Exercising Your Right to Vote

General Election 2020: COVID-19 Updates 

Register to Vote: Deadline is October 19, 2020 

Checking Your Voter Registration Status  

General Election Support Staff Needed 

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which expanded voting rights to women. It took decades of activism to secure the suffrage for women. And it took decades more to ensure that all women, regardless of race, were able to exercise their right to vote.

Voting is one of the foundations of a thriving democracy. Over the years, voting rights activists have secured hard-won rights and policies to expand suffrage beyond the privileged few. Despite these victories, the fight for access to voting is far from over.  

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a new test to protecting this fundamental right. Successfully navigating an election during a global public health crisis is integral to preserving our democracy, and we must continue working to ensure every eligible voter is able to cast their ballot. 

In this edition of my weekly update, you can find information on how to register to vote, check your registration status, and learn what the State of California and County of Alameda are doing to ensure you are able to exercise your right to vote during the COVID-19 crisis.  

General Election 2020:
COVID-19 Updates 

In an effort to increase the safety of voting during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to send all registered voters a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2020 General Election. There are a number of ways you can return your mail-in ballot in Alameda County: 

• Mail: Your mail-in ballot will come with a return envelope addressed to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters (ROV). If you are mailing your ballot in the United States, no additional postage is necessary. In order for your ballot to be counted, it must be postmarked by Election Day (November 3, 2020).
• ROV Drop Box: Starting October 5, 2020, voters have the option to return their vote-by-mail ballots at one of the 24-hour drop boxes in Alameda County. The drop boxes are available until 8 PM on November 3, 2020. The ROV maintains an map with a list of drop boxes near you. 
• Alameda County ROV Office: You may also return your ballot to the ROV Offices at 1225 Fallon St., Room G1, Oakland, CA. The ROV offices are located on the basement level of the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland, CA. 
• In-Person Voting Locations: A list of polling places will be made available on the General Election – November 3, 2020 information page on the Alameda County ROV’s website. The list of polling sites will be issued 40 days before the election. 

Accessible Voting Locations: The Alameda County ROV is committed to providing accessible voting options for our voters with disabilities, and is actively looking for large spaces to host an in-person Accessible Voting Location. These locations must be large enough to accommodate social distancing, have ample parking, and be accessible to voters with disabilities. These sites will be open for early voting starting October 31, 2020, and be open through Election Day. A full list of requirements for an accessible voting location facility can be found on the ROV’s dedicated COVID-19 Updates page. 

If you would like to recommend a location for an Accessible Voting Location, please fill out this brief survey.

Register to Vote:
Deadline is October 19, 2020 

The last day to register to vote for the November 2020 General Election in California is October 19, 2020. You can register to vote either online or with a paper registration form.  

Ways to Register to Vote: 

• Online: Visit RegistertoVote.ca.gov for the online registration form.  
• Paper: Paper registrations are available at the Alameda County ROV office located on the basement level of the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse (1225 Fallon Street, Room G1, Oakland, CA). If you would like the paper registration mailed to you, please call the ROV at 1-510-267-8683 or 1-800-345-VOTE (8683). 
• Confidential Registration: The State of California offers confidential registration to help keep victims of abuse, stalking, and human trafficking, as well as reproductive health care workers, remain safe while exercising their civic right to vote. If sharing your address will put you in life-threatening danger, DO NOT use the online registration form. Contact 1-877-322-5227 or visit the Safe at Home page to learn more about the confidential registration program. 

Checking Your Voter Registration Status 

If you are not sure if you are registered to vote in Alameda County, you can check your status on the ROV’s Voter Profile portal. You can also use this portal to re-register when your name, address, or political affiliation has changed, and set your preferred language for receiving election materials. Election materials are available in English, Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. 

To check your registration status in any other county in California, please visit the California Secretary of State’s My Voter Status portal. You can also use this portal to re-register and set your preferences for receiving election materials.  

For more information on registering to vote, visit the Alameda County ROV's Register to Vote page. 

General Election Support Staff Needed 

The Alameda County ROV is hiring temporary staff to support the upcoming General Election on November 3, 2020. The election support staff pool will provide services as-needed to ensure ballots are processed and counted on Election Day. The ROV encourages interested applicants to apply immediately as the Registrar of Voters Temporary Assignments application may close at any time.  

Candidates who are fluent in English and one of the following languages are strongly encouraged to apply: Burmese, Chinese, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Mien, Mongolian, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Telugu, and Vietnamese. 

Community testing sites located in District 3:

La Clinica de la Raza
Fruitvale BART Station
E 12th Street and 36th Avenue
Monday-Friday, 8 AM- 5 PM
Drive-through and walk-up available

Testing is by appointment only. To make an appointment, call 510-535-3370 (Spanish and English).   

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Native American Health Center
3050 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601 
Tuesday & Thursday, 9 AM – 7 PM
Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM

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 Additional free testing locations:

For more information and guidance on COVID-19 testing, visit ACPHD's Testing for COVID-19 page. 

• Oakland Undocumented Relief (OUR) Fund: Offers financial support for immigrant Oaklanders who have lost income due to COVID-19. To apply for or donate to OUR Fund, visit Centro Legal’s website. 
• Legal Aid at Work (Ayuda Legal Laboral) Resource Guide: offers a list of financial services available to undocumented workers in California who have been impacted by COVID-19. This resource guide is updated on a weekly basis and is available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. 
• Immigrants Rising resource guide provides a list of resources available for undocumented immigrants. Recursos para inmigrantes sobre COVID-19 en español—utilice este enlace

Public Comment Procedures for Board of Supervisors Meetings During Shelter in Place

Procedures for Board of Supervisors meetings are subject to change to improve videoconferencing tools. Please check the Board of Supervisors' website for the most up-to-date guidelines.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors will continue to conduct essential government business at our regularly scheduled Board meetings.

• Agendas are posted on the Board of Supervisors' website: 
  http://acgov.org/board/.

While in-person participation is limited to essential personnel, we are committed to providing the public with live broadcast and remote opportunities to participate in public comment during the Shelter in Place order. The following guidelines allow for public participation in Board meetings while following safe social distancing practices:

Remote Viewing/Listening:
Members of the public who wish to watch the Board of Supervisors meetings, are encouraged to view the live stream online at: 
http://acgov.org/board/broadcast.htm.

We recommend against using Internet Explorer to view the meetings. We recommend using Google Chrome or other browsers to view the meetings.

Public Comment via Teleconference:
Members of the public may address the Board of Supervisors on a matter on the agenda or during the Public Input portion of the meeting on a matter not on the agenda but is an issue within the Board’s subject matter jurisdiction.

To observe the meeting by video conference, please click on this link to join the webinar at the noticed meeting time.

• If you are using a laptop:
  Use the "Raise Hand" button to indicate you would like to speak or provide public comment. When you are called to speak, unmute your speaker.
• If you are listening to the meeting by phone:
  Use the numbers listed on the Zoom/Teleconferencing Guidelines. 
  Dial *9 to raise your hand to speak.
  If you decide not speak, you may hang up and dial back into the meeting or simply notify the Clerk you do not wish to speak when you are unmuted and asked to speak.

Written Comment (accepted until the start of the meeting at 9:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted on the meeting agenda).

To provide written comment on an item on the agenda or to address the Board about an issue during Public Input, you may send an email to CBS@acgov.org.

Please include your name and note the agenda item number you want to address or whether you intend for comment to be included in Public Input. Copies of all written comments will be provided to the Board Members and will be added to the official record.

ADA Accessibility: If you require a reasonable modification or accommodation for a disability, please email the Clerk of the Board at CBS@acgov.org or call (510) 208-4949.