Madison, California Public Records

The Davis Police Department, Woodland Police Department, and West Sacramento Police Department each maintain jurisdiction over local matters in their communities, but these agencies work closely with the Sheriff's Office when major crimes occur or regional initiatives require a coordinated response across the county.

The registration deadline falls 15 days before any election, though the state allows conditional voter registration up through Election Day for those who missed the cutoff - they must vote provisionally at the Yolo County elections office or designated locations. As an unincorporated community, Madison has no municipal government, mayor, or city council elections. Residents instead cast ballots in county supervisor races (Yolo County has five supervisorial districts), state legislative contests for Assembly and Senate, congressional elections, statewide offices, and various special districts including the Madison Fire Protection District, Esparto Unified School District, and regional water districts. These local special district elections typically appear on ballots in even-numbered years during the June primary or November general election cycles. Residents can locate their assigned polling place through the Yolo County elections website at www.yolocounty.gov/elections or by calling the elections office directly. California has transitioned to a vote center model in many counties, allowing voters to cast ballots at any vote center within their county during a multi-day voting period rather than being restricted to a single precinct location on Election Day. Yolo County implemented this system, meaning those in Madison can use any of Yolo County's vote centers, which open several days before Election Day. Under California law, voter registration lists are public records available for purchase by candidates and qualified political purposes, though Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and signatures are redacted. Campaign finance disclosure reports for local races are filed with the county, while state candidates file with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (www.fppc.ca.gov). Precinct-level election results are posted online after each election, showing vote totals for the area and surrounding communities. Yolo County reported approximately 64.2% voter turnout in the November 2024 presidential election, with roughly 75,000 ballots cast from about 117,000 registered voters countywide. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature critical statewide and federal races. California voters will elect a Governor (Gavin Newsom is term-limited), Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. All 80 State Assembly seats are up for two-year terms, while half of the 40 State Senate seats face election. At the federal level, all 52 California U.S. House seats will be contested, though there is no U.S. Senate race in 2026 (California's next Senate election is in 2028 for the seat currently held by Adam Schiff). Locally, Madison voters will decide one or more Yolo County Supervisor seats, depending on district boundaries, along with potential ballot measures affecting county services, taxes, or land use. The June 2026 primary election will narrow candidate fields for these November races. California is a universal vote-by-mail state, meaning every registered voter automatically receives a mail ballot approximately 29 days before each election. Voters may complete and mail these ballots (postmarked by Election Day), drop them at any official ballot drop box throughout Yolo County, or bring them to any vote center. Alternatively, they can vote in person at vote centers during the early voting period or on Election Day. No excuse is required for mail voting - it is the default method, though in-person voting remains available to all.