It’s GO Time: Oakland Vote-By-Mail Ballots Arrive This Week
Make Sure You Are Registered to Vote; Oakland's Students Need Your Support
It is GO time. Monday marked the first day that Oaklanders, like you, began receiving vote-by-mail ballots. And, with 60 percent of the registered voters in our city choosing to receive early ballots, now is the time to restate the urgency of the school board elections. Oakland’s 48,000-plus students are counting on us to elect school board leaders that will continue and accelerate the progress made for them in our city.
Four of the seven seats on the Oakland school board are on the ballot this year, and it’s crucial that we elect candidates focused on the needs of all our students and their families. Your vote counts and can make the difference. In a recent Oakland school board race, less than 720 votes decided the election.
“Your vote counts and can make the difference. In a recent Oakland school board race, less than 720 votes decided the election.”
We want to be your be your one-stop shop for Oakland’s school board elections, so before we get to the ballot, let’s make sure you are ready to vote. Here are a few tips:
Make sure you are registered to vote.
Check your registration status here, which will also show your polling place. If you have moved, changed your name, or are not registered, the deadline to register is Oct. 24. Register to vote here.
Know your school board district.
Enter your home address here to find your school board district.
School board races are rank-choice voting.
Know how ranked-choice voting works by watching this video.
Remember school boards are on the last page of the Oakland ballot.
Check out your sample ballot (you have to sign in to view), and consider starting with the last page of your ballot first.
And lastly, vote!
For many of you, that means returning your mail-in ballot. Vote-by-mail ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Registrar of Voters Office no later than 3 days after Election Day. Alternatively, you can take your mail-in ballot to any polling place in Alameda County between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM on Election Day.
For the 60 percent of you that will vote by mail beginning this week, here are some additional tips:
- Use a black or blue pen to mark your ballot. If you make a mistake, do not try to correct it. Call the Registrar of Voters Office at (510) 272-6973 and request a replacement ballot.
- Track the status of your mail-in ballot, and check to make sure it has been received.
Check out the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office for more information about voting, or call the office at (510) 272-6973 with questions.
We will be coming back to you this week with the GO community’s endorsement process and endorsements.