Tuesday is the deadline to apply for mail ballots for the Nov. 19 special mayoral election in the city of San Diego, according to Registrar of Voters Michael Vu.
The registrar's office needs to have the applications in hand by Tuesday at midnight, per state law, so a postmark won't do.
Voters are being ask to choose a candidate to finish the final three years of the term of Bob Filner, who stepped down Aug. 30 amid a storm of misconduct allegations. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two vote-getters will be held early next year.
According to the registrar's office, people can apply for mail ballots by:
-- completing the form on the back of the sample ballot and voter information pamphlet mailed to each registered voter;
-- downloading an application from the Registrar of Voters' website at sdvote.com; or
-- faxing or mailing a letter to the Registrar of Voters. The request must include the voter's name, registered address, name and date of the election, the address where the ballot is to be mailed, and the voter's signature.
Applications and letters can be faxed to (858) 694-2955 or mailed to the Registrar of Voters at P.O. Box 85520, San Diego, Calif., 92186-5520.
Those who miss the deadline can vote in person at the Registrar of Voters office at 5201 Ruffin Road, Suite I, in Kearny Mesa between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday -- except for Veterans Day, or at their neighborhood election polling place on election day.
Voters who are already permanent vote by mail voters do not need to re-apply. Materials are available in Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese.
Vu said nearly 100,000 mail ballots have been filled out and returned.
More people are expected to vote by mail than go to the polls.
