- Video shows new ballot drop box security cameras, Kern County Elections office, and election day.
- With the Presidential Primary coming on March 5, Kern will also vote in a Special election to fill Kevin McCarthy’s 20th District Congressional seat on March 19.
As we get closer and closer to elections, the deadlines for candidate filings, nominations, and voter registration are coming sooner than you think.
“One of the biggest things is to make sure that the public knows not only do we have the primary, but we have two special elections,” said Kern County Auditor-Controller and Registrar of Voters Aimee Espinoza.
Espinoza described this election cycle as a busy one, especially for Kern County voters. With the Presidential Primary coming on March 5, Kern will also vote in a Special election to fill Kevin McCarthy’s 20th District Congressional seat on March 19, with a runoff on May 21 if no candidate wins a majority.
“The March primary is only going to affect the November election. The special election is just segregated all on its own,” Espinoza said.
When it comes to the March primary, Espinoza said the key point for voters to keep in mind is registering for the party they want to contribute to the November ballot.
“I’d also like to let voters know we are starting a new program,” Espinoza said.
The Kern County Elections office received $2.7 million in funding last year for several upgrades including to their website. Now voters can subscribe for email updates on election tasks and deadlines.
Another upgrade established is security cameras at each ballot dropbox throughout the county, along with other measures to boost voter confidence.
“We’ve heard from observers who come in to watch our signature checking of our vote by mail envelopes,” Espinoza said. “They’ve had concerns about being able to see screens, so we’ve kind of redone our layout for our signature checking as a response to those concerns that were brought forward.”
Signature verification is one of the leading points of concern when it comes to election fraud, that’s why the elections office is pushing for more methods of transparency for voters.
“Something that we’re working on now is a short video on the life of a ballot,” Espinoza said.
Voter information guides will begin being mailed out by the end of January with voters having until February 20 to register.
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