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Tomorrow is Election Day! Super Tuesday, no less!

With the Republican Party holding nominating contests in 15 states and Democrats doing so in 15 states plus the territory of American Samoa, more delegates are at stake tomorrow than on any other day of this Presidential Primary Election season.

While our nation’s presidential nominees are almost a foregone conclusion at this point, here in Humboldt County there’s plenty at stake.

Tomorrow’s the day we decide the fate of the controversial cannabis reform initiative known as Measure A, for one thing.

We may also decide who wins three of the five seats on the county Board of Supervisors. (With three candidates running for both the First and Second District seats, it’s possible, if unlikely, that none of them will clear the threshold necessary to avoid a November runoff: 50 percent of the vote plus one more.)

We’re also likely to decide whether incumbent Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Gregory Kreis should keep his seat on the bench despite a formal investigation by the California Commission on Judicial Performance into 19 counts of alleged misconduct. Kreis is facing two challengers at the ballot box: April Van Dyke, a contract attorney with the Humboldt County Office of Conflict Counsel, and Jessica Watson, a deputy district attorney who launched a late write-in campaign.

And of course, voters across Assembly District Two will select the top two candidates from these six contenders:

  • Michael Greer – Del Norte Unified School District trustee, Republican
  • Rusty Hicks – Chair of California’s Democratic Party
  • Ariel Kelley – Mayor of Healdsburg (Dem)
  • Franklin “Frankie” Myers – Vice-Chairman of the Yurok Tribe (Dem)
  • Chris Rogers – Santa Rosa city councilmember (Dem)
  • Ted Williams – Mendocino County’s Fifth District supervisor (Dem)

Early indicators suggest that voter turnout may be depressingly low, but if you haven’t yet voted, it’s not too late! Below you’ll find a rundown of the various options available to you.

Ballot Drop Boxes

The Humboldt County Office of Elections has drop boxes available in communities across the county, with each one available during the location’s regular business hours:

Willow Creek

  • Ray’s Food Place: 38915 Highway 299

Trinidad

  • Murphy’s Market: 1 Main Street

McKinleyville

  • Ace Hardware: 2725 Central Avenue
  • Murphy’s Market: 1451 Glendale Drive

Arcata

  • Murphy’s Market: 785 Bayside Road
  • Murphy’s Market: 100 Westwood Court

Eureka

  • Office of Elections: 2426 6th Street
  • Murphy’s Market: 4020 Walnut Drive

Fortuna

  • Ray’s Food Place: 2009 Main Street

Redway

  • Shop Smart: 3430 Redwood Drive
Vote Centers

Maybe you prefer to stand in the booth and scribble ink into those bubbles, getting a rush from doing your civic duty in public. If so, many vote center locations are already open, and a few more will be available tomorrow only.

IMPORTANT! Make sure to bring along the ballot that was mailed to you. If you don’t, you’ll have to fill out a provisional ballot.

The following spots are open Monday and Tuesday:

  • The Humboldt County Office of Elections
    2426 6th Street, Eureka, CA 95501
  • Arcata Community Center
    321 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, Arcata, CA 95521
  • Fortuna Veterans Memorial Building
    1426 Main Street, Fortuna, CA 95540
  • Arcata High School
    1720 M Street, Arcata, CA 95521
  • College of the Redwoods (Fieldhouse)
    7351 Tompkins Hill Road, Eureka, CA 95501
  • Jefferson Community Center
    1000 B Street, Eureka, CA 95501
  • Gene Lucas Community Center
    3000 Newburg Rd B, Fortuna, CA 95540
  • McKinleyville Middle School
    2285 Central Avenue, McKinleyville, CA 95519
  • Prasch Hall
    312 S Railroad Ave, Blue Lake, CA 95525

And the following locations will be open on Tuesday, March 5, only:

  • Hoopa Neighborhood Facility
    11860 Highway 96, Hoopa, CA 95546
  • Humboldt County Fairgrounds
    1250 5th Street, Ferndale, CA 95536
  • Redwood Playhouse
    286 Sprowel Creek Rd, Garberville, CA 95542
Mail-In

Since the advent of universal mail-in voting here in California, which started during the COVID pandemic, your ballot should have been mailed to you with a return envelope, no postage necessary.

As long as you get that thing into a mailbox early enough to be postmarked by tomorrow, your vote will count.

You can also return your envelope (with your filled-out ballot inside, obviously) to any of the voting centers or drop box locations listed above.

Curbside Voting

The following information comes directly from the Elections Office website:

Curbside voting enables voters to have a voting experience outside the voting area when a Vote Center is not accessible. Voters may use curbside voting from their vehicle or along the path of travel to the voting area.

Elections officials will bring you a roster to sign, a ballot, and any other voting materials you may need to cast your ballot privately and independently. Once your voting experience is complete, an elections official will provide you with confirmation that your ballot was cast successfully.

If you would like to arrange for curbside voting accommodations, please contact the Humboldt County Office of Elections at 707-445-7481.

Lastly …

If you missed the February 19 registration deadline, don’t worry! You can still submit a conditional voter registration and vote in-person on a provisional ballot at any Humboldt County vote center. (See above for locations.)