Some Tips to California Voters to Avoid Being Disenfranchised

[Time for change]

I got much of this from a former California precinct worker who posted it at a Bernie Sanders site, Jackpine Radicals. He is especially concerned about a category of voters called DTS (Declined To State party preference), who legally can vote in the Democratic Party, but he is worried that they might be targeted for suppression in an attempt to steal the election. However, I see that according to the California Secretary of State Website, the DTS category has been renamed to NPP (No Party Preference – perhaps in an effort to confuse these voters), so I will cover them together. The poster also includes a disclaimer which says that this information is correct and current to the best of his knowledge, unless the Democratic Party made recent rule changes that he is unaware of with the goal of taking votes away from Bernie. I will summarize his most important points:

1) MOST IMPORTANT: If you are in the DTS or NPP category, they will probably try to give you a non-partisan ballot (in fact the SOS website specifically says they will), which does not include the Presidential primary on it. If they ask you which ballot you want to receive, or if they don’t ask and try to give you a non-partisan ballot, tell them you want a Democratic ballot. Do not just say that you are a Democrat, or don’t say that at all. Tell them you want a Democratic ballot, which they are legally required to give to you if you request it (assuming you are registered DTS or NPP or Democratic and at the right precinct). Make sure you have a Democratic ballot before you vote. If you mistakenly begin voting and then realize that the Presidential primary is not on the ballot or that one of the candidate’s names is not on the ballot, do not finish voting – take the ballot to a poll worker and demand a Democratic ballot. If they refuse to give you one, report to the highest election official at the polls and to the Sanders campaign.

2) Many California voters are reporting that their registrations have been switched to Republican or some other category which is not allowed to participate in the Democratic primaries, or if they are voting absentee have received an absentee ballot that does not include the Presidential primary on it. So check your voter registration, and if it has been switched, get it changed back if you can. They forge signatures in order to change voter registrations, and this can be easily proved, but you would have to go to the BOE office or County Elections Office and have them compare your signature to the signature that changed your voter registration.

3) Do not wear anything that will identify you as a Sanders voter. If you do, you may be accused of electioneering, or you risk being illegally purged or having your vote not count.

4) If you are newly registered or recently changed your registration, but you did so by May 24, you are legally allowed to vote in the Democratic primary if your most current registration change is to the Democratic Party or DTS or NPP (there may be one or more other categories that are also legally allowed to vote, but it doesn’t appear to me that that is the case). So, if you are told at the polls that your name is not on the roster, ask them to check “Late Changes”, where your name should appear.

5) If your name cannot be found, make sure that you are in the right precinct. If you are not, make an attempt to vote in the right precinct because otherwise you will be required to vote Provisional ballot, which may not count.

6) If you are in line by 8 pm, you must be allowed to vote (if otherwise legally allowed to vote). If they try to tell you otherwise, report it to the highest election official at the polls and to the Sanders campaign.

7) If you received an absentee ballot but didn’t use it, in order to cast a regular vote (i.e. not provisional ballot), you must bring a spoiled absentee ballot with you to the polls.

8) Voter ID is not required by law in California. But I would advise that if you have one, bring it anyhow, just in case.

9) If they say that your voter status is inactive, you are still legally allowed to vote by regular ballot in California. If they don’t give you a Democratic ballot, report to highest election official at the polls and to Sanders campaign.