The June 2 primary election is just 12 days away, and Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Donna Linder wants to remind everybody of some very important dates.

The last day to register to receive a ballot in the mail was May 18, said Linder, who is running unopposed this election cycle. “If you’re not registered by then, you have to go to a vote center or our office and register conditionally.”

Ballots were mailed out on May 4 and all active Stanislaus County voters should have received them by now. Six drop boxes opened on that same day.

“The last three weeks we’ve been training our volunteers and our part-time election clerks for the upcoming election,” said Linder. “Our logic and accuracy testing is complete for all of the equipment that will go out to all of our vote centers.”

On May 26, six vote centers will open in the county, with 25 more slated to open on May 30.

“We will be open on Memorial Day,” said Linder. “We’ll be out there ready to take your vote.”

Linder reminds voters that the election will not be certified – by state law – until 24 days after election day. Why the delay?

Last-minute mail-in ballots that are postmarked June 2 have until June 9 to reach Linder’s Modesto office – and must be counted. But Linder cautioned that Stanislaus County mail is sent to Sacramento to be postmarked. Mail that is dropped into a county mailbox on election day, with a posted 11 p.m. pick-up time, still has to make the trek to Sacramento, and would likely not be postmarked until after midnight.

“So, if you’re going to wait until close to election day, you might want to take that into the post office and make sure it’s hand-stamped in front of you,” said Linder.

Additionally, Assembly Bill 5 allows for vote-by-mail ballots to be counted 13 days after the election.

“Those are the vote-by-mail that the signatures compared correctly, and everything was fine with them,” said Linder. “They’re not conditional or provisional ballots or ones that need a signature comparison completed.”

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 827 allows the county to accept ballot cures until 22 days after the election.

“Those are the forms we send out if the signatures didn’t compare,” said Linder. “We cannot certify the election until after that.”

Here is a list of vote centers and drop boxes that will soon be open to the public.

Hughson

• Hughson City Hall, 7018 Pine St., Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ceres

• Save Mart, 2920 E. Whitmore Ave., Monday-Thursday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. (but no later than 8 p.m. on election night), Friday-Sunday from 6 a.m. to midnight.
• Ceres Community Center, 2701 Fourth St., Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Outdoor drop boxes will be accessible 24 hours, but will close at 8 p.m. on election night, June 2. They are located at Stanislaus State, 1 University Circle, in Turlock, Bonita Elementary School, located at 425 Fink Road in Crows Landing, Burchell Nursery, located at 12000 Highway 120 in Oakdale, Salida Library, located at 4835 Sisk Road in Salida, and the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Office, 1021 I St., Modesto.

Curbside drop boxes are located at Gallo Center for the Arts at 1000 I St. in Modesto, the Stanislaus Culinary Arts Institute at 1040 Wakefield Drive in Oakdale, and at Stanislaus State.

Any resident of Stanislaus County can utilize any drop box or vote center, regardless of their home address.