County Clerk / Recorder & Registrar of Voters Donna Linder reminds voters that the last day to register to vote and receive a ballot by mail for the Nov. 4, special election is Monday Oct. 20.

Only Prop 50 is on the ballot. It is Governor Gavin Newsom’s attempt to overturn the decision made by voters in 2008, when they passed the Voters FIRST Act, authorizing the creation of the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw new district lines, taking the job out of the hands of the California Legislature and transferring it to the citizens. A yes vote would allow the Democrat dominated Legislature to draw maps.

The California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) website reads: “The Commission has absolutely no involvement in the Governor’s efforts to replace the state’s Congressional maps. The Governor’s proposed Congressional maps were drawn by the Legislature, not the Commission. In addition, the Commission has no affiliation with any organization lobbying for or against this proposition.”

The current 14-member Commission is composed of five Republicans, five Democrats, and 4 members not affiliated with either of those two parties. The Commission must draw district lines in conformity with strict, nonpartisan rules designed to create districts of relatively equal population that will provide fair representation for all Californians.

Under California election laws, a Stanislaus County resident is entitled to vote in the upcoming General Election if he or she is a U.S. citizen, California resident, not in prison and at least 18 years of age on Nov. 4.

Citizens missing the Oct. 20 deadline may still register and vote in-person at the Registrar of Voters office, 1021 “I” Street; or at any Vote Center, of which the locations may be found at www.stanvote.gov 

Registered voters who would like to obtain a replacement vote-by-mail ballot may send a written request containing the voter’s name, birth date, residence address, address to which the ballot is to be mailed and the voter’s signature. Vote-by-mail ballots may be requested in one of five ways:

1). By letter addressed to the Elections Office, 1021 “I” Street, Modesto CA 95354.

2). In-person at the Elections Office, 1021 “I” Street, corner of 10th & “I” streets, Modesto.

3). In-person at any Vote Center, Locations can be found at www.stanvote.gov

4) By calling the Registrar of Voters at 209-525-5201

5) By emailing stanvote@stancounty.com

The deadline for requesting a vote by mail ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 28.