn how to fill out your ballot, how important your signature is and your options if you need to start again with a fresh ballot.

Election 2024: The 4 Things That Might Surprise You on Your Ballot

Excerpt:

It may be hard to believe, but the 2024 general election is just a few weeks away. And if you’ve registered to vote, your ballot should be landing in your mailbox very soon if it hasn’t arrived already.

But even for seasoned voters, this year’s California ballot might contain a few surprises that could leave you looking twice — or even wondering if there’s a misprint on your ballot.

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