Assistance for Voters with Special Needs

San Luis Obispo County offers voters with disabilities options that provide for a private and independent voting environment that works for you. These options include:

• Vote-by-Mail: Your ballot is automatically sent to you. Keep it safe and return your ballot by mail, drop box, or polling place.
• Voting at a Polling Place: You can go to your assigned polling place on Election Day.
• Accessible ballot-marking machines (ICX) are available at every polling place on Election Day and at the County Clerk-Recorder offices beginning 29 days prior to the election.
• Accessible Voter Information Guide on the web: Voter Information Guides are available on the Clerk-Recorder’s website with the use of personal accessible navigational tools and screen reader technology. Use our Polling Place Lookup to access.

Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail (RAVBM)

A remotely accessible vote-by-mail voting experience can be provided by the elections staff for all voters, including those with disabilities. This includes using web-based tools on a personal computer, printer, and one’s personal assistive device(s) (screen readers, tactile switches, closed captioning, sip and puff system, etc.) to access and mark one’s ballot, then return it by mail to the Elections Office.

Details and a fact sheet can be found here, or you can contact the Elections office for information at 805-781-5228.

Other Assistance for Visually, Hearing or Speech Impaired:
The Secretary of State’s Office has a TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) to provide elections information: 1-800-833-8683 (1-800-TDD-VOTE). Large-print format of the state ballot measures continues to be available.

Ballot Initiative Qualification

This service provides information for qualifying an initiative to go to election and placing a measure on the ballot. 

Campaign Finance Disclosures Filing

This service provides access to the online portal used to file campaign finance disclosures. County Ordinance No. 3261 requires electronic filing of campaign disclosure documents for all candidates and committees. Treasurers must use the NetFile Filer login link to file campaign finance disclosures (Fair Political Practices Commission Forms 410, 460, 496, 497, 461, and 465). These documents are public and may be audited by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) and California Franchise Tax Board to ensure that voters are fully informed and improper practices prohibited. It is the responsibility of candidates and committees to understand the rules regulating their campaigns in California.

County Ordinance 3487 addresses local campaign finance contribution limits.

Campaign Finance Reports and Information Search

The California Political Reform Act requires candidates and committees to file campaign statements by specified deadlines disclosing contributions received and expenditures made. These documents are public and may be viewed using the Campaign Finance Disclosure Public Portal. The filings available online are redacted. Please contact the Clerk-Recorder office for unredacted versions.

Please note that this portal is not managed or maintained by the County of San Luis Obispo. It is managed and maintained by a third-party company that hosts campaign disclosure forms, documents and statements for local California governments. But if you need assistance, please contact the County Clerk-Recorder’s Office.

Current & Upcoming Elections

These links provide information on current and upcoming election(s) being conducted by the County of San Luis Obispo.

Current Officeholders Information

This service provides a list of current Countywide officeholders, term lengths, and term expiration dates.

Current Recall Efforts

Information regarding current recall efforts is posted here for San Luis Obispo county voters' information

Election Observer / Poll Watcher

This service provides information about poll watcher rules when observing procedures at polling places or the central counting location. See the Poll Watcher Guide for details.

Election Video Resources

The following are educational video resources regarding election processes. Click on any of the images below to watch a detailed video about the subject. 

First Time Federal Voters

The Help America Vote Act requires first time voters to show identification when voting.  If you registered to vote by mail after January 1, 2003 and have not previously voted in San Luis Obispo County you will be required to show your current valid photo I.D. or a copy of one of the following that shows your name and address when you go to the polls on election day:  current utility bill, bank statement, government check, government paycheck, or other government document.  The same requirement applies if you vote by mail.

Past Elections

This service provides election results, documents, and information related to past elections conducted by the County of San Luis Obispo. Summary reports of final official election results dating back to March 2000 are available online. Older results may be obtained from the Clerk-Recorder office.

Polling Place Lookup

This service provided by the California Secretary of State allows you to look up your polling place and other relevant voter status information.

Polling Place Lookup

Precinct Maps

This service provides access to the precinct mapping information maintained by the Clerk-Recorder office for election purposes. Geographical information systems (GIS) technology has been used to maintain precinct boundaries and facilitate map printing. Precinct maps utilize GIS data maintained by various County departments and other agencies such as Public Works, Assessor, Planning & Building, cities, LAFCO, the Citizens Redistricting Commission, and the Census Bureau.

Please contact the elections team at [email protected] or 805-781-5228 with any questions.

Precinct Workers

The staff at the Clerk-Recorder's Office work hundreds of hours to prepare for each election, but on election morning, the process is turned over to precinct workers (also known as poll workers) to administer. We need dedicated community members to serve voters who go to the polls on Election Day. Specific examples of what you will be doing as a precinct worker include:

• Before Election Day, attend training & pick up your supplies
• Election Day, arrive at 6:00AM to set up
• Assist voters when signing in
• Issue ballots to voters and accept ballots from vote-by-mail voters
• Close the polls
• Account for ballots & pack up supplies
• Deliver the voted ballots & supplies to a central collection point

While most poll workers admit it is a more complicated process than they first imagined, they have also expressed a great satisfaction at contributing to an important piece of American democracy.

NOTE: If you are a poll worker for the November 5, 2024, General Election and you are looking for training resources, please see the Video Trainings & Manual page. If you have questions, please email [email protected] or call us at (805) 781-5228.

Click here for more information on Precinct Worker Programs

Recall an Elected Official

This service provides information on how to remove an elective officer (elected official) from office.

Remote Accessible Vote-By-Mail (RAVBM)

For more details, check out our printable RAVBM Fact Sheet & FAQs.

What is Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail (RAVBM)?

The RAVBM system allows voters to vote independently and privately by marking ballot selection(s) using their own compatible technology. This system is available to all California registered voters. To use the RAVBM system, a voter must download the application, mark and print their ballot, sign the envelope (using the envelope provided with the regular vote-by-mail ballot or the voter's own envelope), then return their ballot by mail, drop box, polling place, or directly to the SLO County Elections Office.

How to use RAVBM

A voter using RAVBM:

• Requests a RAVBM from their County Election Office by application, phone, email or by reviewing their information on My Voter Status at sos.ca.gov.
• Receives an email from the County Elections Office that includes a link to the RAVBM system and a unique ballot access code.
• Uses their code to access their ballot and mark their voting choices.
• After marking, reviewing, and accepting their ballot, prints and returns their complete ballot package (containing the voted ballot, ballot declaration, and voter oath) by using the postage-paid envelope included with their original vote-by-mail ballot or by using their own envelope, which would require postage. Whichever envelope is used, it must have the voter’s signature on the outside. The voter can also return their envelope in person to a drop box, polling location, or the County Elections Office. 

A voter cannot submit their selections online. It must be mailed or returned in person.  

For RAVBM questions, please call the SLO County Elections Office at (805) 781-5228 Mon-Tue and Thurs-Fri between 8am and 5pm or Wed between 8am and 4pm.  You may also email your questions to [email protected].

Running for Public Office

We offer assistance to candidates running for office in the County of San Luis Obispo. Our November 5, 2024, General Election page includes resources like a Calendar of Important Dates for Candidates and Candidate Filing Guidelines. Additional information about running for office can be found on the California Secretary of State's website.

Signature "Cure" Letters

The following information is provided pursuant to EC § 3019 regarding how to "cure" noncomparable and missing signatures on ballot identification envelopes.

#TrustedInfo2024

This page serves as a resource for dispelling misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.

These days, information about elections and election processes isn't always reliable. Misinformation is widespread, and it's sometimes difficult to identify or combat every falsehood. Because we get much of our information from the internet and national news sources, it's also easy to think that issues reported on elsewhere are impacting us here at home. In truth, California's election systems are extremely safe and secure, and all 58 counties have a proven track record of conducting accessible and accurate elections. For an overview of current security practices, we urge you to check out this summary from the California Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State also has a valuable online resource that directly addresses some of the most common rumors regarding elections and voting at Trusted Info. We urge you to take a look and see if it has answers to some of your own questions. Another great resource from the California Secretary of State is the Voting Law Compliance Handbook, which includes specific questions, examples, and scenarios to help readers better understand important elections and voting facts. If you are interested in learning more about voting and voting security from a national perspective, Election FAQs — NASED is useful as well.

The single most important thing anyone can do is VOTE. Most misinformation campaigns are designed to prevent votes or undermine trust in elections. If you read something you are unsure of, think about the source of the information and whether the source has anything to gain by publishing or sharing it.

Our office is committed to safe and secure elections. Please review our Voter FAQs and other pages of our web site for information about Upcoming Elections, Vote-By-Mail, Voter Registration, and many other election-related topics. You can contact our office by email at [email protected] or phone at (805) 781-5228 at any time with questions.

Upcoming Elections

This service provides upcoming election information.

Vote-By-Mail

This service provides information about voting by mail.

Voter Information Data File

This service provides information on applying for voter registration information.

New regulations governing access to voter information went into effect July 1, 2022. Please review the Secretary of State site for updated regulations.

Voter Language Assistance

As required by law, the County of San Luis Obispo offers facsimile ballots in the following languages:

Voter Registration

This service allows you to look up your voter registration status, register to vote, update your voter registration, or view information regarding voter registration.

Voter Registration Certified Copies

This service provides information on requesting a certified copy of your voting registration record.

Voter Registration Reports

This service allows you to view current voter registration numbers by State reporting district (updated weekly), and the Official Report of Voter Registration as required by and reported to California Secretary of State.

Voter Status Lookup

This service is offered by the California Secretary of State and allows you to look up your voter registration status using Voter Status Lookup. Using this tool, you can:

• Check if you are registered to vote.
• Check where you are registered to vote.
• Check your political party preference.
• Check your language preference for election materials.
• Check the status of your vote-by-mail or provisional ballot.
• Find your polling place.
• Find information for upcoming local and state elections.
• Find contact information for your county elections office.
• Choose how you want to receive your state and county voter guides before each election.

If you recently registered online, please wait at least 24 hours before checking your status. If you cannot view your voter status, contact the Elections Office at [email protected] or call 805-781-5228 and we will assist you.

Voting - Military and Overseas Citizens

This service provides information about voting as provided by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and allows eligible voters to register to vote and request a vote-by-mail ballot as provided by the act.

• The California Secretary of State website provides information for California's military and overseas voters
• The Federal Voting Assistance Program website also provides voting assistance for service members, their families, and overseas citizens.

Where to Vote

This service allows you to see voting location options around the County, for dropping off a vote-by-mail ballot at an official drop box , or where you can vote in person at your assigned polling place.

• North Coast
• North County
• San Luis Obispo
• South County

Where's My Ballot? - Ballot Tracking

San Luis Obispo County voters can subscribe to receive automated alerts regarding the status of their ballot. Where's My Ballot? allows voters to determine how they want to be notified and provides updates on when ballots are mailed, received, counted, and if there are any issues.