Frequently Asked Questions – San Bernardino County

Frequently Asked Questions for the November 8, 2022, General Election

About the General Election and Offices Up for Election

Will candidates’ political party preference be listed on the ballot?

For nonpartisan offices, the candidate’s political party preference is not listed on the ballot. The following contests are nonpartisan offices:

Justices of the Supreme and Appellate Courts
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Member, Board of Supervisors
City offices
School district offices
Special district offices

For voter-nominated offices, the candidate’s political party preference is listed on the ballot. The following contests are voter-nominated offices:

U.S. Senator
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Secretary of State
Controller
Treasurer
Attorney General
Insurance Commissioner
U.S. Representative in Congress
Member, State Board of Equalization
State Senator
Member of the State Assembly

A candidate’s party preference does not necessarily mean that they have that political party’s support. The list of candidates who receive a political party’s official endorsement is in the Voter Information Guide.

For more information, see the San Bernardino County Voter Information Guide or the California Voter Information Guide.

For the general election, what will appear on the ballot for us to vote on?

In the General Election on November 8, 2022, all voters, regardless of political party preference, will see the same candidates for state and federal offices. Voters will be able to vote on local contests as determined by their residential address.

On the ballot, voters will see two different types of offices: Voter-nominated offices and Nonpartisan offices. Your ballot will include candidates for U.S. Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Member of State Board of Equalization, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, U.S. Representative in Congress, State Senator, State Assembly Member, as well as Judicial, County and City, school district and special district offices.

For more information, view the List of Offices Up for Election and Final Official List of Candidates.

What happens after the general election?

The canvass for the General Election begins the day after Election Day on November 9, and the results will be certified by December 8, 2022.

Why are there two U.S. Senate races? What is the difference between them?

There are two contests for U.S. Senate on the ballot. You may vote for one candidate in each contest.

The first contest is the regular election for the full 6-year term ending January 3, 2029.
The second contest is a special vacancy election (the current officeholder is temporarily filling a vacancy) for the remainder of the current term ending January 3, 2023.

Because these are two separate terms of office, you will see the same candidates running in both contests.

What offices are up for election? Who are the candidates?

View the List of Offices Up for Election
View the Official List of Candidates

About Voting and How to Vote

I moved since the last time I voted. How do I make sure the Registrar of Voters has my current address?

To confirm the Registrar of Voters has your current address, you may use the My Elections Gateway online application on the Registrar of Voters website at SBCountyElections.com. Or, you may review your registration information on file with the Secretary of State at VoterStatus.sos.ca.gov.

If you need to update your address, you may re-register to vote at RegisterToVote.ca.gov. If you moved from one residence to another and stayed within San Bernardino County, you may simply complete an In-County Change of Address Form. This form may be submitted to the Registrar of Voters by email to VoterRegistrations@rov.sbcounty.gov, by mail, or in person.

Who can vote in this election?

Any registered voter in California may vote in the general election. If you are registered to vote in San Bernardino County, you can check your voter registration status at My Elections Gateway on the Registrar of Voters website or visit VoterStatus.sos.ca.gov. If you need to update your voter registration or find out if you are eligible to register to vote, you can visit the California Online Voter Registration page at RegisterToVote.ca.gov.

Alternatively, you can pick up a paper application at the Registrar of Voters at 777 East Rialto Avenue, San Bernardino; any Department of Motor Vehicles field office; and many post offices, public libraries, and government offices. View the map of locations where paper Voter Registration Applications are available. To have an application mailed to you, call the Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 or toll free at (800) 881-8683.

You can register to vote up until October 24, 2022, and have a ballot mailed to you for this election. If you miss this deadline, you may register to vote and vote a provisional ballot at the Registrar of Voters office up until 8 p.m. on Election Day, an Early Vote site before Election Day, or at a polling place on Election Day.

Your provisional ballot will be counted after election officials have confirmed you are registered to vote in San Bernardino County and that you have not already voted. County election officials carefully check every provisional ballot to ensure voters are registered and did not cast a second ballot elsewhere.

How do I cast a vote?

You have four ways to cast a voted ballot this election.

Vote-by-Mail
Ballot Drop-box Location
Early Vote Site
Polling Place

Please be sure to check the back cover of your Voter Information Guide to find your assigned polling place. Please note that you may have a new assigned polling place.

In addition to voting by mail or at a drop-box location, the Registrar of Voters office opened for early voting on Tuesday, October 11.

Early voting at additional locations will be available:

Tuesday, November 1 through Saturday, November 5, and
Monday, November 7.

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8. Voters are encouraged to vote before Election Day as polling places may have significant lines on November 8.

If you prefer to vote in person, please note that masks are not required at any County polling or Early Vote site regardless of vaccination status. Public health requirements are subject to change based on guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California Department of Public Health, or San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.

For information about the coronavirus crisis, including vaccines and testing, visit sbcovid19.com.

When will mail ballots be sent out?

Pursuant to California Elections Code section 3000.5, every active registered voter in the county will be mailed a ballot. Mail ballots were delivered to the United States Postal Service beginning October 7.

When do I need to return my completed mail-in ballot?

For your mail ballot to be counted, your ballot must be:

Postmarked no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 8, 2022, and received by the Registrar of Voters no later than Tuesday, November 15;
Dropped-off at any polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day;
Delivered to the Registrar of Voters by 8 p.m. on Election Day; or
Deposited into a mail ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

What happens if I leave something blank on my ballot? Will the rest of my ballot be counted?

Yes! A blank contest on a ballot is referred to as an undervote, which occurs when a voter intentionally or unintentionally does not vote in a specific contest. Properly marked votes on the ballot will still be counted.

What do I do if I make a mistake on my ballot?

If you make a mistake on your ballot, you can simply make a notation correcting your vote. Please do not initial or sign your name after the correction.

If you prefer, you may request a replacement ballot by mail or in person at the Registrar of Voters, an Early Vote site or a polling place using a Replacement Mail Ballot Application [pdf]. Alternatively, you may authorize another person to pick-up your mail ballot at the Registrar of Voters or an Early Vote site with an Application to Provide Vote-By-Mail Ballot to an Authorized Representative [pdf]

How can I get a replacement ballot if I do not receive a ballot in the mail?

If you do not receive a mail ballot, you can request a replacement ballot by mail or in person at the Registrar of Voters, an Early Vote site or a polling place using a Replacement Mail Ballot Application [pdf]. Alternatively, you may authorize another person to pick-up your mail ballot at the Registrar of Voters or an Early Vote site with an Application to Provide Vote-By-Mail Ballot to an Authorized Representative [pdf]

Note: If you request a replacement ballot, the Registrar of Voters will suspend the mail ballot you did not receive so someone else cannot use it to vote.

Why are voters being provided a Sharpie to mark their ballots? Doesn’t it bleed through and void the ballot?

The use of a Sharpie pen to mark a ballot does not void the ballot. The County’s voting system vendor recommends the use of Sharpie pens for marking ballots because the high-speed ballot scanners read the ink better. And the ink dries faster. Plus, ballot scanners only read marks in the oval voting target areas of the ballots. The ovals on one side of a ballot card do NOT align with the ovals on the other side of the card, so – if bleed through occurs – it is not read by the ballot scanner.

However, voters are not required to use a Sharpie to mark their ballot. Blue or black ballpoint pens are also available for use at the polls.

What options are there for people with disabilities to vote independently?

Ballot Marking Devices are available at each voting location and include the following options:

Audio, large print, high contrast, controls for speed and volume, use controller or use touch screen, can provide gloves or fingertip covers
Bring your own headset or use ours
Adaptable for sip-and-puff devices.

Remote Accessible Vote by Mail

Voters may use their computer to mark an accessible ballot. Once marked, voters print their ballot and return it to the Registrar of Voters office using a mail ballot return envelope.

Curbside Voting

Call the Registrar of Voters at (909) 387-8300 or (800) 881-VOTE (8683). Provide us with your location, and we will contact the poll workers to let them know you are waiting “curbside.”

About the Election Process and Election Security

How will mail-in ballots be processed?

Your official mail ballot envelope has a barcode that identifies it as yours. When you return your voted ballot to the Registrar of Voters, your mail ballot envelope will be scanned on a mail sorting machine, capturing an image of your signature.

County staff will verify your signature on the mail ballot return envelope compares to the signature on your voter registration record before the ballot is removed from the envelope and counted with other mail ballots with high-speed, accurate scanners. How you vote remains confidential as there is nothing on the ballot itself that identifies it as yours.

If your signature does not compare to the signature on file with your voter registration or you forget to sign your ballot return envelope, the Registrar of Voters will notify you by mail and provide you with an opportunity to resolve the issue.

How does the Registrar of Voters prevent voters from casting more than one ballot?

If a voted mail ballot is returned after a voter has already voted at the Registrar of Voters office, an early vote site, or a polling place, the ballot sorter recognizes and rejects the second ballot. If a voter attempts to vote in person after returning a voted mail ballot, election workers will check-in the voter using an electronic roster (or Poll Pad) that will identify whether the voter has already voted in the election. If the voter states he or she has not voted in this election, the voter may vote a provisional ballot, and County staff will research the voter’s participation in the election before accepting or rejecting the provisional ballot.

Attempting to vote more than once is a crime punishable by up to three years in prison, according to Elections Code section 18560. Voters who attempt to vote more than once in an election will be referred to the San Bernardino County District Attorney for investigation and potential prosecution.

What is being done to protect my vote from a cyberattack?

Maintaining cybersecurity and the integrity of elections is always a top priority. We have brought in state and federal agencies to evaluate our systems, and offer the latest best practices in technology and processes to ensure the integrity of this election. As a result, we have implemented stronger cybersecurity measures, and continually evaluate and upgrade our systems.

Can a “bad actor” change election results without detection?

No. The County tests the accuracy of our voting system software and equipment three separate times each election:

Before voting begins, pre-marked test ballots are run through the ballot scanners to make sure they total the votes accurately.
During the election canvass period, the paper ballots from at least one percent of the precincts and one percent of the mail ballots are randomly selected and hand counted to audit the accuracy of the ballot scanners.
After the election results are certified, the pre-marked test ballots are run through the ballot scanners again to make sure they still total the votes accurately.

All three of these activities are observable by any member of the public.

Additionally, the County’s voting system is not connected to the Internet, to the County’s wide area network, or any other network (air-gapped). There is no capability to remotely access or activate these systems. The equipment and software are air-gapped within the Registrar of Voters office in secured rooms. All counting of ballots and tallying of results is done in these secure rooms.

Vendor and county officials follow strict physical security and chain-of-custody requirements for all voting technology software, firmware, and hardware, all of which meet or exceed federal guidance including that of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Election Assistance Commission.

How will you keep mail ballot drop boxes secure?

Secure, accessible and locked ballot boxes were made available for ballot drop-offs starting on Tuesday, October 11 through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Outdoor mail ballot drop boxes are made of heavy 18-guage steel; equipped with security features such as minimal ballot insertion slots and water and fireproof materials; locked; and bolted to concrete on the inside of the box to deter theft. Ballot drop-off locations are also placed in areas that have higher public visibility, and ballots are picked-up by official election workers on a regular basis for processing.

What technology will voters use to cast their votes?

At polling places, voters will be able to mark their choices on a paper ballot. Voters who cannot mark a paper ballot without assistance may use an accessible ballot marking device that will print the voter’s ballot after the voter makes their choices. Either way, all votes will be cast on paper ballots.

Who verifies and counts mail-in ballots?

Registrar of Voters staff and temporary staff (hired for each election) are responsible for counting all ballots. All personnel handling this process must pass background checks and receive training.

Under what conditions would a mail-in ballot be disqualified?

The most common reasons for mail ballots to be rejected are that the voter’s signature did not compare to the voter’s signature on file or the voter didn’t sign the envelope. The Registrar of Voters will notify voters by mail and provide them with an opportunity to resolve their issue.

Another common reason for ballots to be rejected is the ballot was received too late. Voters must return their voted ballot by 8 p.m. on November 8 at any polling location, mail ballot drop‑box or the Registrar of Voters office. Ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before Election Day – Tuesday, November 8 – and received by Tuesday, November 15.

How do I know my votes were counted accurately?

The Registrar of Voters processes are transparent and open for observation, including:

Testing of the voting system equipment used to count ballots prior to their use in the election
Examination of signatures on the mail ballot return envelopes
Removal of the ballots from the envelopes
Counting of the ballots on high-speed, accurate ballot scanners
Hand counting of at least one percent of the precincts and one percent of the mail ballots to audit the accuracy of the scanners
Testing of the voting system equipment used to count ballots after their use in the election

Once you cast your ballot at a polling place or it is removed from your mail ballot return envelope, it cannot be identified as your specific ballot. Your ballot does not contain information to identify it as yours to ensure your vote remains confidential. The Registrar of Voters only tracks that you voted in the election and the method you used to cast your ballot. Neither the Registrar of Voters nor anyone else will know the votes you marked on your ballot for a candidate or measure.

How can I be sure the election results are accurate?

San Bernardino County uses the Dominion Voting System, which is a certified voting system in California. Pursuant to the California Elections Code, section 19202, “A voting system, in whole or in part, shall not be used unless it has been certified or conditionally approved by the Secretary of State prior to any election at which it is to be used.” As a result, the state has developed one of the most strenuous voting system testing and certification programs in the country (https://votingsystems.cdn.sos.ca.gov/cert-and-approval/review-testing-overview.pdf). At the local level, California counties are required to abide by stringent sets of rules and regulations regarding implementation and use of a voting system.

All voting systems, including Dominion, undergo extensive testing prior to certification, which includes;

Examination and testing of system software;
Software source code review and evaluation;
Hardware and software security penetration testing;
Hardware testing under conditions simulating the intended storage, operation, transportation, and maintenance environments;
Inspection and evaluation of system documentation; and
Operational testing to validate system performance and functioning under normal and abnormal conditions.

Pursuant to the California Elections Code section 19205, “no part of a voting system shall be connected to the internet at any time, or electronically receive or transmit election data through any exterior communications network.” The voting systems used in California, including Dominion Voting Systems, do not connect to the internet.

I heard I can return my ballot to any polling place in any county in California. Is this true?

Voters may return their voted ballots to any mail ballot drop box or voting location in any county in California. The county elections official will forward the ballot to the county that issued the ballot.

Can my neighbor return my ballot for me?

Yes. A voter may authorize any person to return their mail ballot. The mail ballot identification envelope shall include the name of the person authorized to return the ballot. The authorized person shall return the mail ballot in person, or put the mail ballot in the mail, no later than three days after receiving it from the voter or before the close of the polls on Election Day, whichever is shorter.

Why doesn’t the Registrar of Voters require all voters to show I.D. at the polls?

Pursuant to state law, California voters are not required to show identification before they cast their ballots. However, if you are voting for the first time after registering online or by mail and did not provide your driver license number, California identification number or the last four digits of your social security number on your registration form, you may be asked to show a form of identification when you go to the polls.

What is redistricting and how will it affect my vote?

Every 10 years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California, San Bernardino County and local jurisdictions must redraw the boundaries of each of their districts to ensure each has essentially the same number of residents, preserves communities of interest such as cities as much as possible, and complies with the Voting Rights Act. This process is called redistricting.

Jurisdictions without voting districts do not participate in the redistricting process.

The County’s redistricting website (SBCountyRedistricting.com) offers a wealth of information on the process, including video recordings of each public meeting.

For voters, redistricting may have changed the location of their polling place. Please check your Voter Information Guide or the SBCountyElections.com website for more information.

When will the election results in California be “certified?”

The Registrar of Voters must certify election results no later than December 8. The California Secretary of State is required to certify election results no later than December 16.

Can I be a poll worker?

Yes. You must be at least 18 years of age and a registered voter in the State of California, and read, write and understand English. You must commit to working one (1) day (November 8), attend a mandatory two-hour training session, and have transportation to the polling place. Poll workers in San Bernardino County are paid a stipend for each day worked. To sign up, visit SBCountyElections.com/election-workers/.

Can a person with a felony background vote in the election?

A person with a criminal history can register to vote if the following applies: if they are on parole, probation, mandatory supervision, under post-release community supervision, federal supervised release, or in a county jail. A person with a criminal history cannot vote if they are currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony. Once a prisoner is released, their right to vote is automatically restored, and they can visit RegisterToVote.ca.gov or fill out a paper registration form to register to vote.

At a polling place or near a drop box, what types of activities are NOT permitted?

Within the immediate vicinity of a person in line to cast their ballot or within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place, curbside voting or drop box, the following activities are prohibited:

DO NOT ask a person to vote for or against any candidate or ballot measure.
DO NOT display a candidate’s name, image, or logo.
DO NOT block access to or loiter near any ballot drop boxes.
DO NOT provide any material or audible information for or against any candidate or ballot measure near any polling place, vote center, or ballot drop box.
DO NOT circulate any petitions, including for initiatives, referenda, recall, or candidate nominations.
DO NOT distribute, display, or wear any clothing (hats, shirts, signs, buttons, stickers) that include a candidate’s name, image, logo, and/or support or oppose any candidate or ballot measure.
DO NOT display information or speak to a voter about the voter’s eligibility to vote.

The electioneering prohibitions summarized above are set forth in Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Division 18 of the California Elections Code. Violations can lead to fines and/or imprisonment.

About Tracking Your Ballot

Can I check on the status of my ballot if I did not sign up for Where’s My Ballot?

Yes, you may use one of the following two websites to look up the status of your ballot:

My Voter Status on the Secretary of State’s website allows you to look up the status of your ballot. This service provides similar messages to the notifications sent by California Ballot Trax from “ballot mailed” to “accepted” or “rejected.”
My Elections Gateway on the Registrar of Voters’ website allows you to look up the status of your ballot if you voted by mail.
- If you have cast a mail ballot, the status of your ballot will remain “received” until we certify the election results (on or before December 8). After certification, your mail ballot status will update to “counted” or “not counted.”
- If you voted at a polling place, your voting history will not be immediately available on My Elections Gateway. You will be able to view your voting history after the election results are certified to see that you voted in this election.

Can I track the status of my ballot?

Yes. You can track when your ballot is mailed, received, and accepted for counting through the Secretary of State’s Where’s My Ballot tracking system. You can sign up to receive notifications about the status of your mail ballot via email, text message, and/or telephone call. Sign up at https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/

I received a notification that the Registrar of Voters was having trouble processing my ballot. What can I do to make sure my ballot is counted?

If you receive this message, you will have an opportunity to resolve the issue with your mail ballot up until two days before the Registrar of Voters certifies the results of the election.

In addition to a notification from Where’s My Ballot, you will receive a letter from the Registrar of Voters that describes the issue and how to solve it. The three solvable mail ballot issues are:

Voter did not sign the mail ballot return envelope
Signature on the mail ballot return envelope does not compare to the signature in the voter’s registration record
First-time voter did not provide sufficient identification information when registering to vote and must provide ID when voting the first time

Voters may return an Unsigned Ballot Statement, Signature Verification Statement, or a copy of their ID by dropping a copy off at the Registrar of Voters office, by mail, by fax, or by emailing a photographed or scanned copy of the statement or ID.

If you misplace your notification letter, you can find the Unsigned Ballot Statement or Signature Verification Statement on the Registrar of Voters website.

I received a notification that my ballot cannot be counted. Can I solve the issue?

If you receive this notification, the issue cannot be solved. The reasons the Registrar of Voters will reject a mail ballot, include:

You already voted in this election when we received your mail ballot
Your ballot return envelope did not contain a ballot
Your ballot return envelope contained more than one ballot
Your ballot return envelope was postmarked after November 8

About Voter Education

What is the County doing to make sure voters are educated about their options?

Getting the word out to all voters about the different voting options is a top priority.

A full public education campaign is being implemented by the County, working in collaboration with cities, the different political parties, local news media, and a variety of non-government organizations and nonprofits. Social media and traditional advertising will be used, and Registrar of Voters staff will be conducting virtual presentations to community organizations and members of the public.

To schedule a presentation or receive a toolkit of voter education materials, contact Communications@rov.sbcounty.gov.

What is San Bernardino County doing to ensure voters have language assistance?

The Registrar of Voters provides language assistance in Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese to voters who would have difficulty voting in English without assistance.

Translated sample ballots are available in Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese at all early vote sites and polling places in San Bernardino County.
Bilingual poll workers will be available to provide language assistance at early vote sites and polling places.
- Visit SBCountyElections.com/News to find out which locations will have on-site bilingual poll worker assistance.
- If your voting location does not offer on-site bilingual poll worker assistance, the Registrar of Voters can provide these translation services by phone at
  (800) 881-VOTE or (909) 387-8300.
For your convenience, you may request a translated sample ballot be mailed or emailed to you in advance:

- Indicate your language preference when you register or re-register to vote.
- Submit a request form, found at SBCountyElections.com/Voting/ByMail.
- Call (800) 881-VOTE or (909) 387-8300.
- Requests should be submitted by Tuesday, November 1.

You may bring one or two persons to assist you with marking your ballot.

In addition, the County is providing voter outreach materials on its website in the following languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

The Registrar of Voters’ website has moved. You will be redirected to its new location momentarily. Or you may use this link: Elections.SBCounty.gov.