San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters staff share voter education materials with residents during Ontario’s Picnic at the Park: Community Resource Fair at the Dorothy A. Quesada Community Center. The Sept. 26 event was a stop on the county’s Voter Education Roadshow, where residents could learn about voter registration, ballot return options and the voting process ahead of the Nov. 3 election. / IVN Photo by Aldon Stiles
Ontario, CA — Residents preparing for the Nov. 3 election could check their voter registration, learn how to return a ballot and try a demonstration of the voting process at a community resource fair Saturday, Sept. 26.
The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters brought its Voter Education Roadshow to Ontario’s free Picnic at the Park: Community Resource Fair at the Dorothy A. Quesada Community Center.
Hosting over 21 vendors, the Ontario’s Community Improvement and Housing Services departments organized the event, which also offered information about local services and activities for families.
“This is our voter education roadshow,” said Melissa Eickman, a public information and government compliance officer with the registrar.
The registrar provided resources to help show people how to register, check their information, track a ballot and understand what happens at polling places.
Ontario was the fourth of five scheduled roadshow stops, Eickman said. The registrar’s published schedule lists the final stop for Oct. 3 at Upland Memorial Park.
Eickman urged residents to make a voting plan before Election Day.
Someone who has moved, she said, should confirm that the registrar has a current address so their ballot reaches the right home.
Staff at the fair helped visitors check their status and update their registration information.
“When we move, we don’t think automatically, ‘I’ve got to go update my voter registration,’” Eickman said.
Voters might also want to review their party preference or ballot language, she said. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 19.
Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 10; ballot drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Eickman encouraged first-time voters to read the state and county voter information guides, which cover statewide contests and local races and measures.
The county also sought people interested in working at polling places, she said.
The city also advertised health screenings, a mobile clinic, flu vaccines and resource booths.
Residents met city employees and learned about programs available to their families.
Alexis, a representative of Ontario’s business licensing staff, said she spoke with prospective business owners and people renewing licenses about the steps involved in opening or maintaining a business and where to seek further help.
“I feel like there’s a lot of people who think there’s a lot to it, but we give an easier breakdown of it, so it’s less scary,” she said.
Red, a representative from the Symba Center, an Inland Empire nonprofit organization dedicated to providing health care and support services to underprivileged populations, told Inland Valley News (IVN) that Symba attended the event to serve people from Ontario who have experienced chronic housing insecurity.
Invited through a city partner, the program staffed a booth to connect with residents and other service providers, he said.
Community donations of clothing and partnerships that provide classes and recovery meetings help support its work.
Red said Symba’s ties to Ontario run deep because their clients are local residents, illustrating how the fair brought election information alongside services addressing needs residents face throughout the year.
For Eickman, that setting offered a chance to reach voters and potential voters who might not be aware of the resources available to them.
She said voting allows residents to weigh in on who makes decisions at the local, state and federal levels.
“You want to make sure that you have a say in who’s going to represent you,” she said.
