BALLOT HARVESTING (COLLECTING)

In the spirit of voting, Free Ventura Action will have a secured ballot collection box in the lobby at all 4 services from Oct 15/16th to Nov 5/6th. Ballots collected will be secured and driven directly to the Ventura Elections office each Monday morning.

Many people find it difficult to get to the polling place on Election Day. Those who vote by mail are sometimes busy and forget to return their ballot to election officials prior to the deadline. Still, others are unable to leave home to vote due to health, transportation, or even weather issues. Ballot collection at a church is a helpful solution for churchgoers.

From the earliest days of this country, churches have had a positive impact on society as well as on the local community. The passage of AB 1921 (2016) by the California legislature provided another way that churches can have a positive impact and serve their congregation as well as their local community.

Although California law has long provided the opportunity for voters to have a family member or a member of their household return their vote-by-mail ballots (sometimes called Absentee Ballots), to the polling place on Election Day. AB 1921 has removed the restriction that only family or household members can return vote-by-mail ballots. AB 1921 permits anyone designated by the voter to return the ballot. So now churches can legally offer this service that was previously allowed only by family or household members.