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 Norma Westbrook, Elections Manager for the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
The presidential primary ballot will include federal offices like the presidency, State Legislature seats, and local offices like Board of Supervisors, and San Diego Mayor.
Residents of the City of San Diego will also be able to vote for nine local ballot measures and one State measure on the June 7 primary ballot.
According to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters data, there are 278,008 Latinos registered to vote in the 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, with 59 percent of these ballots 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 Assistant Registrar of Voters, Cynthia L. Paes, explains that the primary election ballot includes the presidential office, but there are parties that do not allow voting for their candidates if voters are not registered to that 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 by May 23 with one of those parties to vote with for their candidates.
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 explains that there is still 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 or contact the Registrar of Voters’ offices.