Monterey County Elections Office lays out ballot mailing, early voting timeline for June 2 primary

Monterey County Registrar of Voters Gina Martinez outlined key dates and options for the June 2 statewide primary and urged voters to make a plan to vote.

“All active voters will receive a ballot by mail,” Martinez said, and officials said ballots will begin mailing at the end of the week and were expected to reach Salinas by the weekend. She advised voters who have not received a ballot by May 11 to contact Monterey County elections for a replacement; the office will verify addresses when they do so.

Martinez reviewed deadlines and options: the regular voter registration period ends May 18; voters who register after that date may use conditional or same-day registration and can vote provisionally in person. She said May 26 is the last day Monterey County Elections will mail ballots and recommended that voters use that day as the last day to place ballots in the U.S. mail for return.

On ballot layout and local contests, Martinez said voters in Monterey County will receive two cards (card A and card B) with contests arranged by geography and office. She noted that voters who live in Pajaro will see the Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools contest; other Monterey County voters will see the Monterey County superintendent of schools contest. Voters in the cities of Soledad, Gonzales, Pacific Grove and Monterey will see local measures on their ballots.

The elections office described expanded in-person options under its “books and ballots” program, which began in 2022. Martinez said the county partners with Monterey County Free Libraries and other agencies to bring vote centers and satellite offices to community locations during hours convenient for voters, including evenings and weekends. Early in-person voting begins May 4; the Embassy Suites satellite office was listed to open May 29 and provide continuous services through the early-voting weekend.

Martinez also encouraged poll-worker participation and said training for poll workers begins in just under two weeks. Voters can track ballots and check registration status online at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov or contact the Monterey County Elections Office for assistance.

Deputy Registrar Greta Bridal presented a Spanish-language version of the information following Martinez’s remarks.

Martinez closed by reminding voters: “Make your plan to make it count” — by mail, early in person, or at polling places on June 2, which she called the last day to vote.

The elections office did not announce policy changes or ballots counts at the briefing; it provided scheduling, locations and contact instructions for voters with questions or replacement-ballot requests.