2020 General Election
The City of Arcata will hold a general municipal election on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Three seats on the Arcata City Council will be up for election, and two measures will be included on the ballot.
To register to vote or check your voter registration status, please click here.
For a complete list of City Council Candidates, to read City Council Candidate’s Statements and for more detailed information on the election and Ballot Measures, please click here or call 707-822-5953.
For more detailed information on Measure A, click here.
For detailed information on Measure B, click here.
Write-In Candidates
A write-in candidate is an individual whose name voters fill in despite not appearing on the ballot.
The Write-In Candidacy period for the Tuesday, November 3, 2020 election runs beginning Tuesday, September 8 until Tuesday, October 20, 2020.
Those with interest in Write-In Candidacy can review the City’s Write-In Candidate’s Guide here. For more information on Write-In Candidacy, please call 707-822-5853.
Voting in Arcata: Early Voting, Vote By Mail, Ballot Drop Boxes & Voter Assistance Centers
To ensure a safe and accessible voting option during the COVID-19 pandemic, all Humboldt County registered voters will be mailed a “Vote by Mail” ballot for the General Election. Voters are encouraged to vote safely at home whenever possible, and to return their Vote by Mail ballots by placing them in the mail before or no later than Tuesday, November 3. There is no postage required to return Vote by Mail ballots.
Vote By Mail ballots may also be dropped off in-person at any Vote by Mail drop box location. In Arcata, there are two in-person ballot drop locations at Murphy’s Market, located at 100 Westwood Center, and at the other Murphy’s Market, located at 785 Bayside Road in Sunny Brae.
In addition, early voting for the General Election is currently underway, and is available in-person at the Humboldt County Elections Office, located at 2426 6th Street in Eureka. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 12 PM and from 1 to 5 PM.
There will also be nine Voter Assistance Centers throughout Humboldt County that will be open for four days, beginning Saturday, October 31 through Tuesday, November 3. At these centers, voters will be able to turn in a Vote by Mail ballot, vote by using a precinct ballot or on an accessible voting machine, get a replacement ballot, register to vote or update voter registration information, and receive voting materials in Spanish or Hmong.
The Voter Assistance Center in Arcata will be located at the Arcata Community Center, located at 321 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway. It will be open from 8 AM to 4 PM on Saturday, October 31 through Monday, November 2, and from 7 AM to 8 PM on Tuesday, November 3. The Humboldt County Elections Office encourages all voters to be prepared to wait in long lines while voting on Election Day.
Voters who would like to receive personalized text messages, emails or voicemails letting them know when their ballot is mailed, received and counted by the Registrar of Voters may subscribe to receive updates at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.
For more information and updates on voting options in Humboldt County, please click here or call the County Elections Office at 707-445-7481.