Can you vote in person for the California recall election? Your voting questions answered

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Saturday, August 28, 2021
California recall election: Frequently asked voting questions answered
The California recall election is right around the corner and we have answers to commonly asked voting questions.

The California recall election is right around the corner and you might have some questions about voting and how the recall election process works. We asked Dean Logan, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and got answers to some common questions.

Can I vote in person? And if so, where can I find a list of polling places?

Every voter in this election has the opportunity to either vote by mail or go in person. In Los Angeles County, in-person voting will begin the weekend of September 4. All registered voters should receive by mail a list of polling locations closest to their residence, but you can also go online and find a location near you at lavote.vet.

If Gavin Newsom is recalled, is he immediately removed from office?

If statewide more than 50% of the voters vote "yes" on that first question of recall, then once the election is certified, the governor would be removed from office and the new governor would take office. The date in which that would happen is October 22.

If I vote "no" for the recall, can I write in Gavin Newsom for the replacement candidate?

The technical answer is "yes." As a voter, you have the right to use that write-in space however you want to; however, only votes for declared write-in candidates will actually be accumulated and reported. So since Gavin Newsom is not a certified write-in candidate, that would just be counted as a generic vote for a write-in candidate.

Watch the video in the player above for more answers to frequently asked questions about the California recall election.

WATCH | California Recall: Answering your vote-by-mail questions

Dr. Raphael Sonenshein, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State LA spoke with LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan and Margo Reeg with the LA County League of Women Voters about how voting by mail will work during the gubernatorial recall election.

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