Here’s how downtown San Jose residents can vote in special election

Downtown San Jose voters will receive ballots next week for a special election to decide who will represent them for the next two years.

The special election for the District 3 seat on the San Jose City Council will be held April 8. Seven candidates are vying for the open seat after former Councilmember Omar Torres resigned in disgrace late last year.

Councilmembers voted Jan. 28 to appoint Carl Salas, founder of an engineering and technical services firm, to temporarily represent downtown San Jose until the special election, with a June 24 runoff if necessary and results certified in August.

Whoever is elected will represent downtown San Jose as it works to recover and fill vacant spaces post pandemic. That official will help the city navigate homelessness and housing and a budget shortfall.

Here’s how downtown residents can participate in the upcoming election.

How can I register to vote?

You can register to vote online. If you’d like to fill out the registration form on paper, you can go to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office at 1555 Berger Drive in San Jose. Completed forms must be returned in person or through mail, they can’t be faxed or emailed.

The last day to register to vote for the special election is Monday, March 24.

Voter registration forms are also available in multiple languages including Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

Where can I vote?

Four vote centers will be open at different times. In-person voting will open at the county’s Registrar of Voters Office on Monday, March 10 and will remain open through Monday, April 7.

Two vote centers will be open for 11 days: Joyce Ellington Branch Library at 491 E. Empire St. and Olinder Community Center, at 848 E. Williams St. These centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Saturday, March 29 through Monday, April 7. On Election Day, both centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A third location will be open at Center for Employment Training at 701 Vine St. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Saturday, April 5 through Monday, April 7. The center will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Find the closest vote center.

When will I get my vote-by-mail ballot? How do I return it?

All registered voters living in San Jose’s District 3 will receive a ballot in the mail. Ballots go out March 10.

A mail-in ballot can be mailed without any postage. Ballots can be dropped off at the registrar of voters, any voting center or in drop boxes as these locations:

• Joyce Ellington Branch Library: 491 East Empire St.
• Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library: 921 South First St.
• San Jose City Hall: 200 East Santa Clara St.
• East San José Carnegie Branch Library: 1102 East Santa Clara St.
• Santa Clara County Civic Center West Wing: 70 West Hedding St.

Find the closest ballot drop box.

Where can I learn more?

The registrar of voters publishes voter information on its website and YouTube channel. Spokesperson Evelyn Mendez said voters can check the county’s website for more information.

“It has all the drop boxes, all of the vote centers, it also has a (tool) if they want to type in their address so they can see what’s the closest,” Mendez told San José Spotlight. “This is also the website that will have the election results.”

Email questions to the office at [email protected] or call (408) 299-8683.

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X.