By Ana Gomez Salcido
San Diego County residents still have time to register to vote for the June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary Election.
“Every vote is important, every vote counts, one vote can make the difference,” said Elections Manager for the Registrar of Voters of the County of San Diego, Norma Westbrook.
The presidential primary ballot will include federal offices like the presidency, State Legislature seats, and local offices like Board of Supervisors.
Residents of the City of San Diego will be able to vote for nine local ballot measures and one State measure on the June 7 presidential primary election.
According to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters data, there are 278,008 Latinos registered to vote in the next presidential primary election in San Diego County, and 153,406 of them are registered to vote by mail.
“Every year, the vote by mail has a better turnout”, said Westbrook, “and every ethnicity has better mail-in ballot turnouts.”
In 2010, 49 percent of registered Latinos voted in San Diego County, 59 percent of these ballots were cast by mail.
In the November 2014 elections, the Latino turnout was a lowly 29 percent, of which 40 percent voted by mail.
Voters who prefer to vote by mail have until May 31 to register for mail-in ballots. The last day to register to vote however, is May 23.
San Diego County Registrar of Voters Assistant, Cynthia L. Paes explained that the presidential primary elections ballot includes the presidential office, but there are parties that do not allow voting for their candidates if you are not registered to their party.
People that are registered as a nonpartisan voter or as no party preference can vote in the Presidential Primary Election for the American Independent, Democratic and Libertarian parties, but if they want to vote for the Green, Peace and Freedom, and Republican parties, they must re-register to vote with that party by May 23.
Residents of San Diego County can start early voting for the Presidential Primary Elections on May 9, at the Registrar of Voters Offices from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on the weekend of June 4 and 5, on the same schedule.
The Presidential Primary Election will be on June 7. Your vote can be cast by mail, at the polling site, and at the Registrar of Voters office from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Paes said that there is a need for bilingual poll workers to help during Election Day, and they can receive a stipend ranging from $75 to $175. To apply people can visit www.sdvote.com.