Rio Dell, California Public Records

Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended hours before major elections. Residents can register to vote online through the California Secretary of State's website at registertovote.ca.gov, which requires a California driver's license or ID card number. Registration deadlines fall 15 days before an election for online or mail registration, though the state also offers conditional voter registration up through Election Day at the County Elections Office or any vote center. New voters must provide proof of residence and will receive confirmation by mail. California now provides same-day voter registration during the early voting period and on Election Day at designated locations. Eligible voters must be U.S. Citizens, California residents, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not currently serving a state prison sentence for a felony conviction. Municipal elections for City Council and Mayor occur in November of even-numbered years, consolidated with statewide general elections. The Mayor is selected by the City Council from among its members. Candidate declarations and statements are filed with the Humboldt County Elections Office, which manages the election process for the city. Local ballot measures, if any, also appear on the November ballot. Voters can find their assigned polling place using the polling place lookup tool on the Secretary of State's website at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov or by contacting the County Elections Office. California has transitioned to a vote center model in many counties, though Humboldt County continues to use traditional precinct-based polling places with some vote centers available during early voting. All registered voters in California automatically receive a vote-by-mail ballot, which can be returned by mail (postmarked by Election Day), dropped in an official ballot drop box, or surrendered at a polling place in exchange for an in-person ballot. Under the California Public Records Act, numerous election records are publicly accessible. Voter registration lists (excluding confidential voters) can be purchased for political or election related purposes. Campaign finance disclosure statements for local candidates and ballot measure committees are filed with the city clerk for local races and viewable at City Hall or through the County Elections Office. Precinct-level election results are published after each election, showing vote totals by contest and geographic area. Candidate nomination papers and statements of qualifications are public records available for inspection.Current federal, state, and local election schedules, ballot contests, candidate filings, and certified results for Rio voters are published by the California Secretary of State (https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections). County offices on the ballot may include Humboldt County Supervisors for certain districts, Sheriff, District Attorney, Assessor, Auditor-Controller, Clerk-Recorder, and Treasurer-Tax Collector depending on term expirations. City Council seats (likely two or three positions) will also be contested. State ballot propositions addressing various policy issues will appear, along with any local county or city measures. Candidate information, voter guides, and sample ballots will be mailed to all registered voters approximately four weeks before the election and are also available online through the County Elections Office website.