If you don’t vote, you can’t complain!
June 7 is the last day to mail in your ballot for California’s primary election. Voters can either turn in their ballot via mail (the county will count anything postmarked on or before June 7) or at a designated drop-off location.
There are 54 drop-off boxes located throughout San Mateo County. People can also vote in person at 45 vote center stations scattered about the peninsula from June 4 to June 7.
Find the nearest voting location here.
Santa Clara County meanwhile has 82 drop-off boxes for voters to deposit their ballots – 49 of which are in San Jose alone. People can also vote in person in one of 99 vote centers.
Find the nearest drop box or vote center here.
It is going to be a busy election season.
People will select among statewide candidates for senator, governor, lieutenant governor, controller, secretary of state, insurance commissioner, and treasurer to proceed to the November election. Several will pick assembly members, state senators, county supervisors, and city council members at the local level. Not to forget, several school districts and cities will vote on ballot measures.
The notable elections in San Mateo County
Residents of the newly created Assembly District 21 -which encompasses a large part of the peninsula’s shoreline from South San Francisco to East Palo Alto – will get a chance to pick their top two assembly candidates for the November election.
The candidates:
- Tania Sloé – Business Person (GRN)
- Giselle Hale – Mayor of Redwood City (Dem)
- James Hsuchen Coleman – South San Francisco City Councilmember (Dem)
- Dianne Papan – San Mateo Deputy Mayor (DEM)
- Mark Gilham – Small Business Owner (REP)
- Maurice Goodman – San Mateo County Community College Board Member (DEM)
- Allison Madden – Attorney/Tenant Advocate
Voters in Supervisorial Districts 2 and 3 will select candidates to replace supervisors Carole Groom and Don Horsley, both of whom cannot run because of term limits.
The candidates in District 2, which includes San Mateo, Foster City, and most of Belmont:
- Noela Corzo – San Mateo Foster City School District Trustee
- Cameron Rolfe – California Licensed Investigator
- Charles Stone – Belmont City Councilmember
The candidates in District 3, which includes the cities of Atherton, southeast Belmont, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, Portola Valley, San Carlos, and Woodside:
- Laura Parmer-Lohan – Businesswoman and San Carlos City Councilwoman
- Virginia Chang-Kiraly – San Mateo County Harber District Commissioner
- Ray Mueller – Menlo Park City Councilmember
- Steven Booker – Workers’ Rights Advocate
Check out the complete list of candidates running in San Mateo County here.
Voters in the Belmont-Redwood Shores and the Brisbane School Districts will vote on new tax measures, while residents in Hillsborough City, Ravenswood City, Millbrae Elementary, and Jefferson Elementary school districts will vote on new bond measures.
The notable elections in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County residents will vote for new sheriff candidates for the first time in decades. Current Sheriff Laurie Smith decided not to run for a seventh term.
Five people will be on the official ballot to replace her.
- Ann Colton – Business Owner
- Sean Donte Allen – Sheriff’s Sergeant
- Christine Nagaye – Sheriff’s Sergeant
- Kevin Jensen – Sheriff’s Captain
- Robert “Bob” Johnson – Palo Alto Police Chief
Voters in San Jose will pick their top two candidates for mayor to replace Sam Liccardo, whose second term is up at the end of the year.
Seven people are on the official ballot for mayor:
- James Spence – Retired Police Sergeant
- Raul Peralez – San Jose City Councilmember
- Travis Hill – Student
- Cindy Chavez – County Supervisor
- Dev Davis – Councilmember
- Marshall Allen Woodmansee – Student
- Matt Mahan – City Councilmember
Check out the complete list of candidates running in Santa Clara County here.
Residents in the Santa Clara Valley Water District will vote on Measure A, limiting district board member terms to four successive four-year terms.
San Jose voters will get a chance to vote on measures B and D, moving mayoral elections to presidential election years and reducing the number of city council seats from 11 to six.
Voters in Milpitas Unified and Mount Pleasant school districts will vote on new parcel taxes, while residents of the Fremont High School and Alum Rock School districts will decide on new bond measures.