NPP Voters may need to re-register for California Primary
The California Presidential Primary isn’t until Tuesday June 7, 2016 but the rules for voting are convoluted because of it’s semi-open rules on presidential voting.
The fact that California is not an open primary makes things particularly complex for voters who registered with “no party preference.” “No-party preference (NPP)” suggests that one ought to be able to vote for any candidate in any party.
This year “no-party preference” (NPP) voters can only participate in the following Presidential party ballots without having to re-register: Democratic, American Independent, or Libertarian. You will have to request one of those ballots.
If you want to vote in the Presidential Primary as a Green, Peace & Freedom Party, or Republican party member, you must re-register by May 23, 2016, so you are eligible to vote for one of these presidential candidates.
All NPP voters may vote in the California open primary. The semi-open rules only apply for the Presidential Primary. All voters are eligible to vote for all other offices, such as U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, statewide offices, and state legislative offices.
To quickly re-register or register to vote online, visit: http://registertovote.ca.gov/
Another way to re-register is by mail or in person so you can vote for the Green, Peace & Freedom, or Republican Party Presidential Primary candidates. Visit your local DMV or county elections office but you must do so no later than May 23, 2016.
If you don’t receive your voter registration card in time, or it is still on the way, you can also vote under a provisional ballot. You can request a provisional ballot at your polling place. To find out more about where and how to vote visit this webpage: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/where-and-how
If you are visually or hearing impaired, you can request Audio & Large Print Voter Information Guide, and guides translated into Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese by:
- Visiting the language assistance and TTY/TDD hotlines http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-california/voter-hotlines/
- Downloading the audio MP3 version of the Voter Guide available at http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/en/audio/
- Calling the toll-free hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683) for general help
A complete list of all the Presidential Primary Candidates is listed by Party here: