Jolon, California Public Records

The Elections Department is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended hours before major elections. California residents, including those in the area, can register to vote online at https://registertovote.ca.gov, which is the official California Secretary of State voter registration portal. Voters must be U.S. Citizens, California residents, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not currently incarcerated or on parole for a felony conviction. California offers same-day conditional voter registration, allowing eligible residents to register and vote provisionally at vote centers or county elections offices through Election Day. The voter registration deadline for most elections is 15 days before Election Day for pre-registration, though conditional registration remains available thereafter. Acceptable forms of identification for registration include a California driver's license or ID number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Because the community is unincorporated with no municipal government, there are no city council, mayoral, or local municipal elections specific to the area. Residents vote in county-level elections for Monterey County Board of Supervisors (District 5 represents the southern county area including the community), countywide offices such as Sheriff, District Attorney, Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, Treasurer-Tax Collector, and Auditor-Controller, as well as state and federal races. County Supervisor elections are held in cycles with four-year terms. Local voters also participate in school board elections for the San Antonio Union Elementary School District and matters related to special districts serving the area. To find their assigned polling place or vote center, residents can use the online polling place lookup tool at https://www.montereycountyelections.us or contact the Elections Department directly. Monterey County has transitioned to a vote center model under the California Voter's Choice Act, meaning voters can cast ballots at any vote center in Monterey County during the early voting period or on Election Day, rather than being restricted to a single precinct polling place. Vote centers typically open 10 days before Election Day with varying hours. Election records that are public in California include voter registration rosters (with birthdates and driver's license numbers redacted), precinct-level election results, campaign finance disclosures filed with the county or state (accessible at https://www.fppc.ca.gov for state races and through the County Elections Department for local races), candidate statements and filing documents, ballot measure full text and arguments, and county canvass reports. Individual voter history (which elections a person voted in, but not how they voted) is also public record, while actual ballot choices are confidential. In the November 3, 2020 presidential election (most recent data available as 2024 results finalize), Monterey County reported approximately 141,000 ballots cast out of 216,000 registered voters, representing a turnout of approximately 65%. Final November 2024 presidential election turnout data for the county was still being certified as of early 2025, but preliminary estimates indicated similar or slightly higher turnout percentages. The November 3, 2026 general election will be a critical midterm election for local voters and Monterey County. California does not have gubernatorial elections in 2026 (the Governor serves a four-year term with the next election in 2026 actually being for Lieutenant Governor and other constitutional offices). In 2026, county voters will decide races including: one of California's U.S. Senate seats (Class III, currently held by a senator whose term expires January 2027), all U.S. House of Representatives seats (the area falls within California's 24th Congressional District), California State Senate District 17, California State Assembly District 30, county-level offices depending on the election cycle schedule, judicial retention elections for Superior Court judges, and various local special district board seats. Ballot measures may include county sales tax measures, bond measures for schools and infrastructure, and statewide propositions on issues ranging from taxation to criminal justice to housing policy. California is a universal vote-by-mail state, meaning every registered voter automatically receives a vote-by-mail ballot before each election. Residents will receive their ballots at their registered mailing address beginning 29 days before Election Day. Voters can complete and return mail ballots via U.S. Postal Service (postmarked by Election Day), at official ballot drop boxes located throughout Monterey County (until 8:00 PM on Election Day), or in person at any vote center. Voters can track their ballot status at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-status. To request a replacement ballot or update vote-by-mail preferences, voters should contact the Monterey County Elections Department at (831) 796-1499.