SLO County Elections Office Highlights Key Dates for 2026

Author: Erin Clausen
Date: 1/8/2026 12:13 PM

The SLO County Elections Office lays out a timeline for activities related to the June 2, 2026, Statewide Direct Primary Election and the November 3, 2026, General Election.

Having recently closed the books on the special election that put Prop 50 to local voters, the SLO County Elections Office is already hard at work planning for the two elections scheduled for 2026-the June 2nd Statewide Direct Primary and the November 3rd General Election-and elections staff want potential candidates and voters to know what lies ahead so that they, too, are well prepared.

Candidates
Anyone interested in running for statewide office or one of the nonpartisan local offices on the June ballot are encouraged to check out the Candidate Filing Guidelines posted on the Clerk-Recorder's website. While the official candidate filing period does not begin until February 9th, there are steps that can be taken now to ensure a smoother filing process and a campaign that adheres to all legal requirements.

Candidate Filing Period: February 9-March 6 (extended to March 11 for any office for which an incumbent does not file)

A list of offices up for election and other election details can be found at SloVote.gov/June2026.

Voters
All registered voters will be mailed a Vote-by-Mail ballot for the June primary by May 4th. As in recent elections, they'll have the option to use that mail ballot to vote or they can exchange it at a polling location to vote in person. (If a person shows up on Election Day without their mail ballot to exchange, it's not a problem; poll workers will simply confirm that it has not already been returned to the Elections Office before issuing the voter a precinct ballot.)

It's important that all SLO County voters who need to update their voter registration do so before mail ballots are sent out, especially if they have moved or changed their name. Voters can check their registration status at MyVoterStatus.sos.ca.gov or they can register for the first time at RegisterToVote.ca.gov.

If voters have a question about their registration status or any aspect of the voting experience, they can call 805-781-5228 to speak with a member of the SLO County Elections staff or email [email protected].

Ahead of the June primary, elections staff are stressing one key aspect of voting by mail: USPS postmarks are no longer an indication of what day a ballot was mailed, but rather when it is processed (which isn't necessarily the same day), so anyone who votes by mail should plan ahead and be prepared to put that return envelope in the mail box well before Election Day. SLO County Elections recommends that voters who use their mail ballot to vote return it via an official ballot drop box to ensure its safe and timely delivery.

For more information about the primary and general elections, including Voter FAQs and a range of other resources, check out SloVote.gov/June2026 and SloVote.gov/November2026.