Bodega, California Public Records

Access to these documents falls under the California Public Records Act, which balances the public's right to transparency with protections for sensitive information that could compromise investigations or individual privacy.

California residents including those in the community can register online at registertovote.ca.gov, the Secretary of State's official portal, up to 15 days before any election, with conditional voter registration available at Vote Centers through Election Day for those who miss the deadline. Registration requires a California driver's license or ID card number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number, along with a residential address (not a P.O. Box). As an unincorporated community, Bodega has no municipal government, city council, or mayoral elections; residents vote in Sonoma County Board of Supervisors elections (the area is located in the 5th Supervisorial District), countywide offices including Sheriff, District Attorney, Assessor-Clerk-Recorder, and Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector, as well as state and federal races. Voters can locate their assigned Vote Center (California uses a Vote Center model rather than precinct-specific polling places, allowing voters to visit any Vote Center in Sonoma County during the voting period) by visiting vote.sonoma-county.org/vote-center-locations or calling the Registrar of Voters. Vote Centers open 10 days before Election Day with extended hours in the final weekend and on Election Day itself. In the November 2024 presidential election, Sonoma County reported approximately 67.2% voter turnout with over 260,000 ballots cast from approximately 387,000 registered voters, reflecting California's vote-by-mail emphasis where all registered voters automatically receive mail ballots. For the November 3, 2026 general election, voters will decide several significant races: California does not have a U.S. Senate seat up in 2026 (the next Senate election is 2028), but residents will elect a Governor (Gavin Newsom is term-limited, making this an open race), Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. State legislative races include all 80 Assembly seats (the area is in the 10th Assembly District) and 20 of 40 Senate seats. Locally, the November 2026 ballot will include Sonoma County Board of Supervisors races for odd-numbered districts including the 5th District, as well as potentially countywide offices and local school board positions for West Sonoma County Union High School District and Shoreline Unified School District. California's primary election will be held June 2, 2026, to narrow the field for November. Under California's all-vote-by-mail system, all registered voters receive a mail ballot automatically 29 days before each election; voters may return ballots by mail (postmarked by Election Day), drop them in official ballot drop boxes located throughout Sonoma County, or vote in person at any Vote Center. Public election records in California include voter registration files (available with addresses redacted for privacy except to qualified requesters), campaign finance disclosures for candidates and ballot measure committees searchable at cal-access.sos.ca.gov, candidate statements and filings, and precinct-level election results, all accessible through the Sonoma County Registrar website or the California Secretary of State at sos.ca.gov.