Wasco, California Public Records

Registration deadlines require voters to register or update their information at least 15 days before Election Day, though conditional voter registration allows eligible citizens to register and vote provisionally during the 14-day period before and including Election Day at the County Elections Office or any vote center. Eligibility requirements include California residency, U.S. Citizenship, being 18 or older by Election Day, and not currently imprisoned or on parole for a felony conviction. As an incorporated city, Wasco holds municipal elections for City Council positions. Council members serve four-year staggered terms, with elections typically scheduled for November of even-numbered years to align with statewide general elections. The next municipal elections are set for November 2024 and November 2026. Rather than being elected directly by voters citywide, the Mayor is selected by the City Council from among its members. Residents can find candidate statements, local ballot measures, and municipal election information through the Kern County Elections website and the City of Wasco website at www.cityofwasco.com. Since 2020, California has operated as a vote-by-mail state, with all registered voters automatically receiving mail ballots for every election. Voters have multiple options for casting ballots: returning them by postage-paid mail (postmarked by Election Day), dropping them at official drop boxes located throughout Kern County including in Wasco, or voting in person at vote centers during early voting or on Election Day. Residents can look up their specific polling location or nearest vote center at https://www.kernvote.com/Voter-Information/Polling-Place-Search. In the November 2024 presidential election, Kern County reported approximately 252,000 registered voters with turnout around 62-65 percent, translating to roughly 155,000-165,000 ballots cast countywide. The city's approximately 10,000 registered voters contributed several thousand ballots to that total. On November 3, 2026, voters here and throughout Kern County will decide several important races. California holds gubernatorial elections in midterm years, so the 2026 ballot will include the Governor's race as incumbent Gavin Newsom is term-limited. All 80 California State Assembly seats and 20 of the 40 State Senate seats will be on the ballot, including State Assembly District 32 which includes Wasco. California's U.S. Senator seat held by Alex Padilla will be up for election in 2026, as will all 52 of California's U.S. House seats including the 20th and 21st Congressional Districts which cover Kern County. County-level races will include Kern County Supervisor Districts (one or two typically up each cycle), District Attorney, Sheriff-Coroner, Assessor-Recorder, and other constitutional officers. City Council seats will be decided in 2026 as part of the regular rotation. Public election records accessible under California law include voter registration information (names and addresses but not birth dates or driver's license numbers), precinct-level election results published after each election at www.kernvote.com/Elections/Prior-Elections, and campaign finance disclosure reports filed by candidates and ballot measure committees searchable at the Kern County Elections website and the California Secretary of State's Cal-Access database at http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov. Sample ballots are mailed to all registered voters approximately 3-4 weeks before each election.