NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. February 27, 2026 – As California enters the 2026 gubernatorial election cycle, voters across Nevada County will soon begin seeing the familiar signs of democracy at work: candidate signs coming up, vote-by-mail ballots arriving in mailboxes, vote centers opening, and neighbors engaging in conversations about the future of our state and county.

The election is Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Ballots will be sent to all active registered voters May 4 and vote centers will open in the days before the election, offering in-person voting, same-day registration, accessible equipment, language assistance, and vote-by-mail ballot drop-off options.

At the heart of this election and every election we administer is trust. In an era of widespread mis- and dis-information about elections nationwide, clear facts and open processes matter more than ever.

Our message to voters is straightforward: if you have questions, call us at 530-265-1298 or visit our office at 950 Maidu Ave., Nevada City. If something doesn’t make sense, let us explain it. If you hear a claim that raises concerns, check it with our office directly. And rather than allowing uncertainty or speculation to take hold, we invite the public to visit, observe, and witness the process firsthand from ballot processing to post-election certification.

To have your vote-by-mail ballot included in Election Night results, vote early. If voting by mail, mail your vote-by-mail ballot via the United States Postal Service by May 29 (the Friday before Election Day). If that’s not possible, walk your vote-by-mail ballot into a post office and ask a clerk to postmark it, or use an official drop box or vote center. Vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days after Election Day will count.

Election Night results are unofficial; it takes time to get the final results. Nevada County, like every California county, conducts a thorough, transparent post-election canvass verifying ballots, reviewing signatures, and reconciling results before certification. This careful process, which usually takes about a month, is a major safeguard in elections.

In Nevada County, trust is built through consistency, transparency, and dedicated service. We have an experienced permanent staff and poll workers who live right here in Nevada County and come back year after year to help voters every election.

Our office is strictly nonpartisan. We do not advocate for candidates. Our responsibility is to ensure that every eligible voter can cast a ballot that is counted accurately, securely, and fairly.

Trust, in our view, means voters know what to expect and see the system working as intended. It means using secure, official ballot drop boxes, clearly documented procedures, chain-of-custody controls tracking ballots, and an election environment that respects the process.

Nevada County has historically been ranked among California’s top counties for voter participation, often in the top 10 or five. We can all be proud that we live in community with such high civic engagement. We believe this shows our residents’ belief in fair elections and confidence that their vote is handled with care.

Looking ahead, voters will see several continued and new important improvements designed to strengthen transparency, accuracy, and efficiency:

  • Earlier this year, we introduced a postcard for voter residency confirmation. This enabled us to proactively verify and update voter registration records, exceeding legal requirements to ensure voter roll accuracy. We appreciate the many voters who have already returned them to us, fulfilling their purpose.
  • We will continue to use the new Ballot Processing Center at the Loma Rica Warehouse in Grass Valley. The center will continue to feature 24/7 video monitoring, allowing anyone interested to observe the process in real time and promoting transparency.
  • We are starting a new Election Night reporting system. This system will give both the public and media streamlined access to updated results, making outcomes easier to track and understand.
  • We are implementing a modern inventory and tracking system for all voting equipment that will be deployed. This upgrade will improve oversight, ensuring voting equipment is accounted for and ready for each election.
  • We are using a new vote-by-mail ballot tracking process, documenting when ballots are retrieved by staff and returned for processing, strengthening chain-of-custody documentation.

These updates are intended to strengthen documentation, transparency, and efficiency in election administration. Clear systems support organized workflows, reduce unnecessary complexity, and help ensure elections are administered consistently and accurately.

Election administration is demanding. It requires careful interpretation of laws, detailed procedures, and complex systems, often unnoticed when working smoothly.

Elections in Nevada County are conducted openly and professionally, with opportunities for public observation and engagement throughout the process. We welcome questions and invite you to help share accurate information about how local elections are administered.

Learn more about our office at www.NevadaCountyCa.gov/Elections.