Essential voter info: Nonparty preferences & new machines for Presidential Primary Election in March

SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — With just a few months to go until the Presidential Primary Election on March 5, we wanted to take a look at the process for voters, specifically nonparty preference voters.

If you are a voter who declined to provide a political party preference, you are considered a "no party preference" voter, and your ballot will not have presidential candidates on it.

If you are a no party preference voter and you want to be able to vote for a presidential candidate, you need to request a ballot with presidential candidates, however, your choices are only those from the American Independent Party, Democratic Party or Libertarian Party.

In order to vote for another party, Shasta County Assistant County Clerk Joanna Francescut explains that you must re-register with that specific party. "The Republican Party, Green Party and Peace and Freedom Party, they do not allow voters to choose their ballot. So if voters want to vote on the Republican ticket, they'll have to re-register to vote as Republican. That's a choice that the parties make; it's not a choice that our office makes. It's totally up to the parties,” Francescut said.

The election will also be the first time since the county moved away from Dominion Voting Systems. If they didn't vote in the November Special Elections, voters will be using a new system.

"For this election, it's your first time using ballots in our new voting equipment, so those ballots are going to look different. They are going to have a different feel to it when you show up to vote in-person. We no longer have tabulators, so you have to either put your ballot in a ballot box, at the polling place, or, if you show up to vote in person, in our office, we are going to have you put it in a vote-by-mail-envelope and return it," Francescut said.

There is also a first mailing deadline coming up in a few days on Thursday, Jan. 11, so make sure to check that all your voter information is correct at www.registertovote.ca.gov.

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, Feb. 20, and ballots should be sent out around Monday, Feb 5.

If you are a no party preference voter, Francescut mentions that, to ensure the smoothest voting experience, it is recommended that you choose the type of ballot you want by that January-11-deadline so you can get mailed your preferred ballot. Although, you do have up until Election Day, on March 5, to do so.

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