California to Hold Statewide Special Election November 4, 2025; SLO County Elections Office Prepares
Author: Erin Clausen
Date: 8/22/2025 4:43 PM
The governor has called for a Statewide Special Election on November 4, 2025. With just 74 days until Election Day, the SLO County Elections Office is already hard at work reaching out to voters and getting the pieces in place.
San Luis Obispo, CA—On Thursday, August 21, California's governor officially called for a Statewide Special Election to be held on November 4, 2025. With just 74 days to prepare—a fraction of the time staff typically have to get ready for a countywide election—the County of San Luis Obispo Elections Office has hit the ground running.
The office immediately put together and posted a series of Voter FAQs and within hours had an election-specific website online. Additionally, the Clerk-Recorder's social media accounts shared key dates and links to the online resources.
The ballot for the special election will contain just one question, a proposition regarding the redrawing of congressional district boundaries. The Statewide Voter Information Guide, which will be mailed out by the California Secretary of State around September 19, will include additional information regarding the ballot measure, such as text of the bill and what a "yes" or "no" vote means.
Behind the scenes, steps like voter precincting and securing polling locations are taking place at the same time the County Voter Information Guide is being laid out. All of these processes are now well underway.
"We have had to condense the usual election timetable quite a bit," said Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Elaina Cano. "But our staff is experienced and professional, and even with the extremely tight timelines, we'll get the job done for SLO County voters."
Once the California Secretary of State completes steps including the public display period for the ballot label, which is the formal language to be printed on the ballot itself, then the county elections office can go about designing, proofing, and coordinating the printing and mailing of Vote-by-Mail ballots to every local registered voter.
In the meantime, Cano encourages all voters to visit MyVoterStatus.sos.ca.gov to verify that their registration is up-to-date. Doing so immediately will ensure that your ballot is sent to your current address when it is mailed October 6.
The usual timelines for mailing of election materials will still apply, meaning that military and overseas voters will be mailed their materials by 45 days ahead of the election, or September 20. And new voters can register online through 15 days ahead of the election, which is October 20. After that date, voters will need to register in person at the SLO Elections Office (or the Atascadero satellite office, which will open October 27), or they must vote provisionally at the polls.
"Another big message I have for voters is to confirm your polling location when you receive your Vote-by-Mail ballot," said Cano. She noted that the mailed packet of election materials going to each voter will include their current polling location.
"Your polling location may well be different from the one you were assigned in 2024. Check the top of that Vote-by-Mail ballot and confirm where you should go if you want to vote in person on Election Day."
The Elections Office will post regular updates to the November 4, 2025, Statewide Special Election web page at SloVote.com through the official canvass and the certification of results.
