How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Elections office: Ballots heading out in the mail next week
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — With vote-by-mail ballots for the Nov. 5 presidential election about to go out to voters across the county, the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office has issued an update on ballots, voter registration and in-person voting.The elections office said all registered voters will be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot. Mailing of vote-by-mail ballots will begin on Oct. 7. Supplemental mailings will follow for newly registered or re-registered voters.
To ensure there are no delays in receiving your ballot in the mail, verify that the Registrar of Voters Office has your most up-to-date voter information. Visit https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/ or call 707-263-2372 to verify both your residential and mailing address.
Is everything correct? If not, you can update your registration by re-registering to vote at registertovote.ca.gov or by calling 707-263-2372 and requesting a voter registration form be mailed to you.
Return your vote-by-mail ballot
The elections office encourages people to vote safely at home, and return your vote-by-mail ballot in one of the following ways:
• Mail your ballot on or before Election Day – no postage required.
• At any official ballot drop box location. Visit https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/ or call 707-263-2372 for locations.
• Drop it off at the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office or at any polling place location within the state of California.
Track your vote-by-mail ballot
Receive your personalized text message, emails or voicemails letting you know when your ballot is mailed, received, and counted by the Registrar of Voters by subscribing to https://wheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.
In-person voting
There will be 20 polling place locations on Election Day. Polling place locations will be staffed for voters to drop off voted ballots or to be issued a replacement ballot from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
To vote in-person at your assigned polling place site on Election Day, please call the Registrar of Voters office for instructions. You will be required to vote a provisional ballot if you are unable to surrender your vote-by-mail ballot.
Ballot processing to begin Oct. 7
The Registrar of Voters Office also reported that it will commence processing vote-by-mail ballots for the Nov. 5 General Election on Monday, Oct. 7. The processing of the vote-by-mail voter ballots will continue through Election Day as well as during the official canvass.
The scanning and adjudicating of the official ballots will commence on Monday, Oct. 28 in the Registrar of Voters Office, 325 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport, however, results will not be announced until after the close of the polls at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
The official canvass will commence on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 10 a.m. and will continue daily, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays excepted, for not less than six hours each day until completed.
Observers are invited to view the processing and counting of the ballots, but shall not interfere with the election process.
Observers may contact the Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372, toll-free at 888-235-6730 or by email at
Staff may be required to work on some Saturdays, Sundays and county holidays as needed in order to complete the Official Canvass by the state deadline.
Clearlake City Council to consider supporting creation of new hospital district
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council is set to consider offering its support of a resolution to form a new hospital district to serve Lake County.The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The agenda can be found here.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel.
Community members also can participate via Zoom. The webinar ID is 843 3663 1409, the pass code is 879061. One tap mobile is available at +16694449171,,84336631409#, or join by phone at 669-444-9171 or 253-205-0468.
Under business, council members will consider a resolution granting consent to the county of Lake to establish the Lake County Hospital Improvement District.
City Manager Alan Flora’s report to the council explained that the council heard a presentation from Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital on Sept. 9 about establishing a hospital district within Lake County.
“The District would establish a fee, paid by the two hospitals with the county, Adventist Health Clear Lake and Sutter Lakeside. The fee would be paid to the state and increase the federal reimbursement rate for the two hospitals,” Flora wrote. “The District is similar to the Lake County Tourism Improvement District that created an assessment on lodging operators for marketing of Lake County as a tourism destination. The responsibility to establish this type of district falls on the Lake County Board of Supervisors, who adopted a resolution requesting the City of Clearlake’s consent on September 10th. After the two cities consent to the establishment, the Board will take final action to establish the District.”
Staff also will give the council an update on the Boyles fire.
Thursday’s meeting also will include the presentation of October’s adoptable dogs, and proclamations declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; minutes; approval of Resolution No. 2024-40 approving the road closure on Oct. 19 for the Robert Viramontes Memorial Soap Box Derby; approval of Resolution No. 2024-41 approving the road closure on Oct. 31 for the Trunk or Treat event; authorization of an amendment of contract in the amount of $109,852.50 with Square Signs LLC for the Digital Marquee Signs Project; continuation of the director of emergency services/city manager proclamation declaring a local emergency for winter storms; and adoption of Resolution 2024-43 Renewing Ordinance 261-2022 and approval of the Clearlake Police Department Military Equipment Report.
The council also will hold a closed session to discuss a lawsuit against Highlands Mutual Water Co.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Lake County under heat advisory through Wednesday
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — While fall has arrived, high temperatures are still in the forecast, prompting a heat advisory through mid-week.The National Weather Service issued the advisory, which is in effect from 11 a.m. Tuesday through 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The forecast calls for temperatures that could range from as high as 97 to 110 degrees.
Along the Northshore, daytime temperatures are expected to peak in the mid-90s on Tuesday and Wednesday, before dropping into the low 90s on Thursday and then rolling back into the 80s from Friday through the weekend. Nighttime temperatures will peak in the high 60s on Tuesday and will drop into the low 60s by the weekend.
In the south county, daytime temperatures are expected to be much higher, around 103 on Tuesday and 104 on Wednesday. The rest of the week and weekend temperatures will be in the high 90s. Nighttime conditions will be in the high 90s.
Conditions have led to a forecast of major HeatRisk for Lake County on Tuesday and Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Governor signs Sen. Dodd’s government ethics bill; measure implements new rules at local level
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Monday from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that will update conflict of interest laws to ensure local governments and other parties can more effectively implement and follow the law to prevent corruption or the appearance of corruption.“With this law we can build on the state’s local government ethics safeguards by focusing on situations prone to abuse or breach of the public’s trust” Sen. Dodd said. “It is critical everyone is clear on how to follow the law, which is why my bill makes clear what is and isn’t allowed. We need to ban conduct that risks creating a reasonable appearance of impropriety while safeguarding fair and reasonable participation in the political process. I thank the governor and colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support.”
Under current law, known as the Levine Act, an elected official such as a city council member must disclose contributions of more than $250 from anyone who has pending business like a contract, permit or housing development before the body, and must recuse themselves from participation in the decision.
Sen. Dodd’s bill, Senate Bill 1243, goes further by banning agents to a party or a participant from making a contribution in any amount to an officer during a proceeding and for 12 months following the date of the final decision.
While state-level lobbyists have been prohibited from donating to legislators, there has not been a similar requirement at the local level.
Sen. Dodd’s bill would effectively ban local lobbyists from contributing while they are working on projects and for the year afterwards, providing a nation-leading model.
The bill also makes numerous updates and clarifications to existing law to improve workability and efficacy. These include updating the reporting and recusal threshold to $500, better defining who counts as a participant or agent, and providing a mechanism for local elected officials to return contributions that would trigger recusal.
The bill is supported by civil prosecutors in San Francisco, San Diego, Oakland and Santa Clara County, local governments, the California Clean Money Campaign and the League of Women Voters.
It was approved by a unanimous vote of the Assembly and Senate before it was signed into law.
“To ensure public trust in local government, our ethics laws must address potential conflicts of interests in a way that is transparent and workable,” said San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. “These common sense reforms to the Levine Act will strengthen our ability to ensure compliance with the law and uphold the highest ethical standards. I applaud Senator Dodd, California Clean Money Campaign, and Common Cause for their leadership, and my counterparts in Oakland, San Diego, and Santa Clara for their collaboration, which allowed SB 1243 to become law.”
