Excerpts:

For the first time in California history, a ballot will make its way in the mail this week to every registered California voter, a decision made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that will reshape the election experience as well as the strategies of campaigns and candidates.

More than 21 million ballots will be mailed, more than in any state in the nation. Most will arrive this week, though some counties began the process almost two weeks ago. State law requires absentee ballots to be mailed no later than Monday, 29 days before the Nov. 3 election.

Few states have moved more decisively toward voting by mail over the last two decades than California, and the results have been striking. At least two-thirds of the ballots cast in the three most recent statewide elections had been mailed to voters, peaking at 72% of all votes recorded in the March primary.

We spoke with Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, about the errors to avoid when filling out your ballot so that you can get your vote on its way to being counted.

And if the news of the president's COVID-19 diagnosis has you wondering about how this will impact the election in general? The honest answer is that nobody quite knows right now. But one thing Alexander wants you to know: giving yourself a deadline for when you want to mail your ballot and working backwards with a plan for when to do your homework and actually fill out your ballot will help. "Your plan may shift, but in times of uncertainty it’s good to have a game plan," she says. Reading this is a great start.

Plan to Send Your Ballot on Time

Before we even talk about what's on the ballot itself, you need to know this: The #1 reason that ballots get disqualified in California is because they aren't mailed on time.

"Voting is challenging for many people, especially during a pandemic," said Kim Alexander, who wrote the song's lyrics and recruited volunteer, professional performers and editors to help record and produce the music video. "We put this song together to give voters a creative and entertaining way to help them prepare to vote with confidence."

As has been the case with CVF election songs in the past, this year's edition uses rhyme and a bit of humor to inform voters about the importance of getting vote-by-mail ballots in on time and remembering to sign their ballot envelope, according to Alexander. 

The election songs are inspired by "Schoolhouse Rock," the 1970's series of children's television shorts that used music and animation to educate a generation about civics, math, and grammar. (Full Video)

This non-partisan videos educates California voters on how to ensure their votes are counted, whether the ballots are submitted in person or by mail.

Our advisors will discuss topics such as:

• What happens to an election ballot
• How ballots are counted
• Dispel myths about the balloting process
• Lift the "curtain of mystery" surrounding election procedures

Our speakers are Kim Alexander, President of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, and Hon. Catharine B. Baker, former State Assemblywoman and Special Counsel to Hoge Fenton. {Full Video}