How to vote in Zone 5
Your ballot came in the mail a few weeks ago. Here’s when it’s due, where to drop it off, and where to go if you’d rather vote in person.
When is it due?
- If you mail it: it needs to be postmarked by November 3 and arrive by November 10. Postage is already paid. This close to the election, we’d suggest a drop box instead, since postmarks aren’t always reliable.
- If you use a drop box: boxes close at 8:00 pm on November 3. Any official box in Riverside County is fine.
- If you vote in person: vote centers are open October 31 through November 2, 9 am to 5 pm, and on Election Day from 7 am to 8 pm. You can go to any vote center in the county.
- Not registered yet? You can register and vote the same day at any vote center, right up through November 3.
Check the back of your ballot
The Desert Healthcare District race is near the end, after the state and city contests, and a lot of people miss it. In 2024, about one in five Zone 5 voters sent in a ballot and left it blank. The District board decides how tens of millions of dollars in local health funding gets spent, so it’s worth flipping the page.
Look for “Desert Healthcare District” in the special districts section.
Where to drop off your ballot
These are the boxes closest to Zone 5. Most are open weekdays through November 2, and all of them are open on Election Day from 7 am to 8 pm.
Where to vote in person
Open October 31 through November 2 from 9 am to 5 pm, and on Election Day from 7 am to 8 pm. Bring your mail ballot if you still have it and they’ll cancel it for you, but you can vote without it. You don’t need ID if you’re already registered. And if you’re in line when the doors close at 8 pm, stay put. You still get to vote.
Want a reminder?
Tell us how and when you plan to vote and we’ll send you a copy of your plan, plus a nudge before the deadline. It takes about a minute.
If you run into a problem
They can’t find me on the voter list.
Ask for a provisional ballot. You’re entitled to one, and it gets counted once the county confirms your registration.
I lost my ballot, or it never showed up.
Go to any vote center and vote there. They can give you a new ballot on the spot.
Someone is bothering voters or getting in the way.
Don’t engage with them. Let a poll worker know, then call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) or the California Secretary of State at (800) 345-VOTE.
I can’t get time off work.
In California, your employer has to give you up to two hours of paid time off to vote if you can’t make it before or after your shift. Just let them know two working days ahead.
Still stuck? Call the Riverside County Registrar of Voters at (951) 486-7200 or visit voteinfo.net.
Anyse Smith
Anyse was appointed to the Zone 5 seat in January by a unanimous vote of the board and is endorsed by the nurses and healthcare workers of SEIU 121RN. She’s asking for your vote on November 3.
Meet Anyse · Read her priorities
Paid for by Anyse Smith for DHCD 2026. FPPC #1489750.
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