Brookdale, California Public Records

House of Representatives. State elections include Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Assembly, and State Senate. At the Santa Cruz County level, voters select members of the Board of Supervisors, Sheriff, District Attorney, Assessor, Auditor-Controller, Treasurer-Tax Collector, and Clerk-Recorder. Judicial elections for Superior Court judges, school district elections for San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District board members, and special district elections for water districts, fire protection districts, and cemetery districts round out the ballot. The community is located in the 4th Supervisorial District of Santa Cruz County for county elections. California residents, including those in the area, can register to vote online through the California Secretary of State's website at https://registertovote.ca.gov. The online system requires a valid California driver's license or identification card number plus the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security number. Eligibility requires U.S. Citizenship, California residency, age 18 or older by Election Day, and no current imprisonment or parole for a felony conviction. California offers Same Day Voter Registration, allowing eligible individuals to register and vote conditionally at vote centers or county elections offices during early voting and on Election Day; these ballots are counted once registration is verified. The standard voter registration deadline is 15 days before Election Day for online or mail registration. California operates as a universal vote-by-mail state, meaning all registered voters automatically receive a mail ballot for every election. Voters can return the ballot by mail postage-free, drop it at an official ballot drop box, or vote in person at a vote center. Residents can find their assigned vote center and drop box locations using the lookup tool at www.votescount.us or by calling the Elections Department. All 52 California U.S. House seats, including the district representing the community (currently the 19th District represented by Jimmy Panetta), will be contested. Santa Cruz County elections in 2026 will likely include some Board of Supervisors seats (supervisors serve four-year staggered terms), and potentially county constitutional offices such as Sheriff, District Attorney, Assessor, and others depending on term expirations. School board elections for the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District may also appear on the ballot, with trustees typically serving four-year terms. Local special district elections for fire protection, water, and other services may be included depending on the district's election cycle. Election records in California are extensively public. Voter registration information including names and addresses of registered voters is public record available for purchase for political and research purposes, though birthdates, driver's license numbers, and Social Security numbers are confidential. Campaign finance records for all candidates and ballot measure committees are publicly searchable through the California Secretary of State's Cal-Access database at http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov for state-level campaigns, and through the Santa Cruz County Elections Department and the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) for local campaigns. Candidate declarations, statements of qualifications, and ballot arguments are public records available through the Elections Department. Precinct-level election results are published after each election and are available on the County Elections website, showing vote totals by precinct, vote center, and mail ballots. Historical election results dating back many years are maintained in the Elections office archives. Poll worker rosters and election administration records are generally public, though some security-related information may be exempt. Local voters can request absentee/vote-by-mail ballots, though as noted, California automatically mails ballots to all registered voters; voters who need a replacement ballot can request one through the Elections Department website, by phone, or in person. Ballot tracking is available through the "Where's My Ballot?" system at https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/, allowing voters to receive notifications when their ballot is mailed, received, and counted.