March 5, 2024, Presidential Primary Election Update – Choices for “No Party Preference” Voters

Tuesday, December 5, 2023 

Voting for a U.S. President in a primary election is part of the process of determining who will represent their political party in the general election. Voters who registered with a political party choose who will be the nominee among the candidates from their political party.

Voters who did not register with a qualified political party or declined to state a party affiliation are considered “No Party Preference” (NPP) voters. NPP voters who take no action will receive a primary ballot without the contest or candidates for U.S. President.

This week, the Yolo County Elections Office is mailing postcards to voters registered as “No Party Preference,” or NPP. Voters who believe they are impacted are encouraged to re-register to vote to make sure that their records are up to date before the March 5, 2024, Presidential Primary Election. “We want to inform our voters that if you received this No Party Preference (NPP) postcard and would like to vote for a Presidential candidate next March, you need to take action to either request a cross-over ballot or re-register with your preferred party,” said Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters, Jesse Salinas. The specific action needed by NPP voters will depend on the party of your preferred Presidential candidate.

The NPP postcards that will be mailed outline what steps are needed to cast a crossover vote in the March 2024 Presidential contest.

  • If a No Party Preference (NPP) voter wants to vote in the presidential primary for a candidate with the Green, Peace and Freedom, or Republican parties, the voter must re-register with that specific political party because these parties are not allowing cross-over voting this election. To re-register to vote online, go to ca.gov. or complete a paper Voter Registration Card.
  • If an NPP voter wants to vote in the presidential primary for a candidate with the American Independent, Democratic, or Libertarian parties, the voter may re-register with that specific political party or may request a No Party Preference Cross-over Ballot without re-registering with a political party.
    • Active voters who are registered as NPP will be mailed a postcard this week that they can return if they wish to receive a ballot from the parties offering cross-over voting. No Party Preference voters can also request a NPP Cross-over Ballot in the following ways:

The deadline to re-register to vote is February 20, 2024. If you miss the registration deadline, you may register in person at a Yolo County Vote Center or at the Yolo County Elections Office. Vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed 29 days before the election, beginning February 5, 2024, so NPP voters should re-register to vote or make the request for a No Party Preference Cross-over Ballot as soon as possible.

The Elections Office encourages residents to connect with Yolo County ACE – Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Elections on Facebook: @YoloACE, Instagram: @YoloCoACE, Threads: @YoloCoACE, YouTube: @Yolo County ACE, TikTok: @yolocoace and X:@YoloCoACE to receive the most up to date information.

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