A growing number of Central Coast residents are choosing to vote-by-mail, but not everyone is clear on whether postage is necessary.
The KCBX Counties of Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara do request postage to mail in your ballot. The amount is one first class stamp: 47 cents.
California Voter Foundation President and Founder Kim Alexander said Thursday that if you're not sure how much postage to use, don't worry because each California county has an arrangement with the postal service to ensure your ballot gets to where it needs to go.
"So, they don't advertise it — as you can understand, they don't want to pay those costs — but voters should know there is a fail-safe in place, in case they don't have a stamp or they don't have the exact-right postage to put on their envelope," said Alexander.
She says several Bay Area counties and a couple in the Sierra Nevada are now paying the postage for all voters.
Alexander also stressed the voters should mail in their ballots by Friday, November 4. She said while voters have until Election Day to do so, there is a chance the postal service could take longer than the three day window allowed under law.
Mail-in ballots are accepted at any county polling place or election office.