More than 3,000 ballots across Kern and Tulare counties face signature issues following the November 3 election, prompting Loud for Tomorrow to help voters make corrections before the November 25 deadline.
The Delano youth-led civic engagement and social justice organization is leading a ballot curing effort to help affected voters resolve those issues and ensure their votes are counted.
California allows voters to correct missing signatures or signatures that do not match their voter registration records through a process known as ballot curing, according to the California Secretary of State. A flagged ballot can still be counted if the voter successfully completes the correction process before the deadline.
Biviana Camacho, civic engagement program manager for Loud for Tomorrow, said the effort helps ensure voters who participated in the election have their voices heard.
“We always say this election is the most important one of our lives. We spend the whole year encouraging and getting people to get out and vote, and folks go out of their way to do their research and are really passionate about voting and participate in the voting process. So, I think they deserve to have their vote count and deserve to have their voice heard,” Camacho said.
County elections officials must notify voters whose ballot envelopes have missing or mismatched signatures and provide instructions for correcting them. However, receiving a notice does not necessarily mean a voter understands what it requires.
Loud for Tomorrow is working to bridge that gap by helping voters navigate the correction process, including those facing language barriers or uncertainty about the forms and deadline.
“I know there are a lot of folks that may not understand what that notice they received looks like or is. There might be a language barrier that we’re hoping to help with, or they may not know how to complete it or when the deadline is. We are hoping to help with that,” Camacho said.
Affected voters should carefully review their notice, complete the required form and return it to their county elections office. Completed signature correction statements must be received by 5 p.m. by November 25th. Ballots with unresolved signature issues will not be counted.
Voters can check their ballot status through California’s voter status website or contact their county elections office for assistance.
Community members interested in joining Loud for Tomorrow’s ballot curing shifts can sign up through the organization’s Mobilize page at https://www.mobilize.us/powercaaction/event/1080022/?share_medium=native_share&share_context=event_detail_page&force_banner=true
