California’s top election official on what to know about the June election
WELCOME BACK. THE JUNE PRIMARY, LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY. AND AS YOU PREPARE TO CAST YOUR BALLOT, WE ARE TALKING TO THE STATE’S TOP ELECTION OFFICIAL THIS MORNING. WE WELCOME CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE DOCTOR SHIRLEY WEBER. ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. ALWAYS. WE’VE BEEN TELLING FOLKS THOSE BALLOTS ARE OUT. OF COURSE THEY’VE BEEN RETURNED. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE TO RETURN THEIR BALLOTS. CALIFORNIA IS VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE WAY TO VOTE. AND SO OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY GETS A BALLOT IN THE MAIL. SO YOU HAVE A CHOICE WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO WITH THAT. YOU CAN EITHER RETURN IT BY MAIL ITSELF. YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO TO ONE OF OUR DROP BOXES AND RETURN IT THERE. ONCE YOU’VE SIGNED IT AND EVERYTHING IS DONE. AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO IN AND VOTE IN PERSON. SO THIS WEEK, YOU AND ATTORNEY GENERAL ROB BONTA ISSUED A NEWS RELEASE TALKING ABOUT CHANGES TO THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE AND HOW THAT ACTUALLY MAY IMPACT PEOPLE’S ABILITY TO GET THEIR BALLOTS IN ON TIME. WHAT DO VOTERS NEED TO KNOW? YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT THE POSTAL SERVICE IN CERTAIN AREAS WILL NOT NECESSARILY GUARANTEE THAT THOSE BALLOTS WILL BE POSTMARKED ON THE DAY OF THE ELECTION OR RETURN. AND SO, AS A RESULT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO MAY BE LATE IN TURNING IN THEIR BALLOTS TRY TO DO IT AT THE POST OFFICE ITSELF, GO IN AND HAVE THEM POSTMARKED IT AND RETURN IT FROM THERE. IF YOU’RE DOING IT BY MAIL IN YOUR HOME OR WHEREVER YOU ARE, BE SURE YOU TRY TO GET IT DONE AT LEAST A WEEK IN ADVANCE TO GIVE IT A CHANCE FOR THOSE TO GET POSTMARKED AND TO GET TO US. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS COUNTED. WHAT HAPPENS IF A BALLOT DOES ARRIVE AFTER AFTER THAT DATE, IF IT ARRIVES AFTER THAT DATE AND IT’S NOT POSTMARKED ON THE DAY, BUT NOT JUST ARRIVE AT OUR OFFICE. YOU HAVE SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION TO GET IT IN. BUT IF YOU IF IT’S NOT POSTMARKED BY THAT DATE, THEN OBVIOUSLY WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN IS THAT YOUR BALLOT IS NOT GOING TO BE COUNTED AND POSTMARKED BY THE PRIMARY DATE BY THE PRIMARY DATE, JUNE 2ND. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. CALIFORNIANS DO HAVE VOTING RIGHTS. THEY LIKE THE ABILITY TO GET A NEW BALLOT. IF THEY MAKE A MISTAKE, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK QUESTIONS OF ELECTIONS OFFICIALS ABOUT THE PROCESS. IF ON ELECTION DAY OR EVEN BEFORE ELECTION DAY, THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THERE PERHAPS IS A DENIAL OF THOSE RIGHTS, HOW CAN THEY LET THAT BE KNOWN? WHO CAN THEY TELL? THEY CAN CALL OUR OFFICE AT ONE 800 345, VOTE VOTE, AND THAT GETS YOU DIRECTLY INTO OUR HOTLINES, INTO OUR VARIOUS OFFICES. AND YOU CAN MAKE A COMPLAINT, YOU CAN GET INFORMATION, YOU CAN GET ANYTHING YOU NEED IN TERMS OF ELECTION BY CONTACTING ONE 800 345 VOTE. I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PRIMARY FOR A VERY LONG TIME, BUT WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTIONS, GIVEN THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION? PROBABLY EVERYTHING. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT’S NOT JUST THIS PRIMARY. WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES WITH SPECIAL ELECTIONS, WITH WHAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO IN TERMS OF PEOPLE QUESTIONING WHAT’S TAKING PLACE, MISINFORMATION, DISINFORMATION, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, AND THEN COMING INTO THE OFFICES OCCASIONALLY TRYING TO CAUSE RUCKUS. SO WE ARE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS ON ELECTION DAY. AND WE GO IN VERY PREPARED. AND DISINFORMATION, HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT THAT, ESPECIALLY NOW? AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ADDRESS IT? WELL, WE ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE WHO’S TRYING TO PUT INFORMATION OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT SOMETHING THAT’S INCORRECT. LIKE THE ELECTION IS NOT JUNE 2ND TO JUNE 3RD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND PEOPLE GET KIND OF CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT THESE ELECTION GEEKS LIKE US WHO KNOW THAT ELECTIONS ARE ALWAYS ON TUESDAYS. SO WE GET CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. AND WHEN THAT INFORMATION COMES IN, WE DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CORRECT THE INFORMATION, PUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE GET IT TO OUR WHAT WE CALL OUR TRUSTED MESSENGERS, THE PEOPLE THAT WE TRUST, WHO, WHO HELP WITH ELECTIONS, WHO ARE FOLKS WHO ARE EITHER AT THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS OFFICES OR ACLU OR SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND MAKE SURE THEY GET CORRECT INFORMATION. THEY CAN GET OUT TO THEIR PEOPLE AS WELL. ONE SENTENCE WHY SHOULD CALIFORNIANS TRUST THE ELECTION PROCESS? BECAUSE IT’S SECURE AND IT’S SAFE. AND WE’RE HONEST. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. WE OF COURSE WANT TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN PROBABLY BEFORE ELECTION DAY, MAYBE EVEN ON ELECTION DAY.
California’s top election official on what to know about the June election
Updated: 8:17 AM PDT May 7, 2026
California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber joined the KCRA 3 morning news on Thursday to share key information about June 2 primary election.Every registered voter should be getting a ballot in the mail. Weber noted that you can return the ballot in the mail as long as it is postmarked before June 2. Voters can also return their ballot at a drop box location or vote in person. But Weber recommended voters who are planning to mail their ballot get that done at least a week in advance. “The Postal Service in certain areas will not necessarily guarantee that those ballots will be postmarked on the day of the election nor returned,” she said. “So as a result we want to make sure that those who may be late in returning their ballots try to do it at the post office itself. Go in, have them postmark it and return it from there.”For example, mail dropped off more than 50 miles from a USPS regional hub is collected the next day. “We want to make sure everybody gets counted,” Weber said. Ballots that make the postmark deadline have seven days after the election to be counted. If people experience an election-related issue, they can call the secretary of state’s voter hotline at 800-345-VOTE (8683). Learn about the Voter Bill of Rights here. Weber cited concerns about disinformation and misinformation.Asked why people should trust the election process, Weber said, “Because it’s secure and it’s safe and we’re honest.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google.
California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber joined the KCRA 3 morning news on Thursday to share key information about June 2 primary election.
Every registered voter should be getting a ballot in the mail. Weber noted that you can return the ballot in the mail as long as it is postmarked before June 2. Voters can also return their ballot at a drop box location or vote in person.
But Weber recommended voters who are planning to mail their ballot get that done at least a week in advance.
“The Postal Service in certain areas will not necessarily guarantee that those ballots will be postmarked on the day of the election nor returned,” she said. “So as a result we want to make sure that those who may be late in returning their ballots try to do it at the post office itself. Go in, have them postmark it and return it from there.”
For example, mail dropped off more than 50 miles from a USPS regional hub is collected the next day.
“We want to make sure everybody gets counted,” Weber said.
Ballots that make the postmark deadline have seven days after the election to be counted.
If people experience an election-related issue, they can call the secretary of state’s voter hotline at 800-345-VOTE (8683). Learn about the Voter Bill of Rights here.
Weber cited concerns about disinformation and misinformation.
Asked why people should trust the election process, Weber said, “Because it’s secure and it’s safe and we’re honest.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google.