Friday, October 18, 2024
As the November 5, 2024, General Election approaches, Yolo County Elections and the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office are issuing a joint statement to underscore the importance of fair election practices and to warn against electioneering, voter fraud, and illegal voting, including double voting. These offenses are serious violations that compromise the integrity of the democratic process.
Electioneering, defined as campaigning or attempting to influence voters near polling places, is prohibited within 100 feet of a polling location in California. Violations can result in penalties. "We are committed to ensuring that every voter can cast their ballot free from intimidation or undue influence," said Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters. "We ask voters to report any suspicious activity or violations of election law."
Additionally, double voting is a crime. Under California Elections Code Section 18560, individuals who attempt to vote more than once or knowingly hand in two or more ballots folded together face potential charges being filed against them. When casting a ballot, individuals must sign under penalty of perjury. Perjury is a felony, and if convicted, individuals have the potential of facing imprisonment of up to three years.
Yolo County Elections actively monitors cases of double voting across several categories:
- A voter submitting two vote-by-mail ballots in Yolo County at the same time.
- A voter submitting a vote-by-mail ballot in another County, then attempted to vote provisionally in Yolo County.
- A voter submitting a vote-by-mail ballot in Yolo County, then attempted to vote provisionally in Yolo County.
- A voter casting a ballot in person at a vote center in another County, then attempted to vote provisionally in Yolo County.
- A voter casting a ballot in person at a vote center in Yolo County, then attempted to vote provisionally again in another vote center in Yolo County.
These actions are not acceptable. Yolo County Elections carefully tracks incidents of double voting and reports them to the Secretary of State (SOS) and the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office for investigation.
We want to encourage voting in our county but emphasize that double voting is not permissible and considered a criminal act," Salinas added. "Election integrity is a top priority, and we take every attempt to undermine the process seriously," said Jeff Reisig, Yolo County District Attorney. "We work closely with our partners to investigate and prosecute any fraudulent activities."
Residents are encouraged to be informed and vigilant. Any suspicious election-related activities, including electioneering or attempts at double voting, should be reported to the Yolo County Elections Office at (530) 666-8133 / election.integrity@yolocounty.gov.
For more information about this election, visit: elections.yolocounty.gov. Information about Vote Centers, Mobile Vote Center and Ballot Drop Box locations are available at: https://elections.yolocounty.gov/vote-locations.
The Yolo County Elections Office encourages residents to connect with Yolo County ACE – Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Elections on Facebook: @YoloACE, Instagram: @YoloCoACE, Threads: @YoloCoACE, YouTube: @Yolo County ACE, TikTok: @yolocoace and X:@YoloCoACE to receive the most up to date information.
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