Frequently Asked Questions

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1. Where is the Office of Elections located?

The Humboldt County Office of Elections is located at 2426 6th Street, in Eureka, at the Humboldt Plaza by Hwy 101. Other County departments located on-site include Department of Health & Human Services and Department of Child Support Services.

The Office of Elections is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The office is closed for County holidays. Our main phone number is 707-445-7481. Please also visit us online at www.humboldtgov.org/elections.

2. How do I register to vote?

Registering to vote is easy. Simply complete and submit a voter registration affidavit 15 days prior to the election in which you want to vote. There are three ways to complete and submit a voter registration affidavit:
1. Visit the Secretary of State website at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration and follow the step-by-step instructions provided.
2. Visit the Office of Elections at 2426 6th Street, in Eureka and complete a hard-copy voter registration affidavit in person.
3. Call the Office of Elections at 707-445-7481 and request a voter registration affidavit be mailed to you for completion and return to our office.

For additional information, view the Voter Registration webpage.

3. How can I vote using a vote-by-mail ballot?

Any registered voter in California is eligible to vote a vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot. for the upcoming election (link is available 29 days prior to an election).

If you would like to become a permanent vote-by-mail voter for all future elections, your request must be made in writing. Download and print a permanent vote-by-mail ballot request form (PDF).

4. What does the Secretary of State do?

The Secretary of State is California's chief elections official. He (or she) is responsible for certifying elections systems, gathering information from the state's 58 counties, and dealing with statewide and legislative candidates among other duties.

It is important to note that while the Secretary of State is responsible for state election responsibilities, each county has its own elections official either appointed by the Board of Supervisors or elected by the voters of the county. The local elections official does not take orders from the Secretary of State, but answers directly to the local voters and Board of Supervisors.

For more information about the Secretary of State, visit the official website.

5. How does a recall work?

Recalling an elected official is an exacting process with critical requirements and deadlines, but it is not impossible. In the not too distant past, a special district official and school district officials were recalled in Humboldt County. There are several sources of information including a guide prepared by local elections officials, another prepared by the Secretary of State, and finally the ultimate source - state laws.

View a recall guide (PDF) and its table of contents. The guide has more links to other sites with additional information.

6. Why am I in a mail-ballot precinct?

Elections Code §3005 provides that precincts with fewer than 250 voters may be sent vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots instead of setting up a polling place. In a countywide election, anywhere from 10 to 15 precincts will be made mail-ballot precincts saving the county several thousands of dollars.

Return your VBM ballot early to ensure it is received no later than 8 p.m. on election day. Alternatively, you may drop your VBM ballot off at any polling location on election day. There is an insert included with your VBM ballot that tells you the location of polling places nearest to you.

7. Why does my polling place move?

The Office of Elections seeks to use the same polling place for each countywide election, so your polling place normally does not move from the primary to the general election. However, there are a couple of factors that can cause polling places to change. The primary reason polling places change is when the Office of Elections is conducting smaller elections -- such as a districts election for a city council or school district where the turnout will be lower. In these instances fewer polling places are needed so they are consolidated to minimize financial impact. The second reason polling places change is due to availability of the polling place facilities. When polling place facilities have a change in availability or require a fee to use the polling place facility, the Office of Elections must coordinate with alternate polling place facilities, resulting in a change of polling place.

The Office of Elections understands that polling place changes can cause confusion and strives to provide stable polling places from one election to another. Unfortunately, this is not always possible.

To minimize potential confusion caused by polling place changes, voters can always determine their polling place by looking at the back of their sample ballot. The sample ballot contains the name and address of the voter's polling place. A second method voters can use to find their polling place is to contact the Office of Elections at 707-445-7481 and Elections staff can verify a voter's polling place. A third method voters can use to find their polling place is to become a permanent vote-by-mail (VBM) voter by applying for a permanent absentee ballot. With this third method the Office of Elections automatically mails voters a ballot for each election in which they are eligible to vote. For more information about becoming a permanent vote-by-mail voter, look at our pages on voting by mail.